WR commit Joseph Manjack talks turning far-fetched dreams into reality
Playing college football once was a dream for wide receiver Joseph Manjack. That dream was fulfilled on Tuesday.
In middle school, Joseph Manjack innocently thought all high school players simply picked the school they wanted to attend. No recruiting, no visits, no coaches.
He was wrong. But even in middle school, the Tomball, Texas, native was at least thinking about playing football at a Division I level -- even if he didn’t know how to get there.
Roughly five years later, Manjack would ultimately reach his goal. He went through the recruiting process that didn't know existed as a young football player, and it all culminated with a commitment to SMU on Tuesday.
A wide receiver in the Mustangs' most highly touted recruiting class in five decades, Manjack found a home.
"In middle school I started realizing you had to work for it. But I never knew it would actually happen," Manjack told The HillTopics.
Manjack, representing Tomball Memorial, joined the ranks of a class that is not only deep for SMU, but also full of homegrown talent. All seven commitments for head coach Sonny Dykes and his staff have come from Texas. It is, in large part, a manifestation of Dykes' recruiting emphasis on keeping local athletes local.
And while Manjack is from the Houston area, he still believes that there is something building at SMU. He even ended the interview with The HillTopics toting the standard line: "Pony Up, Dallas.
"We are on the rise, but we're not going to talk about it; we're going to be about it," Manjack said of the recent recruiting escapades that, at the time, had moved SMU from No. 80 in the nation to a top-40 team, according to the Rivals.com 2021 Team Rankings.
As of Friday evening, SMU was ranked No. 41 in the country. Recruiting is a marathon and not a sprint, but entering the weekend, the Mustangs are ranked ahead of Power 5 teams like Florida State (45), Oklahoma (48), Auburn (51), Arkansas (52) and South Carolina (53).
SMU garnered national attention as multiple major dominoes fell last weekend. Local talent in Brandon Epton Jr., Jadarius Thursby and Isaiah Nwokobia -- all national recruits -- committed last Friday.
When Parish Episcopal quarterback Preston Stone committed to the Mustangs in January, that was when Manjack started receiving letters from SMU wide receivers coach David Gru. Manjack has turned heads in his own right prior to, however. After transferring from Alief Hastings— where his father also starred as a wide receiver — Manjack put together a highlight worthy junior campaign at Tomball Memorial.
Posting 1,246 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, the likes of Arizona, Washington State and Colorado all came calling. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound target also moonlighted as a running back, rushing for 232 yards and three touchdowns.
But when Gru came calling, Manjack listened.
"When it's time to talk business, we talk business. When it's time to joke around, we have fun," Manjack said.
The offense he is being placed into will be a high-powered one -- one that is tailor fit for wide receivers. Last year, SMU averaged 38 pass attempts a game and over 300 yards passing. New co-offensive coordinator Garrett Riley has indicated he hopes those numbers could get even higher in the coming seasons.
All of it, collectively, has Manjack making his goals lofty.
"I want to leave with a great degree and multiple national championships," Manjack said.