The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 42: HOUSTON WR JOSEPH MANJACK IV

The history: Manjack left Tomball Memorial to start his college career at USC in 2021. He played in 11 games and caught seven passes for 67 yards before transferring back home to play for the Cougars. He made three starts in 2022 and made a name for himself with a one-handed 20-yard touchdown reception against UTSA. Injury cost him eight games that season, but he rebounded with a strong 2023 campaign. Manjack appeared in 10 games and was second on the team with 46 receptions and 577 receiving yards.  

The skill set: His 6-3, 205-pound frame make Manjack one of the tougher receivers in football to tackle in space. He was second on the team and 12th in the Big 12 in missed tackles forced after a reception (10). His consistency and route-running make him a reliable target as he was seventh in the conference in receptions per game with 4.6. He also led the team with six touchdown receptions. 

The impact: The Cougars lost a ton of production at wide receiver between the time Dana Holgorsen was fired and the start of the summer. Matthew Golden went to Texas. Sam Brown is reunited with former offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson at Miami. Manjack is the most experienced returner for the Coogs out wide and he’ll need to be a steady set of hands for Donovan Smith as the new arrivals and underclassmen grow into their roles. Manjack’s consistency and reliability are sure to make him the top target in this year’s offense.