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EJ Manuel, Bayside grad, back for Year 4 with ACC Network
EJ Manuel, an ACC Network analyst, speaks with media during the ACC football championship pregame press conference at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina Friday, December 6, 2019. (Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

EJ Manuel, Bayside grad, back for Year 4 with ACC Network

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (BVM) – When EJ Manuel was the quarterback for the Bayside High School Marlins in the mid-2000s, he was perhaps the best signal-caller Virginia Beach had ever seen. Over the course of his Marlins football career, Manuel registered nearly 7,400 yards and 68 total touchdowns while earning all-conference, All-Tidewater region and second-team all-state honors as a senior.

This made Manuel one of the more appealing recruits in the entire country as he was ranked as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 26 overall prospect in the nation for the Class of 2008 according to 247Sports composite rankings. With a bevy of schools to choose from, Manuel ultimately went south to join the program at Florida State.

At FSU, Manuel led the Seminoles to a 25-6 record as a starter, which included a 16-3 career record against Atlantic Coastal Conference opponents and becoming just the second quarterback in FBS history to win four straight bowl games. By the time his Seminoles career was over, Manuel was the program’s all-time leader in completion percentage, a record he still holds.

EJ Manuel Florida State University quarterback
Dec 1, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback EJ Manuel (3) celebrates after the game. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 21-15 to win the ACC Championship at Bank of America Stadium. (Credit: Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports)

After his standout college career, Manuel was taken with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. However, things wouldn’t come up roses for the quarterback during his time in the league.

Manuel’s best season came as a rookie when he played and started 10 games, going 4-6 with 1,972 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions to go with 186 rushing yards and two more scores. The following year, Manuel only played in five games with four starts, going 2-2 with 838 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 52 more yards and another score.

The signal-caller would only start three more games for Buffalo over the next two seasons, going 0-3 while passing for 692 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 86 yards and a score. In 2017, Manuel spent his season in Oakland with the Raiders where he played in two games with one start, going 0-1 while passing for 265 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He ultimately finished his NFL career with a 6-12 record throwing for 3,767 yards, 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while rushing for 339 yards and four touchdowns over five seasons.

EJ Manuel Buffalo Bills quarterback
Jan 1, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) drops back to pass against the New York Jets during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. (Credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)

After his playing career, Manuel decided to return to the game in 2019 as a college football analyst for the ACC Network’s broadcast team. This brought him back to his roots of not only football but Florida State where he remains among the program’s royalty.

Over the summer, Manuel celebrated his four-year anniversary with the network, establishing himself as one of the faces of the ACC college football season. During the first week of the 2022 season, Manuel celebrated with his Seminoles as the team won a shocker over Louisiana State in Louisiana.

While his playing days may be over, it seems that Manuel has found a spot in broadcasting where he can use his football intelligence to help fans understand more about the game and their favorite teams. Though it may not be as sexy as being an NFL quarterback, Manuel is thriving in his new role and fans should expect him to continue to be featured on college football Saturdays for years to come.

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