OT - Warning for Utah vs. Michigan 2014: QB Connor Manning, the Next Matt Barkley?
In 2014, when Michigan next plays Utah, the Utes might have a sophomore or RS Freshman QB named Connor Manning from Lake Forest, CA (Orange County) at the helm.
Manning currently plays for El Toro High School (Lake Forest, CA). As a junior QB last year, Manning broke Matt Barkley's single season passing record with 4,219 yards and 41 TDs.
Last night El Toro destroyed Huntington Beach 47-24 for their season opener:
Manning's game stats: 454 yards passing, 44 of 66 for 6 TDs.
http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/football-el-toro-47-huntington-beach-24
That's one hell of a start to the season.
Manning is only 6-2, and "only a 3-star" at Scout, but he's probably one of those local SoCal kids Hoke and Borges would have recruited at SD State. See his offer list.
August 24th, 2012 at 8:58 PM ^
Exactly.
Look beyond the raw number of yards and touchdowns. The 66% completion is good but not great, but 10.3 yards per completion? That's neither good nor great, or even average. And the fact that they're throwing so many short passes makes the 66% completion even less impressive. Without actually seeing him play, that's about the stat line I'd expect from a three star QB.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Okay... What about the other 10 players they'll have on their offense?
August 24th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Ryan Lindley was supposed to be the next Joe Montana.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^
But when the coaches said he had NFL potential, they were right; he was drafted in the 6th round at 185 by the Cards. Someone to be feared? No. But talented enough to get a cup of coffee in the League? Yup.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:39 PM ^
Okay fine, they have Connor Manning and we have Greg Mattison.
And not that it's a big deal or anything, but OT? Really?
August 24th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^
Don’t know, maybe the OP’s got something. Maybe we should get the robot outside the defense coordinators office to remind him: “Warning! Warning! Danger! Danger, Greg Mattison!!”
August 24th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^
Avg completion is about 10 yards. Sounds like a lot of slants and screens and may not speak much to arm strength. There's usually a reason that a player isn't recruited by many major schools. May be a real diamond, but I'm not sweating yet.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^
Fred Jackson lives within you, OP.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^
Very productive in an area with lots of great players competing. My guess is the size and he might not have the sick hose like the 4 or 5 star guys. Not sure.
Some of those same criticisms were used with Barkley too.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^
Can we collectively stop using the term "hose" for a QBs arm, please? It seems like it would put a sparkle in a Sandusky eye and I for one am not ok with it.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:07 PM ^
Agreed. And no more "stud" while we're at it.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
Also no more Freak please. The scouting reports on about 10 guys in the NBA draft had "freak" in it.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
Tim Couch was a fucking NIGHTMARE at UK, brother.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^
This post would've been perfect with a Hulk Hogan avatar.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:41 PM ^
Meh. Maybe he'll be great, maybe not. But there are 21 other starting players that will also determine who wins that game. By the time 2014 rolls around, I'm thinkin' I'm gonna like our chances with the type of players we seem to be developing.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^
Tommy Grady was a QB for the aforementioned Huntington Beach early in the 2000s. A 6'6" 215-pound stud in high school, he was supposed to light it up at Oklahoma, but could never be more than half a backup. He transferred to...you guessed it...UTAH. He started but was meh.
The list of high school QBs who put up wild numbers only to bust in college goes on and on. Anthony Morelli, Ryan Perrilloux, Mitch Mustain...
Safe to say, this worries me about as much as Lawrence Thomas at MSU. Maybe less.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:47 PM ^
He kinda went on to do some great things....don't you pay attention to football?
Oh wait...you said "Grady"....nevermind....
August 24th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^
There are 10 other players on the field with the QB last time I checked.
Bring their ass on. The home and home gives Michigan an opportunity to get break the 1-1 record and make it a winning record. Also gives them a chance with them and oregon state in 2016 to beat their first PAC-12 in regular season since utah in 2002.
August 24th, 2012 at 2:48 PM ^
Michigan's 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes, both top 5ish, will comprise at least half the roster by that point.
Oh, and we'll have a talented QB of our own.
Shane Morris, come on down!
August 24th, 2012 at 2:59 PM ^
I'm not the kid's agent. He happens to QB at a local H.S. where I live.
I'm a Michigan fan who noticed something interesting in the local press where I live, and the responses here are so negative. Why?
Happy Friday to you too.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:09 PM ^
Chill, man. You're being very undude.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:10 PM ^
1. Dont talk about negging as well, it gets you negged more.
2. Your post was pretty needless as others have pointed out. HS success does not equate college success and those numbers are guady because all they do is throw the ball.
PS Thank you and you also have a nice Friday, I'm outta work in T-Minus 50 minutes.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:11 PM ^
And did you notice how many more negs you received for complaining about 1 person negging you?
August 24th, 2012 at 3:18 PM ^
in MGoBlogging!
August 24th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
I think it was how your post was framed. Had you said, "Utah is getting a QB who might be better than we think" you probably wouldn't get negged and it would just be an informative post. But saying that he might be the next Matt Barkley is a little nuts. Barkley was the national POY as a junior, and had offers from everyone, obviously including USC. If this kid was all that good, he would probably be going to one of the many big time schools that recruit southern California so heavily.
But just to play along, they may have Matt Barkley 2.0, but we'll have Countess, Jourdan Lewis, Dymonte Thomas and Jarrod Wilson in our secondary, plus Beyer, Ojemudia, Wormley and Jake MFing Ryan looking to take his head off. I like our chances still.
August 24th, 2012 at 6:39 PM ^
I'm thinking also implying that we should be nervous about a 16-year-old kid who had a good game who we play in two years might have something to do with it too.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:06 PM ^
I only see Utah .. Am I missing something?
August 24th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^
His last name is Manning and you compare him to . . . Matt Barkley?
You'd get a bad grade in journalism class.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:26 PM ^
I knew DB should've never scheduled this game.
/s
August 24th, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
Well, if he was the next Matt Barkely, he'd be going to USC or somewhere equivalent. Also, numbers like that (especially when they're accompanied by just a 3 star rating) means the guy is a product of a system. Colt Brennan could chuck the hell out of a football and had staggering stats, but he was/is absolutely nothing outside of June Jones' pass first (and then pass some more) offense at Hawaii.
To put it simply, I'm not concerned and wouldn't be surprised if this 3 star "stud" is not the starter or even the backup for Utah come 2014.
August 24th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
Warning..Connor Manning..Ondre Pipkins the next Incredible Hulk ?
FOH..Im not worried about some pretty stat rat in HS..we got Bama in 8 days..Go Blue
August 24th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
DeVeon Smith rushed for 311 yards on only 17 carries.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:01 PM ^
Thats the word going around but us local guys know it was 328 yrds
August 24th, 2012 at 3:51 PM ^
Holy hell what kind of high school offense throws the ball 66 times in one game? I'm pretty sure we maybe threw it 66 times in a season when I was in school.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:05 PM ^
They'll still need 10 other guys on offense, will have to play defense, and this kid will be extremely inexperienced even if he is really good. The only warning is that we may win 42-3 as oppose to 42-0. Really doesn't matter.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:23 PM ^
He played a shitty team and should have won by more. For the love of god please come soon September 1st.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^
hell, I could pass for 400 yards if I threw the ball 66 times...not that impressive.
August 24th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^
a Utah message board and warn them about Shane Morris. Do you think they've heard of Shane Morris yet? I bet they don't know about Shane Morris.
August 24th, 2012 at 5:58 PM ^
I am not scared. I am strong. I am Hoke.
August 24th, 2012 at 7:14 PM ^
Bring on Utah, bring on Bama, bring on Barkley. I don't care. We can beat anyone.