Houston star Joseph Manjack IV to lead new WR room

The 2024 college football season presents a whole new landscape. Texas is part of the SEC. SMU is back in a powerhouse conference as a member of the ACC. The College Football Playoff now features 12 teams and an automatic bid for the top G5 team in the country. For most, the season begins in Week 1, on August 30, though SMU begins in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on August 29.

To celebrate our offseason exit, we’ve compiled a list of the 50 most important players in Texas heading into kickoff. This list isn’t necessarily about the most important players in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team’s success.

No. 42: JOSEPH MANJACK IV, HOUSTON ANSWERING MACHINE

The story: Manjack left Tomball Memorial to begin his college career at USC in 2021. He played in 11 games and caught seven passes for 67 yards before returning home to play for the Cougars. He made three starts in 2022 and made a name for himself with a 20-yard, one-handed touchdown reception against UTSA. An injury cost him eight games that season, but he rebounded with a solid 2023 campaign. Manjack appeared in 10 games and finished second on the team with 46 receptions and 577 receiving yards.

All skills: His 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame made Manjack one of the toughest receivers to tackle in space. He was second on the team and 12th in the Big 12 in forced missed tackles after a catch (10). His consistency and route running made him a reliable target as he was seventh in the conference in receptions per game with 4.6. He also led the team with six touchdown receptions.

The impact: The Cougars lost a lot of production at receiver between the time Dana Holgorsen was fired and the start of the summer. Matthew Golden left for Texas. Sam Brown reunites with his former offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson in Miami. Manjack is the Coogs’ most experienced returner on the field and will need to be a reliable partner for Donovan Smith as the newcomers and first-year players grow into their roles. Manjack’s consistency and reliability will likely make him the primary target of this year’s offense.