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 well, he just has that quality that you’re like, “That’s the kid I want to lead my team.” This is a kid who obviously could have taken advantage of NIL and used his name and all this, but he’s just head down, wants to be a ballplayer, works hard, he’s a grinder and he wants to be great, and that’s what I love.

Q: Oregon’s Dante Moore.

A: The kid can throw it. He’s not the biggest guy as far as his size and height and all that stuff, but he’s got a great arm, and he’s one that can process. He’s one that I think mentally he’s going to wow scouts and all that when he does eventually go to the draft and the combine. I think that’s what separates him maybe from others. He looks like he’s always in control of the game. He moves very well for someone who doesn’t want to run a ton. He’s accurate. I’m happy he came back to school because I do think there was a lot of positive growth for him to get to this year. I think we’ll see that.

Q: Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.

A: West Coast kid, cool, calm and collected. He’s as accurate as anybody we’ve probably ever seen in college football. Just to go in to a place like Ohio State and become the starter that young, and to lead ’em to where he was able to lead ’em to, to be a Heisman candidate, to really be unfazed by all of the pressure and expectations to play quarterback there, he’s one of one, in my opinion. He’s not gonna wow you running the football, he’s not a Caleb Williams or one of these star, star athletes, but he can throw the football as well as anybody. He knows where to go, and again, being from San Diego, I’ve known him since high school, he is so laid-back and calm, and that bodes so well for him obviously when he’s on the field and be the starting quarterback for Ohio State. He’s one of those guys that he’s just gonna go out there and do his job every week. You know what you’re gonna get from him.

Q: Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss.

A: Trinidad Chambliss, to me, is the most fascinating player this year. Lane [Kiffin, coach] leaves, it’ll be interesting to see system-wise and offensively kind of what they do, but I think he’s a dark-horse sleeper Heisman candidate, I think he’s a dark horse top five pick in the draft. He’s as good as there is in college football. I love watching him play. He’s been around a long time, he can run, he can throw it. And he’s a reason why people think Ole Miss will be very good again this year.

Q: Notre Dame’s CJ Carr.

A: Future top five pick. The sky’s the limit. Can throw the football as well as anybody. I’m excited to see him this year because they lost both running backs [Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price], do they put more on his shoulders to kind of become that guy or do they continue to try and run to pass instead of maybe pass to run? I do think we’re gonna see a lot more on his plate in a good way ,and we’re gonna see him throw the football a lot more, which I’m excited to see.

Q: USC’s Jayden Maiava.

A: This’ll be his third year starting under [coach] Lincoln Riley, which is huge. Jayden is as good as there is in college football, he operates that offense at the highest level. I’m excited to see his step and growth as a leader and as more of an alpha dog — and what I mean by that is really, ’cause he’s a quiet, humble kid, he works hard, he kind of flies under the radar. I want to see him kind of step out of that shell a little bit and become sort of the alpha ’cause I know he has it in him, and I know the coaches want to see that, too, and I know they’re excited about his growth. He’s a dark-horse Heisman candidate and he has the potential to be a high draft pick.

Q: Miami’s Darian Mensah.

A: He’s another one of those guys that can run and can throw it. Obviously played at a high level last year [at Duke] and then goes to Miami, follows Carson Beck, love what [coach] Mario Cristobal’s doing there. I think we’re gonna see him really on more of a national stage in Miami. He’s another guy that, kind of like Trinidad Chambliss, where maybe from a national perspective fans didn’t really get a ton of chances to watch him play last year. They will now. And I’ll tell you what, that kid is the real deal. Carson Beck was terrific for them last year, obviously led ’em to the national championship. I think he’s an upgrade as far as what he could offer this offense.

Q: Tell me about SMU’s Cole Leinart as a quarterback.

A: He’s raw, he’s young, but his ceiling is really high. He’s got a lot of talent. He works hard. His strength is he can spin it, he’s really, really accurate, he could throw the football around the field. He needs to continue to grind and take advantage of a first year where he can just get bigger, stronger, and learn the offense, and then when he does get an opportunity, ’cause he will, he’s gotta take advantage of it, and I think that’s what excites him.

Q: The Big Ten … Indiana.

A: Are they gonna win another title? I don’t know. But what [coach Curt] Cignetti has done there … you lose [QB Fernando] Mendoza, you lose some talented wide receivers, you lose some guys on defense … but based on the way he builds a team and culture and the guys that he goes out and gets that fit what he wants to do, they’re gonna be as good. And the key one obviously is they go out and get Josh Hoover from TCU, who’s kind of a different style than Mendoza but has played a lot of football, was really productive there the last couple of years. And I feel like Cignetti knows that he can take any quarterback and mold them into what he wants to do for their offense, and obviously he’s had a lot of success with guys. I think Oregon, Ohio State going into the season are probably the top two, I think Indiana’s right there. And then you have teams like USC, you have Penn State, who I think’s gonna be very good with Matt Campbell, and Washington’s even sort of a dark horse. You win one of those big games against the big dogs, then you’re right there in the mix.

Q: Notre Dame?

A: I think Notre Dame’s probably a Final Four team. I think Notre Dame has a chance to win it all. I think again it does go back to what does this offense look like and the play calling, and who do they want to be from an identity standpoint? I know what they want to be, but when you lose two backs like that, I don’t care who you have coming back, you have two first-rounders gone. There is gonna be some change, but I think they feel like CJ Carr can really take that step and carry that load. The schedule is easy for them, they have the path to probably most likely be undefeated, they have a game against Miami this year, obviously that’s a big one. They’re a real national title contender.

Q: Georgia?

A: Georgia’s the same. You look at last year, I think it was one of [coach] Kirby Smart’s youngest teams he’s had, and they won the SEC, got to the College Football Playoffs. And now a lot of those guys are back. [QB] Gunner Stockton is back. Defensively they’re always great. Gunner Stockton was really good last year. I don’t know the specific number, but their explosive pass game was one of the worst in the conference and the country. There wasn’t a lot of explosive plays on their offense. I think for them to kind of get back into, like, “Hey, we’re a legit, legit contender,” they gotta be more explosive on offense. That comes when the quarterback has more experience and stuff like that. I’m intrigued by them. I know Texas is high up there on paper, but I would still have Georgia winning the SEC this year, preseason at least.

Q: The ACC?

A: I think Miami is clearly the team to beat … and then don’t sleep on SMU. Remember, SMU beat Miami at home last year during the regular season, they get [QB] Kevin Jennings back, who’s a terrific player. It’s a veteran-led team this year, their defense is gonna be better, their offense is gonna be really explosive, and they don’t play each other. So you look at SMU’s schedule, there’s a real path there to get to the ACC championship game.

Q: The Big 12?

A: I think Texas Tech is gonna be very good again. Obviously the quarterback situation is not ideal for them, at least what they thought they were gonna have, so that’s something to keep an eye on. I think BYU probably has the best chance to win the Big 12 with [QB] Bear Bachmeier back, their running game, they’re a 10-, 11-win team every year. I think TCU’s got a shot to be pretty good. Utah does lose Kyle [Whittingham, coach], but just because of culture and the players on that team, I think that they’re gonna be in the mix. But I think the Big 12 between BYU, probably Texas Tech just because of kind of what they’re building there.

Q: Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith?

A: I think he was arguably the best player in college football last year, I think he’s the best player in college football going into this season. He’s as good as we’ve seen at receiver, and we’ve been fortunate in college football really for a long time … the LSU guys back in the day, the ’Bama guys. He is as physically dominant and gifted as we’ve ever seen, kind of going back to like the Larry Fitzgeralds … Julio Jones is probably a natural comp based on size. We’re watching him as a freshman a couple of years ago, and I’m like, “This kid’s ready to play in the NFL right now.” For him, it just comes down to how much they can give him the ball and let him go do his thing.

Q: What are some other interesting storylines?

A: Let’s look at coaching changes. Let’s look at Lane Kiffin at LSU. Obviously, I’ve known Lane forever, he was my coach at USC. A little bit of a mess, he split there from Ole Miss to LSU, but he has one of the more talented rosters, and now he has probably more at his disposal to build that team. How do they do in the SEC? I think you look at a guy like Matt Campbell going to Penn State, not getting a ton of news, but Matt Campbell’s a terrific coach. Obviously for me USC, is a big storyline this year. I think there’s a lot of pressure on Lincoln, obviously, to win this year, I think he would tell you that, this is Year 5. They’re sort of flying under the radar based on the ranking. It feels like kind of playoff-or-bust this year with that roster. Then I always like the storyline, it’s just like which teams kind of come out of nowhere? Texas Tech was kind of that team last year. Could be SMU this year which obviously I’m more partial to ’cause my son is there. They might be able to contend in the ACC.

Q: What do you think of Kiffin and the recruiting controversy?

A: I think Lane is polarizing, obviously Lane is Lane, right? This is who he’s been. I love Lane, I have a personal relationship with him, I think he’s a terrific coach. You kind of take him with a grain of salt, right? He’s an excellent recruiter. It’s really more of it’s a reflection of the state of college football and recruiting and all the stuff that’s going on, right? I hope it gets fixed, I hope we can find a voice in college athletics to keep all of this out of the game. Obviously he’s doing things that other people are doing, too. He knows that he has probably his best opportunity to build a national contender to win one. We won two together at USC, he won one at Alabama, but he wants to win one as a head coach.

Q: Any other players you’re excited to watch?

A: [Texas WR] Cam Coleman, he’s gonna be a big-time player. [WR] Kayden Dixon-Wyatt at USC, I’ve known him since high school, he’s a true freshman this year, receiver, he’s gonna be a star, he is someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Jordan Davison over at Oregon, the running back, and I want to shout out [QB] Rocco Becht, he’s been playing ball for a long time and probably some people know him, but he’s at Penn State now following Matt Campbell. I played with his dad [Anthony] in the league. He’s a great player. I’m excited for him to sort of be on this national stage and for fans to kind of see him, they’re gonna fall in love with his game.

Q: A general overview of this college football season.

A: Fall is my favorite time of the year for obvious reasons, and the biggest reason is just football is back. There’s so much change and outside things going on in college athletics, and not necessarily all positives, but at the end of the day I love celebrating the game, I love celebrating the tradition, the history, the players, the teams, the narratives, the storylines, all of that stuff. The offseason is for people to talk about a whole bunch of different stuff. We’re finally in the part where now these kids get to play. I think it’s gonna be a great year. I think the product on the field has never been better. I think the parity in college football has never been better. It’s gonna be a fun, fun season.

Q: Whatever comes to mind: Kurt Warner.

A: Hall of Fame.

Q: Pete Carroll.

A: Legendary.

Q: Jordan Palmer.

A: Guru.

Q: Winning the 2004 Heisman.

A: Life-changing. They say once you win, you’re always gonna be known as Matt Leinart, Heisman Trophy winner. That’s not all I want to be remembered for, but it’s being a part of an incredible group of guys who won that, it’s being a part of what the Heisman Trophy represents on and off the field.

Q: Cross-eyed and fat.

A: Tough adolescence for me. Tough childhood.

Q: Because you were taunted?

A: I was a very good athlete, so I had sports as my outlet. I was cross-eyed, I wore these big, thick bifocal glasses, so I was bullied by a lot of non-athlete kids, there’s always cliques at every school. So I was bullied a lot probably fourth, fifth, sixth grade and then I shot up and I got super tall and leaned on all those things.

Q: How would you sum up your NFL career?

A: I would sum it up as didn’t live up to the expectation that I had for myself. But I would say this: I learned a lot in those years, I grew a lot, I had opportunities when I felt like I was ready and injuries kind of derailed. I kind of look back and I think there was a lot of it that I could control, there was a lot of it that I couldn’t control, and I’m OK with that. I’ve been at peace with my career for a long time. Football opened up so many doors for me, it’s why I have a job now. I can’t live with regret. Yeah, I would have loved to play longer, I would have loved to be this and that for sure. But it didn’t work out that way.

Q: You went to the Cardinals with the 10th pick in 2004. Did you think the Jets might draft you at No. 4?

A: I did. Yeah, they were close. I had meetings with them, their whole brass flew out, worked me out, got me on the board, did all those things, dinner … there was all that Joe Namath parallels, like Hollywood Matt’s coming to New York, etc. There was definitely a real shot, they ended up taking D’Brickashaw Ferguson, which obviously ended up being a great player for them and a cornerstone in the line for a long time. But yeah, there was a real chance.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Kobe Bryant, who is my favorite athlete of all time; Eminem; Michael Jackson.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Wedding Crashers.”

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Jerry Ferrara.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Josie Loren.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Cheeseburger and french fries all day long.

Q: Final Four pick?

A: Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame … I was on Georgia but I’m gonna give Texas a little love.

Q: So who wins it?

A: I’m gonna go Ohio State. Safe pick. Julian Sayin another year, Jeremiah Smith, they kind of reload, Matt Patricia did a fantastic job on defense last year, second year there, they get Arthur Smith as the [offensive coordinator], tons of experience. I just don’t think they miss a beat.