Johnny Manziel may have taken his game to the NFL, but he's certainly not forgotten in the college realm. During the third day of SEC Media Days on Wednesday, Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk spoke about how he has the chance to pick up where Manziel left off.
"He's somebody that I want to - not necessarily be like - but I can model my game after him," Mauk said, via USA TODAY. "He can change a game so quick by being able to make plays, and that's something I feel like I can do and something I have to do.
"He's someone that I can look to. I watch him on film all the time. He was a great player and someone I'm going to try to play like."
As a freshman in 2013, Mauk was forced into action when starting quarterback James Franklin went down with an injury. Mauk led the Tigers to a 3-1 record during his four games as the starter and proved he's ready to take the reins with Franklin having graduated.
While Mauk may not have the name recognition of Manziel, his teammates certainly see similarities in the way they play the game.
"I see a lot of Johnny in Maty," defensive end Markus Golden said. "Maty is going to be a good player, man. He can throw the ball. He's a good leader in the huddle. That's what I've noticed more about him this year."
Just like Manziel, Mauk showed flashes of his dual-threat ability while under center for Missouri last year. He completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,071 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding 229 yards and another score on the ground.
However, not everything Manziel does would fit for Mauk. The sophomore isn't a fan of the limelight like the Cleveland Browns quarterback has proven to be since gaining celebrity status.
"I don't like attention," Mauk said. "I like to be able to go home and not have people following me. I want to be able to focus on football and get as good as I can and help this team succeed."