Manuel a physical presence for Hogs

Having SEC size is often mentioned in describing a high school offensive or defensive lineman who passes the eye test.

University of Arkansas freshman offensive lineman Devon Manuel definitely passes the eye test.

The Arnaudville (La.) Beau Chene High School product is listed at 6-9, 370 pounds on the Razorback football website.

"The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Devon is size," said former Beau Chene coach Sal Diesi. "That's an NFL body already."

Beau Chene is a Class 4A school with an enrollment of about 800 students, according to U.S. News & World report. Diesi, who is now an assistant for nearby Live Oak High School, believes Manuel being at Arkansas will help gauge where he stands as a lineman.

"I think he was a big fish in a small pond in our area, but now being with some of the SEC's best, I think it's going to elevate and really see where Devon stands from an SEC standpoint and maybe even an NFL prospect standpoint," Diesi said. "I think the work he started putting in his junior and senior year, he had all the potential in the world to probably be a top SEC lineman and hopefully an NFL prospect."

Manuel signed with Arkansas over scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa State, Central Florida, Houston, Kansas and others.

Diesi traded a few text messages with Manuel earlier in the summer.

"He said he was loving it," Diesi said. "Everything is great up there."

Manuel was rated an ESPN 3-star and the No. 89 offensive tackle in the nation for the 2021 class. He recorded a 315-pound bench press, 525 squat, 305 power clean and had a ,26-inch vertical in high school.

He received and acted on advice from coaches and others during his sophomore year and saw the benefits during the summer before his junior season.

"I think he really listened and bought into those guys and those coaches, and it's paid nothing but dividends for him," Diesi said. "It earned him that first offer from Kansas at camp the summer before his junior year, and then it just took off from there. He got a little bit of confidence. He's a totally different person after that Kansas offer. Work ethic vastly improved."

Manuel stayed focused on and off the field.

"He took care of his business because he knew there was a lot at stake for his future," Diesi said.

Diesi and Beau Chene relied on Manuel's size even in the most obvious situations.

"If it was third and short, we were going to run behind him and the other team probably knew we were running behind him, and we just had confidence he could take out a guy or two and at least seal the edge or that side for us for us to be able to run and get the first down," Diesi said.

He expects the competition at Arkansas and in the SEC to push Manuel.

"He's going to be challenged more to having to compete to play at an SEC institution where the level of competition is the best in the nation," he said.

The 20th in a series featuring newcomers to the University of Arkansas football team.