Joel Klatt Names College Football's No. 1 QB Over Arch Manning

When FOX broadcaster Joel Klatt broke down his top 10 players in college football for 2026, he dropped at least one major surprise-- his top QB. No, Klatt didn't pick returning Texas star Arch Manning. Nor did he tab Oregon ace Dante Moore or Ohio State superstar Julian Sayin.

Klatt's Surprising Top QB

Klatt's pick for the top college football QB in the nation is Notre Dame's C.J. Carr. As a freshman in 2025, Carr passed for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. He led the Irish to the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth, only for Notre Dame to end up a spot shy of the qualifying field.

For his part, Klatt acknowledged his surprising pick. "I love Dante Moore," he said. "I really like Julian Sayin. I really like Arch Manning. But guys, I cannot contain my excitement for C.J. Carr at Notre Dame, so C.J. Carr is number three."

Klatt is excited to see Notre Dame's offense in 2026, terming the previous offense as "run-based." He explained, "What people failed to reealize is how explosive they were and they can be this year offensively throwing the football."

"This is an offense that is going to be more quarterback-centric than it was... a year ago," said Klatt. "Carr could have a monster year."

Klatt's comments are interesting, but on the face of things, his choice is difficult to justify statistically. Last season, Carr was 51st nationally in passing yards. Sayin passed for nearly 1,000 more yards, Even in a difficult season, Arch Manning passed for 3,163 yards and 26 scores. Moore not only seems to have the most upside, but already threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Notre Dame's Situation

Notre Dame also lost plenty of skill position standouts from 2025 to 2026. Running back Jeremiyah Love is the most notable, but back-up running back Jadarian Price is a big loss, and Notre Dame also returns only a single player with a double-digit reception total from a season ago.

Klatt's top players certainly seem a bit Notre Dame-centric, as he chose Irish CB Leonard Moore as his second-best player in the nation, trailing only Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith. While Notre Dame flirted with a national championship in 2024 before falling to Ohio State in the CFP final, the Irish haven't won college football's biggest prize since 1988. If Klatt's projection is indeed correct and the Irish have the nation's top defender and top quarterback, the on-field signs should be unmistakeable.

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