College Confidential

Texas A&M QB Manziel indicates possible interest in 2014 NFL Draft

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, winner of the 2012 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, is focused on leading the Aggies in pursuit of a national championship this fall.

But he indicated tonight that another stellar season at the college level could hasten his interest in heading to the NFL, where mobile quarterbacks like Manziel (6-foot, 200 pounds) are becoming a hot commodity. As an example, Manziel cited Seattle’s Russell Wilson (5-11, 204), the only rookie quarterback to win a game as a starter in the 2012 NFL playoffs.

“For me, being a shorter guy, a chance at the NFL, at a high draft pick, that’s something that I’ve only ever dreamed about,” said Manziel, who could enter the 2014 NFL Draft because he would be three years removed from high school at that time. “The NFL, … it’s changing. There’s a lot of things that can be done with more mobile guys.”

Asked if leading the Aggies to a 2013 national championship, combined with his 2012 Heisman Trophy, could trigger a move to the NFL after next season, Manziel said he had no timetable in mind but would consider exploring his NFL options after next season.

“Regardless of how long I’m at A&M, … I’m going to enjoy the time that I do have and go out and try to win every game,” Manziel said during a news conference before formally accepting the O'Brien Award. “A lot of things factor in (to an NFL draft decision). When the time comes, I think it will be a hard decision.”

Asked if he was a big Russell Wilson fan, Manziel said: "Now, I am. You look at his stature and some of the things he’s done, it’s impressive ... "

And Manziel can relate.

"You can’t really judge somebody’s heart and how they play on the field. Because for me, I’m going to go out and – it doesn’t matter how big you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6-7, 300 pounds, whatever, I still feel like I can take you on, and I’m going to out-fight you," Manziel said. "For me, that was a big thing this year."

_ Jimmy Burch

 

 

 

Texas A&M spring FB game set for April 13 with 3:30 p.m. kickoff #TAMU

Texas A&M has set April 13 as the date of its spring football game, with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff in Kyle Field, school officials announced today. The Aggies will open spring drills on March 2.

General admission tickets for adults to the Maroon & White spring game will be $5. Admission is free to students, college age and under.

_ Jimmy Burch

Fox Sports SW to televise A&M signing day show #TAMU

Fox Sports Southwest will televise Texas A&M’s national signing day show, created by the school’s 12^th Man Productions, on Wednesday morning from 7 to 10 a.m. The show will feature live updates about signees, with football coach Kevin Sumlin offering perspective in discussions with host Will Johnson.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M QB Manziel installed as early favorite for 2013 Heisman; Baylor's Seastrunk also on list #TAMU, #JohnnyFootball, #Heisman

The college football season does not begin for another seven months but Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel already has been installed as the early favorite to capture the 2013 Heisman Trophy, based on odds released today by Bovada Sports Book (www.Bovada.lv).

The site installed Manziel, the 2012 Heisman and Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, as a 4/1 favorite to repeat as the Heisman winner next season. Manziel already made Heisman history by winning the award as a freshman. A second Heisman would allow him to join Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974, 1975) as the only player to win multiple Heismans during a college career.

Joining Manziel among the early favorites to capture the 2013 Heisman Trophy are Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller (7/1), USC wide receiver Marqise Lee (9/1), Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (10/1), Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas (10/1), Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron (12/1), Miami running back Duke Johnson (12/1) and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (12/1).

The only other player from a college in Texas to receive Heisman odds was Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk (20/1). Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell, who has yet to make his first career start, received 30/1 odds.

Below is a look at the 22 players that received individual odds to win the 2013 Heisman:  

Odds to win the 2013-2014 Heisman Trophy        

Johnny Manziel (QB Texas A&M)                        4/1

Braxton Miller (QB Ohio State)                            7/1

Marquis Lee (WR USC)                                      9/1

Aaron Murray (QB Georgia)                                 10/1

De'Anthony Thomas (RB Oregon)                        10/1

A.J. McCarron (QB Alabama)                              12/1

Duke Johnson (RB Miami)                                  12/1

Jadeveon Clowney (DE South Carolina)                12/1

Tajh Boyd (QB Clemson)                                    15/1

Taylor Martinez (QB Nebraska)                           15/1

Ameer Abdullah (RB Nebraska)                           18/1

Marcus Mariota (QB Oregon)                              18/1

T.J. Yeldon (RB Alabama)                                   18/1

Brett Hundley (QB UCLA)                                   20/1

Lache Seastrunk (RB Baylor)                              20/1

Everett Golson (QB Notre Dame)                         22/1

Stephen Morris (QB Miami)                                 25/1

Blake Bell (QB Oklahoma)                                  30/1

Jeff Driskel (QB Florida)                                      30/1

Ka'Deem Carey (RB Arizona)                              33/1

Devin Gardner (QB Michigan)                              40/1

Stefon Diggs (WR Maryland)                               40/1

 

­_ Jimmy Burch

 

Texas A&M adds assistant coaches Spavital, Banks to FB staff #TAMU

Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin has added assistant coaches Jake Spavital and Jeff Banks to his staff, school officials announced today. Spavital, who spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at West Virginia, will be the Aggies’ quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. Banks, a former UTEP assistant, will be A&M’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M, Sumlin agree to contract extension, raises for assistants #TAMU

Texas A&M administrators and football coach Kevin Sumlin have reached an agreement in principle to a salary increase and contract extension for Sumlin, as well as a raise for A&M assistant coaches, school officials announced torday.

Terms of the deal were not announced and must be approved during a Feb. 1 meeting of the A&M board of regents, said athletic director Eric Hyman. In Sumlin’s first season, A&M (11-2) finished No. 5 in both postseason polls, the school’s highest finish in the college football rankings since 1956, and recorded only the fourth season in school history with 11 or more victories. A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy and offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, an Arlington High School graduate, won the 2012 Outland Trophy.

_ Jimmy Burch

Four former Texas A&M players headed to college FB all-star games #TAMU

Four former Texas A&M players who were seniors last season will be competing in all-star games the next two weekends, school officials announced today. Running back Christine Michael (East-West Shrine Game) and defensive back Steven Terrell (Raycom College Football All-Star classic will play in games Saturday.

Linebacker Sean Porter and receiver Ryan Swope will play in the Senior Bowl, Jan. 26 in Mobile, Ala.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M G Turner selected as national college BKB player of week #TAMU

Texas A&M guard Elston Turner, who scored a career-high 40 points in Saturday’s 83-71 victory at Kentucky, was selected today as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by members of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Turner, a 6-foot-5 senior, connected on 14-of-19 shots from the field (6-of-10 from three-point range) to become A&M’s first 40-point scorer in any game since Don Marbury on Jan. 5, 1985. Turner had 55 points in two games last week in helping A&M (12-3, 2-0 in SEC) carry an undefeated record in SEC play into Thursday’s game against No. 10 Florida (12-2, 2-0) in College Station.

_ Jimmy Burch

Brandt projects former Texas A&M, Arlington HS standout Joeckel as top pick in 2013 NFL Draft

Former Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, the 2012 Outland Trophy winner and an Arlington High School graduate, projects to be the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft based on a mock draft released today by NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt, the Dallas Cowboys’ former vice-president of player personnel.

Brandt’s mock drift is expected to be tweaked multiple times before the NFL Draft in April, based on players’ performances at the NFL Combine and in individual workouts. But in the first installment, Brandt projects Joeckel (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) to be taken No. 1 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Cowboys to use the 18^th pick on Eric Fisher (6-8, 305), an offensive tackle from Central Michigan.

Brandt projects five players from colleges in Texas to go in the first round, with former A&M defensive end Damontre Moore _ another junior who opted for early entry in April _ to be taken with the sixth overall pick by Cleveland. Moore and Joeckel are the only local players projected among the top 10 picks, with the others being Baylor receiver Terrance Williams (No. 14, Carolina), Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro (No. 15, New Orleans) and Texas defensive end Alex Okafor (No. 24, Indianapolis).

Brandt projects four players from Alabama, the two-time defending BCS national champs, to go in the first round: offensive guard Chance Warmack (No. 4, Philadelphia), cornerback Dee Milliner (No. 5, Detroit), offensive tackle D.J. Fluker (No. 13, Tampa Bay) and running back Eddie Lacy (No. 16, St. Louis), with two quarterbacks taken among the top 10 picks: West Virginia’s Geno Smith (No. 3, Oakland) and USC’s Matt Barkley (No. 7, Arizona).

A link to Brandt’s mock draft is below:

 

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/mock-drafts/gil-brandt/155116

 

_ Jimmy Burch

Former Aggie commit chooses TCU

TCU picked up the 18th commitment of its 2013 class Sunday.
Athlete Cameron Echols-Luper said he connected so well with current TCU wide receiver Cam White and the TCU coaching staff he committed this weekend before taking his other scheduled visit to Texas Tech.
“Like honestly we are almost alike,” Echols-Luper said of White via text. “We connected great but it was the same with the coaches.”
Echols-Luper and White previously met on the Auburn, Alabama native’s unofficial visit to Fort Worth last summer. Echols-Luper said TCU plans on using him at wide receiver. Earlier this week, the Rivals.com three-star athlete decommitted from Texas A&M citing too many wide receivers committed in the Aggies 2013 class. When he previously committed to A&M, Echols-Luper said he chose between the Aggies and Frogs because he wanted to play close to family he has in Ennis, just southeast of Dallas.

-- Travis L. Brown