Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl south squad quarterback E.J. Manuel of Florida State (3) runs against the Senior Bowl north squad during the first half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

New Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski helped coach former top pick Cam Newton to a Pro Bowl season as a rookie, and former Florida State signal caller E.J. Manuel feels like he could have similar success in the NFL. Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer and reporter Mary Kay Cabot, coach Chudzinski compared Manuel to Newton, and Manuel feels like he is in play for the Browns in the first round.

“If I get drafted by Cleveland, I know coach Chudzinski and (offensive coordinator) Norv Turner would do a great job of getting me ready to play.”

“After the way some of these workouts have gone, I think I’ll go fairly high. I don’t know about the top 10, but I expect to go in the first round.

“Some of the teams might consider me (a top-five pick). We’ll have to see how it all plays out.”

Manuel was invited to the NFL Draft in New York City, and typically the players that attend the draft are considered first round picks. There are always occasions where those invited don’t get picked up by anyone in the first round, so they come back on day two and wait to hear their name called, but I think Manuel has a real shot to go in the first round with the way this class is shaping up.

If the Browns feel like Manuel is comparable to Cam Newton, I think they are going to be a little disappointed if they draft him and expect him to fill those shoes, but they could be getting a really solid player. There are a lot of rumors going around that the Browns are locked in on Dee Milliner with that number six overall pick, but they are also one of the teams trying to trade down in the first round. If they are able to move down into the teens or early 20s, I wouldn’t rule out E.J. Manuel being the pick.

The Browns have Brandon Weeden, a first round pick in 2012, but he’s not proven much and there is a new regime in charge in Cleveland. Typically when a new regime takes over, they plug in a new quarterback. Manuel could be the guy the Browns feel gives them the best chance to win in the future.

He certainly seems to believe they think he can be. Not only that, but Manuel has received significant interest from the Jets, Eagles, and Jaguars, and feels like he will go in the first round. The Jets have two first round picks, so he could be a strong option there as well.

We’ll have to wait to see how this all plays out, but Manuel’s comments about his draft status are pretty intriguing.

Nov 24, 2012; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ej Manuel (3) looks to throw the ball during the second half of the game against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium. Gators defeated the Seminoles 37-26. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-US PRESSWIRE

Height:   6’5″

Weight:  237 pounds

Position Rank: 4th

Drafted By: Buffalo Bills (1st round, 16th overall)

40 Yard Dash:  4.65

Bench Press:  N/A

Vertical Jump:  N/A

Broad Jump:  N/A

Career Highlights (via FSU athletics site)

All-ACC (Second Team)
Coaches All-ACC (Second Team)
Phil Steele Postseason All-ACC (Second Team)
Unitas Golden Arm Award Finalist
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist
Under Armour Senior Bowl Selection

2012: Senior quarterback who finished his career ranking as one of the most productive at his position in Florida State history…led the Seminoles to a 25-6 record as a starter – the third-most wins in program history – and became just the second quarterback in FBS history to win four straight bowl games, joining former West Virginia QB Pat White…also went 16-3 in his career against ACC opponents…FSU’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.9), which ties for second in ACC history…ranks among top five Seminole quarterbacks all-time for passing yards (7,736, 3rd), total offense (8,563, 3rd), completions (600, 4th) and attempts (897, 5th), despite only two seasons as the full-time starter…also tied for seventh all-time with 47 career TD passes and tied for ninth all-time with five 300-yard passing games…enjoyed his most productive season in 2012, completing 263-of-387 attempts for 3,392 yards and 23 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions… served as an integral part of the 2012 FSU offense which will go down in FSU history as the most productive ever racking up a school record 6,591 yards which surpassed the 2000 team for the most yards…capped off his career leading FSU to 534 yards of total offense which was the sixth game of over 500 yards of total offense in 2012…ranked second in the ACC and 14th nationally in passing efficiency (156.0) in 2012 and his career total of 150.4 ranks second all-time in the ACC…became the first Seminole quarterback since Charlie Ward to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 with 380 and 102, respectively, in FSU’s 49-37 win over No. 10 Clemson which earned him his first of two ACC Player of the Week honors…calmly led the Seminoles back from a 14-point third quarter deficit against the Tigers, highlighted by his 29-yard strike to Rodney Smith that gave the `Noles their first lead at 35-31 late in third quarter…threw for a career-high 439 yards and four TD’s in a 27-of-34 performance against Boston College as he earned ACC Player of the Week honors for the second time…came up huge with his first game-winning TD pass on FSU’s final drive against Virginia Tech when he hit Rashad Greene on a slant for a 39-yard scoring play with 40 second remaining in a 28-22 victory…eclipsed 200 passing yards eight times this season to go along with seven multiple TD pass games…contributed 310 rushing yards and four TD’s to the Seminoles’ running game, which ranked second in the ACC averaging 205.9 yards per game…named one of four team captains and the most valuable player on offense for the second straight year at the team’s annual banquet.

2011: Led FSU to nine wins in his first full-year as a starter to move to 13-4 all-time as the Seminoles’ starting quarterback…became the most accurate QB in FSU history as far as career completion percentage (66.1) after completing 203-of-311 passes (65.3 percent) in 2011…also threw for 2,666 yards and 18 touchdowns with just eight interceptions…ranked 18th nationally and second in the ACC in pass efficiency (151.24) to move his career efficiency to 146.10 – the third-best in ACC history behind only former Seminole Chris Weinke (151.15) and former Georgia Tech star Joe Hamilton (148.19)…ranked fourth in the ACC in total offense (234.8)…threw multiple TD passes in six games…eclipsed 250 yards passing in five games and had three straight games (Duke, Maryland and NC State) where he passed for 200+ yards in the first half alone…ended the season throwing 121 passes without an interception which covered the final five games as FSU went 4-1 during the stretch…finished second on the team with four rushing TDs with all four coming in the last seven games…posted career-bests in yards (329), attempts (35) and touchdowns (four) in the second game of the year versus Charleston Southern…injured his left shoulder during the Oklahoma game and sat out the loss to Clemson and the start of the Wake Forest game as well…returned with 1:48 remaining in the first half at Wake Forest, promptly leading FSU to a score…passed for 286 yards and two scores at Wake Forest in an FSU loss…completed 9-of-14 passes for 239 yards against the Duke, compiling three completions of at least 50 yards…threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in the win against the Blue Devils…notched his second career 300-yard game came against NC State (321 yards), as he set a career-best mark for completions with 25…helped rally the Seminoles to an 18-14 win over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl completing 20-of-31 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns…selected as the winner of the Bob Crenshaw Award, one of two recipients of the leadership award for offense, most valuable player on offense and one of the team’s permanent captains at the team’s annual banquet.

2010: Built on his stint as a four-game starter in 2009, making 10 appearances with starts against Clemson and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game…came on in relief in the second quarter of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and helped guide the `Noles to a 26-17 win over South Carolina, which included a 7-yard TD pass to Taiwan Easterling with just over five minutes to play to cap off a 13-play, 63-yard drive which proved to be the game-clinching moment…led FSU a 4-2 record as the starter, including what amounted to an elimination game victory over Clemson while filling in for senior Christian Ponder…led the Seminoles in completion percentage (69.9) and passing efficiency (153.25)…ran for a career-high 71 yards and a touchdown against Clemson in a 16-13 win, eclipsing his previous high of 70 yards in his 2009 Gator Bowl MVP performance against West Virginia…also passed for 210 yards in the win over the Tigers, helping him earn ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors…passed for a career-high 288 yards (23-31) in the ACC Championship game loss to Virginia Tech… helped run the final 7:35 off the clock against Florida, rushing for 27 yards in the 31-7 Seminole win…passed for 861 yards and four TDs and added 170 rushing yards and one TD…named to the All-ACC Academic football team.

2009: Thrust into the starting role when Christian Ponder suffered a season-ending injury late in the Clemson game…posted a 3-1 record as the starter, capped by his MVP performance in FSU’s Gator Bowl victory over West Virginia…rallied the Seminoles from a 14-3 deficit against the Mountaineers by completing 17-of-24 pass attempts for 189 yards and rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries…Manuel’s 2-yard TD run with under nine minutes to play gave the `Noles a 30-21 lead…completed 75 percent of his passes (15-of-20) in his first career start – a win at Wake Forest – earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors for his effort…led the Seminoles to points on the first five scoring drives in his first career start…guided the `Noles to a bowl-clinching 29-26 win over Maryland by overcoming three interceptions…Manuel directed his first career fourth quarter rally, scrambling for 35 yards on the first two plays to set up Lonnie Pryor’s game-winning TD run with 1:14 to play…appeared in seven games, including four starts…his 196 rushing yards ranked third on the team…completed just over 65 percent of his pass attempts for 817 yards…selected to the ACC All-Academic football team…missed the 2009 spring season with a broken index finger suffered on the first day of practice.

2008: Redshirt season…earned scout team MVP honors for the offense.

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

Prior to last season, it was expected that E.J. Manuel was going to be one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. He wasn’t a slouch but he and the ‘Noles didn’t exactly drop any jaws. He threw for 2,666 yards and only 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions, and he had two games last year against Oklahoma and Florida where he didn’t even hit 100 yards passing. That is unacceptable for a guy who is being talked about as a first round prospect, but the talent is certainly there for the FSU signal caller. On the hoof, he has ideal size and overall athletic ability. He has a strong arm and a quick release, and he has shown improvement in his decision making. Sometimes will lock into his primary read and really decrease his overall time in the pocket because he’s not going through enough progressions. The talent and potential are certainly there, but he was a rookie last year and it showed. He has a tremendous ceiling but he needs to emerge as an elite player in 2012 or he is going to be a mid-round pick. He has good footwork and steps into his throws really well. He is slowly but surely adapting to the mental part of football, and when he figures that out, he is going to be really hard to stop.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)

April 14, 2012; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback EJ Manuel prepares to throw the ball while under pressure during the first half of the Florida State spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-US PRESSWIRE

Over the last two college football seasons two Southern State Football players have emerged out of obscurity to become top two picks-Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III. Both players are athletic, quarterbacks, who had exceptional years to go along with their tremendous skill set. Heading into the 2012 College Football season there are a few names that people think they know what they are getting–Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, and Tyler Wilson specifically. But who is going to be that quarterback that is going to explode in 2012 and get consideration as  a top five pick–there area few candidates. Today we’ll take a look at Florida State Quarterback E.J. Manuel.

Manuel is listed at 6’5 and 238 pounds. Manuel is a gifted athlete that combined with his physical tools that is sure to make a big impression on scouts. Manuel also has significant experience as a starting quarterback for a major college program which is important. Manuel struggled at times last year, but still ended the season throwing 18 touchdowns to 8 Interceptions and completing 65 percent of his passes, but at times struggled with decision making and accuracy.

Here’s what we wrote about Manuel prior to the 2011 season:

Manuel enters his first season as the unquestioned number one quarterback on the Florida State roster, and he could be poised for a big season. Has been tweaking and perfecting his mechanics and footwork for the last couple of years, to the point where head coach Jimbo Fisher has indicated he should see significant improvements in accuracy and arm strength, and has decreased his chances of re-injuring his shoulder (which he has had problems with in the past). Perhaps not a candidate to leave early because he is so raw, but he should be the focal point of the FSU offense this year, and could be poised for a huge season. Fans will want to see him make great strides in his touchdown/interception ratio, which last year was 1:1, even though he only threw 93 passes overall. Big, rangy athlete with a strong arm and solid vision down the field. A threat to move the chains any time he touches the ball because of his ability to scramble. To this point, has been more of a thrower than a passer, which has resulted in some poor throws and interceptions. Still, his completion percentage has always been high. When he sets his feet correctly, his accuracy down the field is dead on, and he has a strong enough arm to complete any and every NFL throw. Look for this kid to really break out in 2011 and potentially vault himself into first round discussion with a solid year as a first time starter.

Prior to the 2012 season I would refine I would say that Manuel showcases first round ability at times, but needs to be more consistent. He still needs to work on his mechanics and could stand to quicken his release. Manuel needs to improve reading his progressions and making good decisions when he’s under pressure. Manuel also needs to stay healthy for the upcoming season. E.J. Manuel has a great chance this year to prove himself as a Seminole by getting the team and winning a BCS game with the loaded roster they have on both sides of the football as well as be the next quarterback to sky-rocket into the first round. Manuel is dripping with potential and has flashed it at times, but can he do it consistently for an entire year?

Thoughts?

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Notre Dame appeared to be in control of this game with a forced fumble by Manti Te’o that was recovered for a touchdown by the Irish, and a defensive battle until the third quarter, when Notre Dame was able to make one of the coolest circus plays you will see all year into a touchdown.

Quarterbacks Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix split a third quarter drive that resulted in Rees throwing a fade route to–who else–Michael Floyd which was bobbled, tipped, and tipped some more before Floyd finally came down with the ball.

Aside from a nice punt return early in the game, Floyd was held in check by Xavier Rhodes, who absolutely shut him (or Tommy Rees) down the whole time he was in the game, but Rhodes was injured and Floyd had a huge size advantage over Greg Reid, and then Reid himself went up so high, he was actually injured on the way down.

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E.J. Manuel entered the game as a third day prospect with a chance to become much more, but ended the day where he started

The Florida  State Seminoles played a tight game vs the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners, but failed to win the game as quarterback E.J. Manuel failed to impress. But players on both defenses had tremendous games.

I was high on Manuel heading into last night’s game and was waiting to see if he could sky rocket his stock into the 1st-2nd round range with a big game. Manuel has a lot of qualities N.F.L. scouts are looking for. He has a big arm, excellent size and mobility and serious untapped potential. But Manuel didn’t have a great game. He was 13 for 19 with 85 yards (and average of 4.5 yards per attempt) and threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions was an absolute terrible pass where Manuel just threw it right over the middle because he was hurried. The other interception was because he didn’t loft the ball high enough on the screen pass, but on that player the Sooners linebacker Tom Wort made an excellent play to tip the ball to himself and come away with the interception. It’s not that Manuel didn’t flash his potential, but on a night when he had a serious chance to put himself into the conversation with Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins as the first quarterback in the second tier, he came up short.  More troubling is that Manuel left with a shoulder injury, he came running back onto the sidelines hoping to play, but remained on the sidelines.

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