Who is Conner Manning you ask? Why is he important? For Utah fans, the prep quarterback with a name befitting a great signal caller, is the future.
As the Utes enjoy year number two in the Pac-12 conference, there is a hope that the South Division title is within reach. USC might have something to say about that.
Even if Utah falls short when they host the Trojans October 4, the belief in Salt Lake City is that Troy will have a pesky team chasing them for years to come.
While USC recruits are on a level far beyond Utah’s expectations, head coach Kyle Whittingham can still be a competitive force within the conference. Assuming the Utes can build roster of four and three star prospects, there is no reason a conference championship is out of reach.
Having a dynamic quarterback is a good start. A Manning would fit the bill nicely.
Lake Forest, California has produced a complete quarterback who is capable of taking the Utes to the next level.
Conner Manning still has a long way to go to prove he can play in the Pac-12, but for a school that must compete in the highly competitive South Division, a player with his skill-set could prove extremely valuable.
Manning excels playing at a high level of high school football in the state of California. Standing at 6’2″ the 2013 commit could make himself a household name at dinner tables across the Beehive State.
If Whittingham gets what he wants out the QB, there will be a Manning terrorizing schools all over the American West, not just in the NFL.
The Utes only QB verbal commitment in the class of 2013 has a quick release with zip on the football. Traits that are built for a pass-heavy spread offense.
Arizona has a new coach in Rich Rodriguez and Arizona State is breaking in coach Todd Graham. Both schools had over 550 yards of offense in week one with high-powered up-tempo attacks. Clearly USC isn’t the only hurdle.
If the Utes are to realize the dream of a Pac-12 championship, elite quarterback play is likely the way to get there.
While no one can know for sure, count me as a believer that Manning just might be the talent make it happen.
In the not too distant future, there will be no need to ask who Conner Manning is.
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James Gomez is a Pac-12 and Mountain West columnist for Rant Sports and member of the Football Writers Association of America
You can follow James on Twitter as well.
