Matt Leinart gets candid on what sets Arch Manning apart and who he thinks is college footballs most fascinating player

Fox “Big Noon Kickoff” analyst and 2004 Heisman-winning USC quarterback Matt Leinart takes a timeout for some Q&A with Steve Serby before the college football season kicks off.Q: Let’s talk about some Heisman quarterback candidates or favorites: Arch Manning.A: Last year, I think we were all guilty of this in the media.He came in with such high expectations, and a lot of it because of who he is for sure, whether that’s fair or not.

… And then they play Ohio State Week 1 and we had that game and he struggled and we’re like, “Well, maybe Ohio State’s defense is the best in the country,” which it pretty much was.And then he went on this run and he had a terrific year, and he kind of showed why we were all super, super excited to see him play.

… We know his ceiling is literally through the roof.We know how athletic he is.

It’s another full year under his belt now to become that leader and all that.They got [WR] Cam Coleman, they [Texas Longhorns] have a terrific roster that Sark [coach Steve Sarkisian] has built there.

Obviously, he’s a front-runner going into the season, anything can happen, but he’s definitely one that I would expect to have a chance to win that.Q: What is it specifically about his game that you notice?A: He can run, he’s big, he’s got the big legs — he is built the right way when you want to look at a quarterback, especially this new-era quarterback where he can run and throw, right? He’s a dual-threat guy.I love his demeanor.

As a former quarterback, I don’t care about arm strength as much, I don’t care how fast you can run.All these kids can play, right? Just like in the NFL, like, everybody can throw the ball.

I always look at a kid’s leadership ability, his demeanor, the way he carries himself, how is he on the field, how is he on the sideline, how is he in interviews? All of those things that are important traits to a quarterback as well.Knowing Arch a little bit, knowing Cooper, his dad, really...