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Johnny Manziel Considered Transferring From Texas A&M When Kliff Kingsbury Departed – “I Was Getting Used a Little Bit”

Published 02/25/2024, 12:49 PM EST

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Since Netflix released ‘Untold: Johnny Football’ in 2023, fans have been clutching the edge of their seats while watching the mighty rise and the fall of one of the greatest legacies ever made in CFB by a player. He was a 2012 Heisman but was much more than a college player for the league. Manzeil’s gridiron excellence could not be limited to him breaking records left, right, and center. So, he broke his own record, after breaking some of the best records set in college football, like shattering Archie Manning’s 43-year-old record of 540 total offense yards against Arkansas with 557 yards. A fortnight later, he again surpassed the limits of his old record by making 576 yards against Louisiana Tech.

In the journey from being a virtual unknown redshirt to becoming the most buzzing starting QB for Texas A&M Aggies, Manziel almost developed a cult following, thanks to the Offensive Coordinator and QB coach at Texas A&M. Kliff Kingsbury, a connection that was the superstar of Texas A&M Aggies cherished. Surely, it was the skills that Kingsbury taught Manziel that influenced him, but more than that, it was his perseverance that earned him Johnny’s respect. So, it was only natural for him to feel dejected, and even wanting to transfer from Texas A&M when Kingsbury had to leave him mid-season in 2012.

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“I loved A&M but I could see that I was getting used a little bit into what they needed me to do, to have their master plan right. A&M had their vision of what they needed with this hype and this success to get the program as a whole,” Manziel said to Shannon Sharpe in Club Shay Shay. Johnny and Kingsbury’s friendship had matured into a deeply respectful one off-field. So much so that Manziel, “can’t respect another person on the face of the earth as much as I do Kliff.” So why did Kingsbury leave?

Why did Kliff Kingsbury depart from Johnny Manziel?

Under Kingsburg’s guidance, Texas QB Manziel led the SEC in rushing, passing, total, and scoring offense, with their team being the nation’s only offense ranked in the top 15 of the NCAA statistics in all four categories. However, Kingsbury received a call from his alma mater, Texas Tech Raid, with an opportunity of a head coaching role knocking on his door.

READ ALSO: “NIL Has Changed Everything”: Johnny Manziel Speculates on the Reason Behind Nick Saban’s Departure From Alabama

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Since then, the Manziel-revered coach has made several shifts and is currently serving as the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator since February 2024 under head coach Dan Quinn. Have you watched ‘Untold: Johnny Football’ yet? Share with us below!

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Written by:

Pankti Parmar

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Pankti Parmar is an NFL news writer at EssentiallySports. She combines her educational background in psychology with a passion for sports to delve into the minds of athletes and their game strategies. She's our resident expert on Jim Harbaugh and played a pivotal role in our play-by-play coverage of Harbaugh's journey from the Wolverines to the Chargers.
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Edited by:

Tripti Sarda