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Michigan WR Mario Manningham Bio

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APRIL 27, 2008

MARIO CASHMERE MANNINGHAM
Wide Receiver
University of Michigan Wolverines
5-11, 178
Warren, Ohio
Warren G. Harding High School

OVERVIEW

Much like his middle name, Cashmere, Manningham is a smooth route runner who suddenly breaks free in the open field. In a game of "giants," the slight-framed receiver has had great success as the favorite target for Wolverine quarterback Chad Henne. The split end would finish his career ranked fifth in school annals for receiving yards (2,310), fourth for touchdown catches (27) and ninth for receptions (137). All but seven of his touchdown grabs have come from outside the red zone.

At Warren G. Harding high School, Manningham was a Parade All-American, first-team All-State, All-District and All-Conference selection as a junior and senior. He was rated 12th on the Detroit Free Press "Best of the Midwest" list and was a four-star prospect that was ranked the fifth-best receiver nationally and third-best prospect in Ohio by Rivals.com.

College Football News rated Manningham as the sixth-best wide receiver and 43rd player overall in the country. He was named Prep Star's Dream Team as the sixth-rated receiver prospect in the nation and was named the seventh-best receiver prospect by Student Sports Hot 100 recruits.

Manningham started the last two years of his three-year gridiron career. He had 105 catches for 1,883 yards and snared 24 receiving touchdowns in his final two seasons and also tallied four interceptions at cornerback during his career. He had 52 receptions for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior season, including seven grabs for 251 yards and three scores vs. Glenville, as he clinched the team's victory with an interception and 50-yard return for a score in the waning moments.

Manningham caught 32 passes for 626 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior and made 21 catches for 436 yards and three scores his sophomore year. He also lettered in basketball, earning honorable mention All-State his senior year. The three-year varsity letter-winner averaged 17 points as a senior after posting a career-best 21-point average his junior year, gaining All-Conference and All-District honors during his final two years.

As a freshman at Michigan in 2005, Manningham was a Freshman All-American honorable mention and Freshman All-Big Ten Conference choice by The Sporting News. The UM receiver was going to enroll at Ohio State, but the Wolverines wrested him away from his in-state team. He went on to catch 27 passes for 433 yards (16.0 avg) and six touchdowns while starting three of twelve games at split end, sharing that spot with Steve Breaston.

A partially torn medial collateral ligament and meniscus in his right knee vs. Michigan State required arthroscopic surgery in 2006, as Manningham started nine of ten games he played in. The Rivals.com All-American third-team pick finished third on the squad with 38 catches for 703 yards (18.5 avg) and nine scores while lining up at flanker.

Manningham shifted back to split end in 2007, starting 11 of 12 games he appeared in. He led the team with 72 receptions and led the Big Ten Conference with 1,174 yards (16.3 avg), as he scored 12 times. He also rushed 19 times for 119 yards, but he did not endear himself to the coaching staff early in the year for inconsistent play.

While his 72 catches are impressive, the fact that he had 142 passes thrown to him, leaving 70 potential receptions on the field, he drew the ire of former head coach Lloyd Carr. "I don't think he's played as well as he can," Carr said. "That's part of coaching. We'll deal with that. He's done some very good things. I just think he's capable of playing better, and I'm confident he will."

Manningham closed out his career by starting 24 of the 34 games he appeared in. He had 137 receptions for 2,310 yards (16.9 avg) and 27 touchdowns, scoring 162 points. He added 176 yards on 31 carries and 17 yards on a punt return, amassing 2,503 all-purpose yards, an average of 73.62 yards per game.

SCOUTING REPORT

Has adequate shoulder width and room on his frame to add more bulk, but only if it won't impact his quickness...Has exceptional speed and acceleration to suddenly burst off the snap and get into his routes (will struggle vs. a press)...Shows good sideline awareness and the ability to make the touch catch with his back to the quarterback...Has a set of head fakes to fool the defender and can also surprise a second level defender with his suddenness coming out of his breaks...Sharp pitter-patter pattern runner with a fluid change of direction...Plants and drives well on his routes and is alert to the stationing of deep coverage...Runs with very good agility and balance (fluid, natural motion) and is able to get to top speed instantly, when he is not facing a strong jam...Has the body control to get in and out of his routes and is very elusive after the catch...Not the type that will go over the middle for the ball, but he is slippery trying to avoid tacklers...Very quick to see and adjust to the secondary's moves and has big play ability after the catch...His straight-line burst allows him to consistently stretch the field...Creates a lot of separation on his own, scheming to find space in the zone seams...Has that deep separation burst and side-line body control to make acrobatic catches seem routine...Has a sudden burst out of his cuts and is known for making the off-balance grabs near the sidelines...Has the quickness to consistently beat the defender on deep routes...Makes most of his yardage after the catch, easily turning the defensive back on his routes while kicking into second gear to run away from his man...While he lacks the strength to escape the jam, he has the speed to elude...Able to drop his weight and show good body control in his short area patterns and can get open deep due to his quickness coming out of the break...Has quick plant-&-cut ability and loves when the defenders give him even the tiniest of cushions...Shows smooth and fluid body adjustments while tracking the ball in flight...A liability when used on inside routes, but has the speed and suddenness to separate on the perimeter...Has good body flexibility to adjust to the ball in flight and when he maintains concentration, he does a good job of looking the ball in and catching it with hands extended away from his frame...Has gazelle-like moves in the open field and while he lacks bulk to break tackles, he has the vision and elusiveness to make big plays...Shows good hip wiggle, shake and burst to take a defensive back out of his backpedal earlier than desired and has that game-breaking ability to stretch the field.