Texas A&M Aggies redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel is living out the boyhood dream of many natives of Texas. The only thing bigger than high school football in Texas is college football and if you’re not the starting quarterback for The Texas Longhorns, then it is all about The Aggies. Manziel is the starting quarterback for The Aggies and within six starts as a collegiate, he has made a name for himself. Manziel’s first start came on September 8 against The Florida Gators. There wasn’t any pressure on Manziel heading into that game. It was only his first collegiate start while it was also the first game for new Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin. To make the plot of this game even juicier was that it was A&M’s first game as a member of The Southeastern Conference.
Manziel performed well in the 20-17 loss to The Gators. Manziel was 23-for-30 while throwing for 173 yards and he also rushed for 60 yards. Since that time, A&M has won five straight games with Manziel being the catalyst. In his second game, Manziel threw four touchdowns in a 48-3 beat down of The Aggies old Southwest Conference foe The Southern Methodist Mustangs. In The Aggies first SEC victory, Manziel was 29-for-38 for 453 yards while chipping in with 104 yards rushing as The Arkansas Razorbacks were pounded into submission 58-10. Last Saturday against The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Manziel passed for 395 yards while rushing for 181 yards in Texas A&M’s 59-57 victory in Shreveport.
Manziel’s 576 total yards from scrimmage were a Southeastern Conference record. The old record of 557 yards didn’t stand for long as Manziel set it against The Razorbacks.
Manziel was originally recruited by former Aggies head coach Mike Sherman who was fired after posting a 6-6 record last season. It was thought by some people that A&M would need some time to get adjusted to the play of The SEC, but Manziel has made the transition a bit easier. Through six games, Manziel has thrown for 1,680 yards. Manziel is also A&M’s leading rusher with 676 yards. In his first year Manziel is on track to join other college legends who played in Texas such as Vince Young, Earl Campbell, Doak Walker, and Davey O’Brien. All four won The Heisman Trophy. Manziel might not the award get this season due to him being an underclassman, but it could be on the horizon as he is on pace for 4,000 total yards this season.
Manziel’s assertion as the new face of The Aggies will be big going forward for recruiting in The SEC. Texas has always been a fertile recruiting ground and for A&M Manziel is helping the transition to The SEC. The next four games will go a long way in determining the fate of A&M and Manziel as they are in line to face some SEC heavyweights. This Saturday, The Aggies will host The LSU Tigers who are currently ranked 6th in The Bowl Championship Series rankings. Texas A&M will then embark on a three-game road trip as they are set to face The Auburn Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, and The Alabama Crimson Tide.
Walker, Campbell, Young and O’Brein didn’t become legends in Texas by running away from the competition. Walker won The Heisman Trophy in 1948 to go along with being a two-time Cotton Bowl Most Valuable Player. Campbell won The Heisman in 1977 while steamrolling his way over defenders while he was at The University of Texas. Young led The Longhorns to The BCS Championship in 2005. Manziel is well on his way to being a shining star in The Lone Star State and joining other Texas football legends.
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