HOMERVILLE, Ga. — Chauncey Manac, a 4-star defensive end from Clinch County High School who has been committed to UGA for one year, is going to take at least three other official visits.
“Probably Kentucky and South Carolina and maybe Florida,” Manac said. “Florida is just close. It is only two hours away. Kentucky and South Carolina are the other two. Those two schools have been showing me a lot of love. They text me almost every day. So I want to check all of those schools out before I make my final decision.”
That’s an eye-opener. Manac probably takes a back seat to only Jacob Eason and Ben Cleveland as the strongest commitments of UGA’s 2016 class. He committed on Sept. 27 of last year and has really never wavered publicly.
That said, DawgNation can rest easy. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end and linebacker still gives no indication for those to doubt his commitment.
“Its Georgia all the way for me,” Manac said. “Every time I go up there I never want to leave. It feels like home. I love the coaches. I really love Coach (Kevin) Sherrer. He’s really like a Dad to me.”
Manac made sure to text him when Sherrer’s family went through a horrific trial leading up to last week’s South Carolina contest. Sherrer’s sister was found murdered in what authorities initially believed to be a double homicide.
“That was so crazy,” Manac said. “I made sure to text him. I told him I hoped his family was good and that I was going to be praying a lot for him. He answered back and told me that he appreciated it.”
Those are nice words, but there’s a visual that cements he’s UGA all the way. Manac wears a rubber UGA bracelet on his right wrist. He got it at Dawg Night and has yet to take it off. Ever.
He plays with it and showers with it. Peel it back from his wrist and the skin underneath is a much lighter color.
“If somebody ripped this UGA bracelet off in a game, then there would be some big problems,” Manac said. “Nobody better mess with this UGA bracelet.”
He said he will even take those official visits to see SEC rivals with that bracelet on.
“I sure will,” he said. “It is not coming off.”
Manac has also not settled on when he will take his official visit to UGA. He knows it will not be for the Alabama game next month even though every recruit within a five-hour drive hopes to be at that game.
“The coaches told me that game is going to be so crazy that they will hardly have any one-on-one time that weekend to visit with me,” Manac said. “I’ll choose another weekend other than that one.”
He’s also not certain when he will schedule those other official visits either. Manac is rated as the nation’s No. 7 weak-side defensive end for the 2016 class.
Jeff Sentell covers UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.
