We’ve been talking about Chauncey Manac for a while. The 6’3”, 225-pound defensive end/tight end is and has been at the top of every list of Georgia’s best players almost since he earned a spot on Clinch County’s varsity as a freshman. He’s a four-star recruit with all the physical tools an athlete needs to succeed at the next level and beyond. Since he has been at Clinch, the Panthers have had a difficult stretch. After not making the playoffs his freshman year, Clinch rebounded with a region championship in 2013. Last year saw the Panthers hit their stride during the regular season but stumble in the playoffs. This season, Clinch has 10 seniors, a ton of experience, and a desire to return to the top of the single-A heap. Can Manac lead the Panthers to a sixth state championship? Everyone down in Homerville certainly hopes so.
Manac is a quiet, soft-spoken, humble young man. He has no reason to be – you would be hard pressed to lay any blame on him if he was loud, boisterous, and just a little entitled. After all, Manac has enjoyed more time in the spotlight than many Hollywood A-listers. He’s been covered by every major recruiting service in the country. His list of interested colleges reads like a Who’s Who of Division-I football. He’s also been All Region, All State, and an All American. A University of Georgia commit, Saturday Down South has him listed as one of five future Bulldogs every Georgia fan should get to know. And he still has one more year of high school football to play.
What is it about Manac that makes him so special? He has that rare combination of physical ability, mental toughness, coachability, and a tremendous work ethic. Manac has never been content to sit back and get by on his talent alone – and at the single-A level, he could do that year in and year out and still be a beast. Instead, he’s listened to his coaches, worked hard to sharpen the ability he has, and he’s let his success go to his head. The end result is one of the best high school football players in the state.
Manac has always been among the Panthers’ leaders in every defensive statistical category. Last year, he near the top in total tackles with 68. In 2013, according to Scout.com, Manac also posted 68 tackles, along with 18 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. His strength is rushing the passer, where he can use his size, speed, and quickness to pressure the quarterback. “That’s what I think I do well, get to the quarterback,” says Manac when asked where his strengths lie. 
Manac has been on the radar of just about every major college program in the Southeast for several years. In the end, his short list of potential schools was, well, pretty short. He wanted to stay in-state, which limited the schools he was willing to consider. And with the University of Georgia placing an offer on the table, he didn’t have much of a reason to look anywhere else. “I mean it’s the University of Georgia. There’s nothing like it,” he says. Manac hit it off quickly with the ‘Dawgs’ coaching staff. He immediately felt at home with the coaches and around the program. For him, the decision was easy.
Getting his choice of college out the way allows Manac to give the 2015 Panthers his undivided attention. After several years of rebuilding, Clinch has found itself in a great position this year. They have a large senior class, most of the 2014 team returning, and one of the best players in the country on the field on both sides of the ball. “We haven’t won a state title since I’ve been on the team. All that happened before I got here,” he says. Maybe, just maybe, that will change this season. And Chauncey Manac will have a big say in making that happen.
Chauncey Manac, who also plays baseball for the Panthers (right field, bats sixth in the order), seldom leaves the field. When he isn’t terrorizing quarterbacks as a defensive end, he’s protecting his own quarterback from the tight end position. Throughout most of his career as a tight end, he’s been used primarily as a blocker. He does get a ball thrown his way once in a while and scored one touchdown on the year. It came in the Panthers’ 37-26 win over Wilcox County. When I asked him why he doesn’t catch more passes, he just laughed and said, “That’s what I’m saying!”
Player Spotlight/South Georgia/September 2015
Chauncey Manac
Clinch County Panthers
Homerville, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Photography by Micki K Photography
