A year ago, Johnny Manziel was just a guy trying to beat out Jameill Showers for the Texas A&M starting quarterback job.
Showers' story shows how quickly things can change in college football.
We all know that Manziel won the starting job in mid-August, and won the Heisman in December. Since Manziel was just a redshirt freshman as he dominated the SEC last season, Showers' only option if he wanted to play was to transfer.
MinerIllustrated.com reported that Showers picked Texas-El Paso this week. That's a pretty good get for UTEP, and a nice way for Showers to get his chance.
Showers will graduate from Texas A&M, then have two years of eligibility left at UTEP while he pursues a master's degree in construction management, MinerIllustrated.com said.
"I'm excited," Showers told the site. "I'm ready to turn the program around and help. There are a bunch of great athletes and Coach (Sean) Kugler knows how to get the job done. I'm on board to help him."
There wasn't much Showers could do at Texas A&M. First he was behind Ryan Tannehill, the eighth pick of the NFL draft last spring, then Manziel. He leaves the Aggies having attempted just 49 passes (it's worth noting he completed 31 for 349 yards and two touchdowns).
It was clear that Manziel wasn't going to be supplanted, although, who knows if Manziel will still be at Texas A&M for the 2014 season, when Showers would have had his final year of eligibility. This way Showers knows he'll get a chance to play, assuming UTEP doesn't have a future top 10 pick or Heisman winner on the quarterback depth chart waiting to beat him out.
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