Donovan Manuel was one of the most productive linebackers in the FBS last season.
He set the tone at FIU. He would be the last one standing during the team’s conditioning drills.
But one would never guess he was capable of all of that based on his diet, according to his former teammate, which sometimes would include candy for dinner.
“Donovan is the only man that I know who can go to bed, drink almost a half a gallon of lemonade and is not cramping when he goes out there and will have a 15-plus tackle game and like three TFLs,” Panthers linebacker Reggie Peterson said. “He tells us it’s all about wanting to. Just want to. He’s looking at me, I’m trying to eat my broccoli and water, and he’s like, ‘You’re doing all that just to be in second.’
“He’s the definition of built different.”
Manuel is different from many linebackers. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound defensive stalwart tied the national lead in 2023 with five forced fumbles, which set an FIU record. He was in the top 20 in the country with 121 total tackles and 68 solo tackles.
“I’m excited, but I’ve had this chip on my shoulder that I’m trying to prove everybody that thought I wouldn’t be here that I’m here, that I can play at the next level,” Manuel told HERO Sports. “So I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked just because I have to take that next step to get to the next level.”
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Donovan Manuel’s FIU Career
Manuel began his collegiate career at East Tennessee State, where he was a HERO Sports FCS All-American. When he went to FIU in 2022, he immediately proved he belonged at the FBS level.
He totaled 97 tackles, 8.5 for loss, as well as three pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a sack. That earned him All-Conference USA honorable mention honors.
Last season, he made the all-conference second team. In Pro Football Focus’ grades of linebackers in his draft class, he was top 20 for pass rushing. He also tied for fourth with 66 stops, which PFF counts as a tackle that results in a failed play for the offense.
Manuel credited his coaches at FIU for him being in a position to be considered for the NFL.
“(They) were great in preparing me for the next level. There was a lot of stuff that I thought I knew before I got to FIU that I realized I didn’t know and what I needed to learn about the game of football. They really turned me into a student of the game,” Manuel said. “And from what I put on tape, I believe I’m one of the best in the nation and they helped me get to that point in my career.”
Peterson repeatedly pointed out Manuel’s work ethic as a key factor in his success.
Manuel said he elevated his game this last season because he better learned how to break down film and recognize tendencies, which made the speed of the game slow down for him. And Peterson said Manuel was “literally in the facility watching film 24/7.”
“What separates me from the rest is that I’m a student of the game,” Manuel said. “I’m gritty, hardworking, and disciplined and have a high motor and run sideline to sideline.”
Peterson noted how that high motor never stopped, even away from games and practices. Manuel was willing to wake up early to run hills while his teammates were still asleep. Peterson and Manuel were roommates, and Peterson said he occasionally walked into Manuel doing push-ups.
FIU’s coaches loved him, Peterson added, because he did every drill “to perfection.”
“Don, as an athlete, is a freak of nature,” Peterson said. “You know what they say, don’t talk about it, be about it? He’s one of those who’s going to be about it.”
Donovan Manuel’s NFL Hopes
While Manuel didn’t go to the NFL Combine, he did attend the Tropical Bowl, one of the college postseason all-star games. He didn’t practice much because of a hamstring issue.
That said, he felt his interviews that week went well. The NFL personnel he met with told him they liked his game and were looking forward to FIU’s Pro Day, which was scheduled for March 18.
Manuel said he’s “been training like a madman” to prepare for the pro day with an emphasis on improving his 40-yard dash time.
Wherever Manuel may end up going, Peterson said that team will be getting “a man on a mission.”
“The only thing that’s hard about this process is you don’t know what’s going to happen, right? I’m walking by faith,” Manuel said. “It’s kind of hard not knowing the unknown, right? You put in all this work and you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I’ve got to be patient, stick to the process, to the plan that I’ve been given and just put my head down and continue to work.”
