Will Johnny stay or will Johnny go? Texas A&M's star quarterback (and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, if just for a few more weeks) Johnny Manziel has a decision to make after two great years as a college quarterback. College players can't declare for the NFL draft until three years after they graduate from high school, but since Manziel redshirted his first year at A&M, he will be eligible for the NFL after this year.
Johnny Manziel to decide on NFL Draft before bowl, says Sumlin
No word from Manziel himself on the decision, but his coach is ready for the call one way or another.
Scott Halleran
But there’s generally a mammoth difference between “eligible for the NFL” and “ready for the NFL,” so whether Manziel stays or goes is not an easy, obvious decision. At the very least head coach Kevin Sumlin thinks there’s a timetable for deciding, though, and it’s relatively soon.
Johnny Manziel will announce before Texas A&M’s bowl game whether he will enter the 2014 NFL draft, Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said Friday.
Sumlin said on ESPN Radio’s “SVP & Russillo” that he has not yet talked to the Heisman-winning quarterback about his decision, but he outlined a timeline for Manziel’s announcement.
“We haven’t had that conversation,” Sumlin said. “My job is to get him all the facts that we can get him. We’ll have that discussion after the Missouri game, certainly during the bowl preparation. I’m sure the announcement will be made at that time.”
If this is it for Manziel, you can’t accuse him of going out on a low note. He treated Aggie fans to a 446-yard, five-touchdown performance in the Kyle Field home finale two weeks ago, and the A&M faithful rewarded him with a “one more year” chant in the waning moments of the 51-41 win over Mississippi State.
Also, Manziel may not be a top draft pick along the lines of Jadeveon Clowney or Teddy Bridgewater, but he's still solidly in the first round according to our latest Mock Draft, and that may even be better for him long-term. The later Manziel gets drafted, the less likely it is he'll be counted on to produce in the first season, and he seems like the type that could use a year or two to acclimate himself to the NFL. That's not a knock on his long-term potential at all; even Brett Favre started his career on the bench for a year with Atlanta. It's just how the NFL is.
What do you think Manziel will do? One more year in the fishbowl or is it time for him to bounce?
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