2024 NFL Draft interview: British Columbia OT Giovanni Manu

WCG’s lead draft analyst spoke with the most fascinating prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a 2024 NFL Draft prospect in higher demand right now than British Columbia offensive tackle Giovanni Manu.

Manu had 10 team visits in the last 10 days of the visit window that NFL teams have access to. He didn’t attend a collegiate all-star game, but 16 teams attended his Pro Day, and several other teams made visits up to Canada during Manu’s regular season to watch him and fellow Thunderbirds offensive lineman Theo Benedet, who excelled at the East-West Shrine Bowl last year before returning to UBC for another season.

Granted, it’s no surprise that NFL teams are thoroughly interested in Manu. The Tongan native is 6-foot-8 and 352 pounds and ran a 4.96 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. He also added a 33.5-inch vertical jump, which places him close to the 97th-percentile among all recorded offensive tackles. The footwork he displays on tape correlates with his background as a former basketball star, as well as a nasty demeanor and overwhelming play strength.

Windy City Gridiron spoke with Manu about his active pre-draft process, representing Canadian football at the next level, working alongside his teammate Benedet, and more.

JI: You and Theo both have incredibly unique situations, entering the NFL Draft while having played college football outside of the United States. How has it been going through the process at the same time as him, and what does it mean to represent Canada in the way you have?

GM: Yeah, it’s been great. Theo is a great teammate of mine. When scouts asked me, “what was the greatest teammate you’ve ever had?” I’d tell them Theo was the guy. We came in the same class, we played our first year of college ball together. Our first year of college was way different than how we were now. We came in as freshmen and ultimately, it was tough on the field. Me and him were still adjusting. The first year was pretty rough. I won’t lie. We were just 16 or 17 years old, and we’re getting manhandled by a grown man on the field, 23-year-old grown men. I remember after our first year, we went 2-6, I remember me and him made a promise to each other. We told each other: “we’re gonna work for everything, and we’re gonna get everything coming our way from here on out.” Me and him just dedicated time in the offseason in the weight room and worked with our position coach and decided to stay on campus throughout the summer. Me and Theo came a really long way, so looking back at our freshman year, it definitely feels good to be at this point.

JI: Your schedule has been crazy busy lately. When did things start picking up for you?

GM: Last season, there were some scouts coming up to basically every practice we had, honestly, and every game. I swear, as soon as we’d be done, I’ll see a scout walk onto the field. I didn’t even know they were there. But I think teams became more all-in and started blowing up my agent’s phone as soon as my Pro Day was over. That’s kinda when everything took off.

JI: Your 40 time at your size went viral when you had your Pro Day. How do you maintain your high-end athleticism while staying at a high weight and level of play strength?

GM: It’s just the time in the weight room. I dedicate all my athleticism to my strength coach here at UBC, Coach Joe McCullum. He’s done an incredible job with me. I love to be in the weight room, and I love doing speed work in the summer with him, so he honestly put that athleticism within me. [I] also maintain a good weight for myself. I really like to watch what I eat. I don’t like bar food; I don’t like food like burgers. I don’t like eating stuff like that. I’ve never been a guy that’s been into that. My go-to “go out to eat” food is sushi. That’s what I tell people, and they look at me weird because they’re like, “that’s not a treat type of meal. That’s healthy itself.” But to me, when I crave a treat, I go eat sushi. I call it a treat, because I try to watch my carb intake. I try to watch what I eat, [and] that’s how I maintain it.

JI: I’m sure I’m messing up the saying, but they say your physical performance is 90% about your diet.

GM: I always tell people I want to live up past my 70s or 80s, at least, so I do like to watch what I eat.

JI: Can you speak to some of the parallels you’ve experienced at offensive tackle from your time playing basketball?

GM: I think the one thing I learned from basketball and relate it to playing on the o-lines is footwork. Basketball really helped me be light on my toes, and that relates to playing as o-linemen, especially when you’re in pass setting. You want to try and be as light on your feet to keep up with those quick edge rushers. My great footwork, I think it translates from playing basketball over high school.

JI: Who do you compare your game to on the court?

GM: I always tell people this: there’s a reason why I wore number 34, or I think 32 in high school: because I wanted to be like Shaquille O’Neal. That’s a guy that I watched throughout my time in high school and I wanted to be be like. I wanted to be that dominant presence in the paint, so that’s why I wore his number in my senior year.

JI: When Shaq was in his prime, his athleticism for such a big man was out of this world.

GM: Prime Orlando Magic Shaq, I don’t think there’s there’s any center you could put —Hakeem Olajuwon, whoever you think is good — I don’t think anyone’s stopping him in the paint at that time.

JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?

GM: I have a girlfriend who I’ve been dating for five years; I met her in college during my time. When I’m not doing football, I spent a lot of time with her. I go out to eat food with her. The city we live in, Vancouver, it’s such a huge nature spot, ao I go with her and we’re going hiking. If we’re not hiking, we’re just chilling at home, watching a movie. If she’s busy, I like to go see my family. Anytime I get off football, I try and go see my siblings or my aunt as much as I could, who are here in Vancouver. If they’re busy, I honestly just hang out with my teammates, mostly my fellow linemen, and hang out with them, just play video games or do whatever and chill. Yeah.

JI: Is your family already planning to make the trip to the States to see you in the NFL?

GM: Yeah, I’ve been I’ve been talking to my family about that. They’ve already told me, whatever team it is I go to, whenever it is, the first preseason game, they’re gonna come out, for sure. They’re pretty excited, and they’re for sure gonna come watch my first preseason game in the NFL.

JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?

GM: If you take a chance on me, I’ve told many other coaches this: if it so happens to be you guys [who draft me], you’re gonna get the hardest worker in this draft class. Not even the hardest worker, but also I come with a different type of mentality where I refuse to be outworked. I don’t think that’s a mentality many fellow o-linemen who are coming into the draft have, and that’s how I separate myself from these people. I simply just refuse to be outworked. I come with a chip on my shoulder. I am not coming from Division I football; I’m coming from Canada. I’ve had to work for everything that’s come my way, and that’s truly how I approached the game of football. That’s how I will be, even when I do get picked. I still don’t feel like the work’s done. I feel like work’s still gotta start, because it’s gonna ramp up from there. You’re gonna get the best out of me, and you’re gonna get everything there is out of me.

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