Few in college football are as opinionated as Johnny “Football” Manziel, who won the 2012 Heisman Trophy. Manziel, a former Texas A&M star, was asked to weigh in on Texas phenom Arch Manning in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.
While opinions have ranged widely on Manning — one of the show’s hosts pointed out that he ranges from a Heisman Trophy pick to the seventh or eighth best quarterback in the SEC, depending on who you ask — he certainly gets his fair share of press. Manziel seemed to think it will be well warranted, though.
“I think him being the seventh or eighth best in the SEC, I don’t think we’re going to see that,” Manziel said. “I think he’s going to live somewhere in the top three of SEC play when it’s all said and done.”
One of the reasons Manziel is confident that Manning can live up to expectations is that he’s surrounded himself with excellent people. That’s something Manziel sometimes struggled with in his own career.
So when he sees it, he recognizes the value in it. Manning has that.
“I think with the people that he’s had around him, the way that he was raised, the way that he’s grown up, I think he’s prepared for what he is getting himself into,” Manziel said. “But when it comes down to it, it is SEC football. They are going to scheme for him, they are going to be prepared for him. They know what kind of quarterback he is.
“So you’re getting everybody’s best shot. You’re starting off the season at the top of the board. You know who’s coming for the top of the board? Everybody below you.”
Can Arch Manning handle all that? Time will tell. But just about everyone knows who he is.
There’s a burden that goes with that, too. But Manziel wasn’t about to shy away from putting the spotlight on Manning.
“I have high expectations. It’s tough to pick anybody that’s going to walk across the stage in New York in August,” he said. “It’s really hard. And it’s almost better to not be the guy with the best odds going into it, because I can look back throughout the years, the odds-on favorite going into the season really has never been the winner when it’s all said and done.
“But he has the opportunity with the schedule, has the opportunity with the conference to do everything he needs to do to be in New York in December. So I expect good things from Arch.”
