Top-ranked QB chooses Seminoles
On Wednesday evening, Bayside
High School quarterback E.J. Manuel held a press conference to announce his
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decision to attend Florida State University. While his announcement came
as no surprise to most, as it had been reported he would likely choose to wear
the Garnet and Gold, it became apparent that FSU and the five-star quarterback
are a perfect fit.
For
Manuel, Florida State means the opportunity to play quarterback in a system made
famous by former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, a player he has followed the
past five years.
"When coach Fisher came
that was icing on the cake," the nation's top rated pro-style quarterback
stated. "I have been watching JaMarcus since he was a red-shirt freshman."
It also means attending the
school he feels most comfortable with and moving to a city he said most reminds
him of home.
"It
really was an easy choice for me," Manuel said in a previous interview with
Rivals' Mike Farrell. "I've always heard that you'll know what school you
want to attend by getting a feeling when you're on your visit. That's exactly
what happened at Florida State. I just felt so comfortable there, my parents
loved it and it reminded me a lot of Virginia Beach."
For Florida State, the
signing of Manuel, FSU's second five-star commit and commit number 12 for the
2008 class, signifies the beginning for a coaching staff looking to rebuild a
program that was once arguably the best in college football. The 2008 signees
have bought in to what new offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, new offensive
line coach Rick Trickett and the rest of the staff are selling, and it's
paying dividends before the players even put on the pads.
"Guys
me," Manuel said in Farrell's interview. "They want to build
something special at FSU, and so do I. I got to know them pretty well. That
comfort level helped."
Manuel
can now help Bradham, Carr, Williams and the rest of the 2008 class recruit even
more top-notched talent for the Seminoles, starting with five-star wide receiver
Deion Walker from Christchurch, Virginia.
"Deion
Walker is one of my best friends, me and Deion have formed a really good bond
during this recruiting process, so I am definitely going to be in contact with
him."
For
the Seminoles, the future seems bright with plenty of talent already locked up
for 2008 and more potentially on the way. As for Manuel, the day's events
reminded him of something he put up as a young kid.
"It was a slogan I've had
taped up on my mirror" Manuel said.
"Shoot for FSU."
Mitch Fortner is a
recent graduate of Florida State University and an avid
sports fan. By avid fan we mean obsessed with sports to the point where if
he didn't make covering them his career, he would struggle to be successful
in any other field. He claims he can throw a 95 mph fastball, but don't ask
him to do it with a radar gun nearby, because then everyone will know it is
a lie.