Heisman winner Johnny Manziel has partied his way into the media’s crosshairs all offseason long (Photo: csmonitor.com)
DraftBrowns.com Staff Writer: Justin Higdon
The Texas A&M Aggies closed out the 2011 regular season – their final one as a member of the Big 12 – with a 27-25 loss to the Texas Longhorns. A week later, Head Coach Mike Sherman was unceremoniously fired over the phone while on a recruiting trip. Sherman went on to join the Miami Dolphins as the team’s offensive coordinator, and star quarterback Ryan Tannehill later joined him by way of the 2012 NFL Draft. Former University of Houston Head Coach Kevin Sumlin succeeded Sherman, and turned the keys of the Aggie offense over to redshirt freshman party-boy, Johnny Manziel. After losing the opener to Florida, A&M won 11 of its last 12 games, defeated eventual National Champion Alabama, and finished as the fifth ranked team in the country. Left tackle Luke Joeckel became the number two pick of the draft, and key contributors Damontre Moore, Christine Michael and Ryan Swope have all moved on. But thanks to returning Heisman Trophy winner Manziel, the eyes of the football-watching nation will be focused on the Aggies all season – for better or worse.
Johnny Manziel QB* 6’0” 200 – Manziel grew up a Texas Longhorns fan, and Head Coach Mack Brown rather famously recruited the youngster as a defensive back. But Texas ultimately never offered Manziel a scholarship, so he turned down other offers to head to College Station. His Aggie career started inauspiciously. After redshirting as a freshman, Manziel ran afoul of the law before he ever appeared in a college football game. In June 2012, he was arrested for fighting and presenting a fake I.D. to police. The school originally suspended Manziel for the 2012 season, and he reportedly considered transferring. Instead, he appealed the suspension, and with some intervention from Sumlin, Manziel was reinstated in time to earn the starting quarterback job. In his first start he nearly led the team to an upset win over Florida before rattling off five straight victories. After playing his worst game of the season in a loss to LSU, Manziel took A&M on a six game winning streak to close the season, including the shocking victory over the Crimson Tide, and a blowout win over Oklahoma in the bowl game. He finished his Heisman-winning campaign with a staggering 3706 yards and 26 touchdowns passing, and another 1410 yards and 21 TDs on the ground. Since closing the season Manziel has been a walking, talking, carousing human headline. Just after the Cotton Bowl win, he was living it up at a Houston nightclub. He became a courtside fixture at a number of NBA games. He was reportedly sent home from the Manning Passing Academy for oversleeping (or “oversleeping”). He was kicked out of one frat party and spotted wearing a Tim Tebow jersey at another. Manziel insists he’s just having his fun, like any typical 20-year old college kid, and has even taken to trolling his critics on twitter. To some, he has become the poster child of all that is wrong with entitled student athletes, but he is certainly not the first, last, nor most offensive example. Most concerning about Manziel is that his apparent devil-may-care demeanor carries onto the field. He seems to have little interest in sticking around A&M once the 2013 season comes to a close, yet he is nowhere near a finished product as a quarterback. Manziel’s effective yet reckless style of play suggests he’s more of a freelancer than a coachable student of the game. He is an electrifying open field runner, but his unwavering trust in his own ability to score on every play leaves him open to huge hits, and potential injuries or turnovers when he is running with the ball. As a passer Manziel is able to get into a rhythm with quick hitters and rollouts to his right, but it occasionally appears as if the play call is something akin to “run around and make magic.” When faced with speedy defenses stocked with NFL caliber athletes, cracks begin to surface. Manziel took numerous hits and was hurried into interceptions against LSU. At one point the right-hander was flushed toward the sideline and attempted a left-handed pass that nearly resulted in another turnover. It was the type of decision that would lead to universal derision in the NFL world – one that a quarterback, no matter how athletically gifted, simply cannot make. Manziel’s arm strength is below average. He is often behind his receiver on passes over the middle, and on deep passes he appears to throw his entire body weight into the ball. The result is a ball often lacking in touch – lain out for his receiver to sprint and dive for – instead of a beautifully thrown pass. This is not to suggest that Manziel is incapable of accurate throws, but rather to say that his 68% completion percentage is significantly inflated by Sumlin’s play calling. Few, if any, modern NFL quarterbacks boast vision in the run game as their strongest attribute while displaying a popgun arm with questionable awareness. Like any college sophomore, Manziel has a lot to learn about life, but there is a strong chance he has even more to learn about the finer points of football. For now, he can take immense pride in being one of the most exciting college quarterbacks in the country, but he may be overestimating his value as an NFL prospect. Then again, perhaps Manziel has become a victim of his own fame, gradually cracking under the immense pressure that his highlight reel 2012 created – an individual with a growing sense of frustration and a short fuse whose parents are becoming increasingly concerned for his wellbeing. Perhaps his desire to escape the Texas A&M campus has more to do with evading the crush of celebrity. In that case, he would be much better off enjoying his family, friends and fortune than living under the NFL microscope. With growing worries in NFL circles about Manziel’s off-the-field activities and mental makeup, the decision to play professional football may ultimately not be up to him.
Jake Matthews OT 6’5” 305 – Matthews is practically football royalty. His father is Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. His uncle? Former Browns’ stalwart Clay Matthews II. Which of course makes Jake the first cousin of Green Bay sack-master Clay Matthews III. Matthews is destined for stardom, but not only due to his famous surname. He was arguably the Aggies best player on a line that included the second overall draft pick, Joeckel. Matthews was a four star recruit out of high school in 2010, and started the final seven games of his freshman season. His presence in the starting lineup helped fortify a unit that had surrendered 23 sacks in the previous six games. As a sophomore he started every game, and as a junior last season he was named First Team All SEC by both coaches and media. Matthews is a gifted athlete who uses his quick feet to mirror pass rushers, and his long arms to keep them at bay. His agility is impressive for a man his size, he is effective when cut blocking, and he is more proficient using his hands to keep defenders from shedding than many NFL tackles. In the run game, Matthews explodes out of his stance, and routinely gets to the second level to pick up additional defenders. His strength is readily apparent in short yardage and goal line situations. With Joeckel gone, Matthews will become A&M’s starting left tackle this season, and his ability to play both sides of the line will do nothing but increase his appeal to NFL teams. While some questioned Matthews for returning to college for his senior year, he is the early favorite to be the first senior drafted in 2014, somewhere within the top three to five picks.
Mike Evans WR* 6’4” 225 – Evans burst onto the scene in 2012 as a redshirt freshman, starting all 13 games and finishing with 82 receptions for 1105 yards and five touchdowns. The former high school basketball star proved proficient in jump ball situations and passes near the sideline, and was adept at finding open space while Manziel scrambled to buy time. For what he lacks in straight-line speed, the redshirt sophomore receiver has tremendous size and leaping ability – the tools to become an ideal red zone threat. With the departures of Swope, Uzoma Nwachukwu, and Kenric McNeal, Evans’ targets will only increase, and it would be no surprise to see him double his touchdown total this upcoming season.
Ben Malena RB 5’8” 195 – Malena played sparingly as a freshman after coming to College Station as a four star recruit out of nearby Cedar Hill, Texas. Through 11 games in 2011 he had logged just 19 carries, but was thrust into the starting lineup after injuries felled fellow running backs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael. Malena finished the season with 67 carries for 259 yards and five total touchdowns, averaging a modest 3.9 yards per carry. Last year, despite the presence of Michael, Malena finished second on the team with 808 rushing yards while scoring nine touchdowns and increasing his yards per carry by two full yards. He is a speedy, open field runner who, despite his lack of size, is able to finish plays with authority. Malena displays excellent vision on most carries, and is able to plant his feet and cut on a dime. He is an adequate, if underused, receiver, and has experience returning kicks. While he is capable of lowering his shoulder and delivering a blow, Malena has a tendency to run high, which could leave him vulnerable to big hits and fumbles. He would no doubt benefit from lowering his pad level, at least until he gets into the defensive backfield. Malena has never shouldered a full load, and is expected to share time again this year with sophomores Brandon and Trey Williams. Still, even with a committee approach, Malena should see the bulk of the non-Manziel rushing attempts, and enters the season as an intriguing mid-to-late round prospect.
Deshazor Everett CB* 6’0” 182 – Everett was a three star recruit out of high school in Louisiana, and became a valuable special teams player as a true freshman. As a sophomore last season, he started 12 games between cornerback and safety, and finished the year with 56 tackles and seven pass breakups. In a blowout win over South Carolina State, Everett returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown; and his late pick of A.J. McCarron in the red zone helped thwart a rally and seal the upset. Everett is a tough player who is not afraid to help in the run game, though as many young defensive backs are prone to do, he often goes for the knockout hit rather than wrapping up on his tackles. He has shown the ability to break on passes in front of him and make plays on the ball, but he is a work in progress in man coverage. Everett’s best fit in the NFL may be as a free safety where he can be given some freedom to roam. The junior defender had been pegged as one of the Aggies’ starting corners heading into 2013, but he was arrested early this month for his role in a fight that began at a bar when he and teammate Floyd Raven Sr. sprayed champagne onto the crowd. As a result, Everett has been suspended from the team, and his status heading into August is uncertain. Chances are he will be allowed back after a game or two, at which time he can attempt to build on the potential he had shown a year ago.
Also keep an eye on: Kirby Ennis DT 6’4” 300 (currently suspended), Jarvis Harrison G* 6’3” 320, Steven Jenkins OLB 6’2” 220, Nate Askew OLB 6’3” 225, Floyd Raven Sr. FS* 6’1” 190 (currently suspended), Howard Matthews SS* 6’2” 200, Nehemiah Hicks TE 6’4” 243, Derel Walker WR 6’2” 185