Joseph Manjack on Madden, gloves and looking for dubs

The road to USC for true freshman wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV was long and interesting, figuratively and literally.

As a recruit, Manjack originally committed to SMU in May of 2020. Two months later, he backed away from that pledge. In August, he committed to Washington State. Exactly one month after that, an offer from USC came in. Manjack decommitted from Washington State in late November and announced his commitment to the Trojans in December.

Manjack said he wasn’t expecting the offer from USC and thought he was in trouble when his coach called him into his office during lunch to discuss something.

“I thought I got in trouble for something because he was being very secretive,” Manjack said. “He was like, ‘Oh, you got an offer.’ I was like, ‘Oh, we have a football game tomorrow. Super excited, but can’t get too excited. We have a high school game tomorrow. Of course I felt amazed and very grateful for it.”

There was no hesitation in his mind when the offer came in.

“At that point, yes,” Manjack said when asked if he knew he’d be headed to USC. “Yes sir, I knew right then.”

On June 1 of this year, Manjack began his physical journey to USC, setting off from Texas by car. Again, the trip was far from straightforward.

“We left June 1, got out here June 3, so I was exhausted when I got out here, and it was like a whole new world,” Manjack said. “You got to see all of Texas, flat land. Then you get to New Mexico; we hit a dust storm, a tornado and a hail storm. All in one day, we hit that. Once we got to LA, it was like, ‘oh wow.’ This is nice. You see no clouds, beautiful sun, look over and you can see a mountain right there at practice. It’s just very beautiful.”

Once Manjack arrived on the USC campus, things became far more straightforward. A “yes sir, no sir” kind of kid, Manjack’s work ethic helped him make a good first impression, and so did his talent. He was an early standout during fall camp and it’s tough not to hear the yells of “Manjack!” when he’s making catches during practice. His 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame with good athleticism and speed doesn’t hurt either.

“Awesome,” Manjack said simply, when asked what fall camp has been like so far. “Love getting back to football.”

He said he hopes he’s made a positive impression so far in camp, but his interest isn’t personal.

“As long as we get some dubs (wins), that’s all that matters,” Manjack said, adding that the goals he’s set for himself this season are along the same lines. “Do what you can for the team. Get some wins.”

And right now, it’s not all that difficult to see Manjack helping the team on the field this season, despite his status as a true freshman and just a three-star recruit. He’s been that good and that consistent this fall. And how it felt to go through the recruiting process as a three-star prospect?

“That’s in the past now,” Manjack said. “Don’t worry about it.”

Manjack may have been a three-star recruit, but his production at Tomball Memorial was undeniable. As a senior, he posted 1,000 yards rushing and receiving, 15 rushing touchdowns, 16 receiving touchdowns and jumped in at quarterback as well when the team’s starter was injured. As a quarterback, Manjack threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Seeing the field from different positions helped him make a quick impact. But it wasn’t the only thing.

“I feel like it helped a lot,” Manjack said. “I played a lot of Madden, too. I feel like Madden helped a lot.”

Manjack plays wide receiver without wearing gloves, which is another thing that helps him stand out on the field. It’s something he started early in his football career.

“My dad said when I was little, he said, ‘What’s your excuse for dropping the ball when you have gloves?’ I said, ‘The gloves.’ He said, ‘Stop wearing them. You don’t need any excuses,” Manjack said, adding that his response was, “Yes sir.”

The USC wide receiver room has a lot of talent in it right now. Drake London is one of the best in the country and Memphis transfer Tahj Washington has made an early impact. Kyle Ford is healthy again and Gary Bryant showed plenty of promise last season. John Jackson III returns and the Trojans also welcomed in Colorado transfer K.D. Nixon this past spring. True freshman Michael Jackson III proved this past spring that he could be an option this year as well. It’s already evident that Manjack will be able to provide depth at the position this year, but he could wind up doing much more than that. His comfort level in the offense has been evident from the first snap this fall.

“Really getting the plays down gets you mentally going and once you get comfortable with it, it gets you going,” Manjack said. “I feel like it gives me more confidence in myself even, when you have the plays in the back of your head. I don’t have it all, but I keep learning every day.”