Texas A&M’s quarterback history has been muddled since Johnny Manziel exited College Station after two seasons, including his Heisman-winning 2012 campaign and the best season Texas A&M has had in the last decade. Despite his post-football troubles, Manziel’s legacy lives on, and he is still considered one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the college football landscape.
Manziel, who starred at Tivy High School for three years, produced 75 passing touchdowns and 78 rushing scores, and with dreams to play for the Texas Longhorns, rumors regarding former Texas head coach Mack Brown wanting Manziel to play defensive back were shot down but resulted in going in a different direction. While he originally intended to play for Oregon, former Texas A&M QB coach Tom Rossley sealed the deal.
After redshirting during their 2011 freshman season, Manziel’s entry into the college football zeitgeist was a slow build, surprisingly earning the starting QB job in the fall of 2012. Still, the Aggies’ opening-season loss to Florida was the first step towards his stardom. Manziel’s status skyrocketed, leading up to A&M’s historic road win over No. 1 Alabama, and finishing the season with 3,706 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 1,410 rushing yards, and 21 scores.
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After winning Texas A&M’s second-ever Heisman Trophy, Manziel’s stats steadily increased through the air during the 2013 season, but the Aggies’ struggling defense led to the future first-round pick having to pick up the slack offensively, leading to throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns.
After being drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft, Manziel’s career took a downturn, but his college success lives on.
Last week, ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked the top 90 college quarterbacks in the 2000s. Manziel came in at No. 13, surprisingly one spot below Texas QB Coly McCoy.
“Texas A&M won 20 games in the Johnny Football era, beat Alabama (and nearly did so twice) and immediately put to rest any silly “Yeah, but can that Big 12 offense work in the SEC?” qualms as the Aggies joined the league. But that alone doesn’t describe just how much one player could dominate the sport’s consciousness over multiple seasons. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him because you really, really needed to see what he might do next.”
Johnny “Football” Manziel was pure excitement and created new football fans who still enjoy today’s game. If he had stayed for one more season, I can safely say that Manziel would have been higher on the list.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Where is Johnny Manziel ranked in ESPN’s Top 90 college QB rankings?
