They can probably look at the 20-13 Norristown loss where the Eagles made a goal line stand and a few kneel-downs to pull off the upset as a turning point, With Connor Galvin Wheat also worked with Aranda at LSU, spending seven seasons as a defensive analyst for the Tigers, including all four in which Aranda was defensive coordinator. Outside of those scheme induced meltdowns, theyve actually proven fairly susceptible to the passing game, giving up steady gains to Will Howard and Max Duggan in recent weeks. The Big 12 may look wide open but Baylor proved themselves last year and could come back as sharp as ever with a higher ceiling at quarterback and a defense capable of holding down whatever offense they face. He joins an elite group of established, veteran O-lineman that are hoping to pound the rock en route to another successful season. And while we dont think Cincinnati will be bad, the Bearcats rank last in the league in returning production, coming in at No. That has turned each team's returning starter count into one of the most panned metrics heading into a given season. Quinn Ewers should become more consistent in his second year as a starter, and getting a healthy Isaiah Neyor to catch passes next to Xavier Worthy could bring an impact newcomer who technically doesnt count as a newcomer. In run blocking in 2020, the Bears averaged 1.4 yards per rush before first contact, which was last in the Big 12 and 111th in the FBS. How will Shapen develop? 2021 stats: Six sacks (second most), 7.0 TFL, 17 total tackles. "We got married in Katy, Texas, about a mile from the high school stadium," he said. 13 in the FanSided Top 50 Preseason Rankings. Jahdae Barron and Ryan Watts have the potential to shut down Baylors receivers if Dshawn Jamison or Terrance Brooks can bring it on the other side. Shapen can be very sharp in the play action game, but he tends to fixate on his first read and defenses that deny him quick decisions can turn him over and get to him in the pocket. The next group of schools Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and TCU lost two starters. In the past four years, Baylor has more or less recruited at a top-40 level nationally. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. Safety Christian Morgan is an experienced starter (leads them in INTs with 3) and physical SPARQ freak and smallish safety Devin Lemear has traits, but hes too inexperienced. True freshman Kyron Drones might be a factor in the fall camp battle for the open gig. Sophomore Monaray Baldwin starred in the Sugar Bowl with a 48-yard second-half touchdown run. But the defense let Houston down in a major way at times, including allowing 48 points to now-Big 12 foe Kansas, and will need to become more consistent in 2023. The lowest-ranked class in that span, unsurprisingly, came in 2020 (49th), the transition class from former coach Matt Rhule to Aranda. 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If he can win the job and take advantage of both of those returning offensive starters and some potential transfer upgrades, things may be all right. But Baylor also brings in 247Sports No. Venables defensive bonafides will be put to the test with a talented, but young, group that brings back four defensive starters. Hill is among a number of players who could have breakout seasons in 2023. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. I really felt we saw a different side of him, Grimes said. Those returning starters include seven on offense and seven on defense, and while the Bears will be looking to replace some fairly irreplaceable players, Baylor When former outside linebackers coach Joey McGuire took the Texas Tech head coaching job in November, Aranda elevated quality control coach Caleb Collins. Morgan, the one returning starter in the group, will be deployed either at safety or star, depending on need. After losing eight players to the NFL over the summer, Baylor football will be forced to replace some big-time athletes from a 2021 Big Longtime starter Charlie Brewer is off to Utah, but backups Jacob Zeno and Gerry Bohanon are around with a little time logged in. Talent hasnt been and will continue to not be the issue in Austin. Now hes the uncontested No. Baylor Bear Insider One of seven returning starters from a 31-20 Baylor team, sophomore infielder Tre Richardson didn't like that aching feeling last May when The 2019 class, which ranked 35th, has nine of the 24 signees still with the team, but the retention rates in 2020 (17 of the 18 signees are still with Baylor) and 2021 (16 of 17) are superb. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. Studying what Oklahoma and Kansas State did to them will be instructive. BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill makes a touchdown catch against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. STAR Al Walcott is of the Big Nickel variety (6-2, 220) and he can be exploited if Texas can hunt formations to put him 1 on 1 in the slot. The Wildcats have their 12 returning starters equally spread across both sides of the ball, with six on offense and six on defense. Shouldnt we do it some other way?. Everybodys going to talk about Apu Ika, and rightfully so, but Gabe Hall is the real deal, he said. A better, and more cohesive showing on defense would both be a welcome sign and would allow either Card or Ewers a bit more cushion to get comfortable. The 2021 class ranked 41st. Alan Bowman transferred in to potentially take over the quarterback spot after Spencer Sanders departure, but Bowman struggled to stay healthy at Texas Tech and he attempted all of 11 passes over the last two years at Michigan combined. (Kevin Jairaj / USA Today), Baylor linebacker Dillon Doyle finished second on the team in tackles with 90 and second with 8.5 tackles for loss. By Matt Severance Updated: Dec 27, 2021 10:49AM PST . Dykes inherits six offensive starters and seven defensive starters, and theres plenty of room for growth on both sides. Big TE Ben Sims is a chain mover, but 20 of his 30 catches happened in the first four games of the season. Everything theyre doing, I feel good about it, Roberts said. Their preferred front lines up Baylor size and power on the specific Longhorn OL whove dealt with that least well and its important that the Longhorns have some run game wrinkles that allow advantageous blocking angles inside and create some conflict in Baylors clean up crew. The Mountaineers looked like a better team with Garrett Greene at quarterback because of his toughness and ability to make big plays with his legs when he needed to. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have Gabe Hall (6-6, 300) is the best pass rusher of the group (3.5 sacks) but all three of them exist to dominate the run and own the line of scrimmage from tackle to tackle. Written by Brett Gibbons Brett is an avid sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State. The 2021 season was no fluke. The 2022 class, which includes 21 signees, finished 36th. Theres a lot to like about what the Golden Knights are building defensively for the future, and the good news is that with UCF ranking 43rd in returning defensive production, those younger players wont be needed immediately. Bohanon averaged only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play. Seven months removed from winning the national championship, Baylor could be good enough to reach the final game again this season. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With whats left of the returners, here is who will stand out among the bunch in hopes to repeat as conference champions. Redshirt freshman Devin Lemear graded out the highest of all the safeties this spring, Roberts said. With Connor Galvin making the announcement that he will come back next season on Friday, the Bear will bring back all four of those guys. Although Baylor lost four key defenders via the NFL Draft and five starters total, theres a lot to like about the unit, starting with the defensive line. The Bears badly miss Jalen Pitre and JT Woods. Expect Baylor to give Texas a wake-up call in the regular season finale but settle for a 9-3 campaign. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. Baylor returns four starters on the offensive line and has had five players return who have started at least eight games on the offensive line. 21 transfer class, the third-best in the Big 12. At middle linebacker, returning starter Dillon Doyle second on the team with 90 tackles in 2021 should be even better. If the offense can make the most of a strong group of running backs led by Richard Reese and an athletic crop of wide receivers, Baylor should be pretty good the defense has a chance to improve from where it was a year ago. The Bears will ride the hot hand the 175 pound Reese has two games where he had 30+ carries, the 170 pound Sqwirl has a 25 carry game and theyre not going to worry about work load in a season finale. This makes the Bears All aboard the Aranda train. This article was first published in the Cougar The Bears have young athletes out wide capable of explosive plays, but they are remarkably inconsistent and inexperienced. The top three tight ends on the 2021 depth chart return. Web2020-21 Baylor Bears Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 28-2 (13-1, 1st in Big 12 MBB ) Rank: 3rd in the Final AP Poll Coach: Scott Drew More School Hes the smallest guy out there but maybe the toughest guy, Grimes said. Finding another Terrel Bernard or Jalen Pitre on defense is a tall task. The Mountaineers will be leaning fairly heavily on the transfer portal after bringing back six offensive starters and three defensive starters from last years team. They combined for 2,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, so replacing them will be no easy feat. The 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year eats up two-to-three blocks and plugs up running lanes, giving the rest of the Baylor defense lots of flexibility and reduced stress. Only two of Baylors 18 sacks allowed last season came within three seconds of the snap, the fewest in the country, per PFF. That was a full yard improvement over 2020, which was seventh in the Big 12 and 62nd nationally. Breakdown: There are so many other worthy names that could have made this list, but it felt wrong to exclude one of the best tight ends in Baylor football history. The Bears have been in the conference title game two of the past three years and have six double-digit win seasons and three Big 12 championships since 2011. Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. Starters Gabe A lot of Longhorn offensive success will rest on Sarks ability to scheme up run game solutions on a short week. Daniel Green has been among the Big 12s best linebackers when healthy, and hell try to shore up a defense that ranks 94th in returning production, but was sprinkling through some of the younger players over the course of the season. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Joey McGuires first team will be fascinating to watch with an offense that returns four starters but also adds Zach Kittley, the architect of last years explosive Western Kentucky group. Another opposing coach agrees that Baylors offensive and defensive lines will be the strength and expects the Bears to be a contender to return to the Big 12 championship game. @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/UGVc1Saj3L. 2023 On3 Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. The Bears should be one of the top three teams in the Big 12, and it shouldnt surprise anyone if theyre back in the conference title game in December. Theyre headlined by OT Connor Galvin and C Jacob Gall. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have a 4-month-old daughter, Zoe. 1 and in charge of moving the Bears forward on offense. Texas has to press their advantages here and not concede confidence building throws to Shapen. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. He was an All-Big-12 honorable mention in 2021 and will look to prove he deserved more than that with a big 2022. But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. Each of the new schools comes in at a different place, and the 2022 Big 12 title game participants, TCU and Kansas State, both had major losses on at least one side of the ball. The QB will also be working with a rebuilt receiving corps. Remember: this team went 1-6 in one-score games last year, including 0-6 in Big 12 play. They were turnover magnets and sure tacklers that were instrumental in the Bears getting off of the field on 3rd downs. We looked at not just the numbers for each team, but breakdowns on each side of the ball and whether teams return starters at the most important positions on the football field as well. Ronnies smart, he cares a lot, hes a tireless worker, Aranda said. With a solid crop of returning players, the question will be whether that talent can start delivering results on the field. There are tangible questions that need answers, too. Will receive lots of Vita Vea comps. That could make picking the 14-team Big 12 an absolute madhouse with so many variables. Baylor tabbed a new starting quarterback. What should fans expect in 2022? 70 nationally), the players that the Cougars replace departures with are often older and more physically ready to step in than the traditional redshirt freshman or sophomore. The stuff youre battling, especially if youre a young team, is, Im cool. And with seven of 11 starters returning on defense, the Red Raiders could bow up on that side of the ball with increased experience and the toughness that McGuire is attempting to instill. The Jayhawks may still be a year off; there a number of those projected starters still have more eligibility after this year. Grimes also looks at fifth-year senior Mose Jeffery, sophomore Micah Mazzccua and redshirt freshman tackle Tate Williams as possible contributors. Only five scholarship players have entered the portal since August: Bohanon, Sneed, defensive lineman Josh Landry, former backup quarterback Jacob Zeno and safety Tyrone D. Brown. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. The corners are unremarkable but have some size and are well schooled. 2021 stats: Started all 14 games at center. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 4. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports Its rare to see a combination of strength, speed and agility for someone with Halls frame. Blake Shapen rode an excellent performance in the Big 12 title game to the starting job this spring, unseating Gerry Bohanon, who has since transferred and is now the starter at USF. Defensively, Kansas brings back most of its pieces on the back end, but will need to hope a transfer class of defensive linemen can hit the ground running if the Jayhawks are to make major (and much-needed) improvements on that side of the ball. The Buffs have just five returning starters on defense, and their offensive line still isnt ready to compete with the top programs in the Pac-12, let alone the entire country. All three specialists return: punter Issac Power, place kicker Isaiah Hankins and kickoff specialist Noah Rauschenberg. Baylor is the 45th ranked defense by FEI advanced statistics and while they allow only a reasonable 5.3 yards per play, offenses that are able to solve their disguised coverages and avoid turnovers will move the ball. Tyquan Thornton, R.J. Snead and Drew Estrada have all departed, leaving tight end Ben Sims as the leading returning pass-catcher along with tight end Drake Dabney. in returning offensive production theres reason to believe some of those close games are going to go the other way in 2023. Whoever wins the quarterback job out of Tyler Shough and Donovan Smith has both starting experience and a high ceiling. Hes long and has some quickness, but hes a one trick finesse pony. Baylor Bear Insider One of seven returning starters from a 31-20 Baylor team, sophomore infielder Tre Richardson didn't like that aching feeling last May when the Bears were the "first team out" when the NCAA Regional selections were announced. That makes for a wide open race where it seems like the 12 teams that don't reach the Big 12 championship game are likely to finish somewhere between 8-4 and 4-8, decided by a bounce here or there. (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports). To fill the void, Aranda hired former Nevada assistant Ronnie Wheat. #Baylor DT Siaki Ika (6-4, 354, SR) LSU transfer. The Longhorns could go as far as the quarterback position will take them this year, whether thats Hudson Card, who started two games last year, or Quinn Ewers, the former top-ranked overall prospect in the 2021 247Sports Composite. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In the return game, Baylor lost Ebner, a third-round pick and the Big 12 special teams player of the year. It was hard, but necessary. Tay McWilliams is the top returning player at running back and he had just 181 yards on 17 carries last year. The clearest strength of the Baylor offense is an OL that represents the 2nd most seasoned unit in college football. Football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State is an avid Sports traveler and former Division-I football for... Starters baylor football returning starters 2022 a lot, hes a tireless worker, Aranda said Grimes also looks at senior... 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Houston, is based on individual commentators opinions and not concede confidence building throws Shapen! `` We got married last January and have a 4-month-old daughter, Zoe whoever wins the quarterback job of... Donovan Smith has both starting experience and a high ceiling including picks and predictions, is also in! Been and will look to prove he deserved more than that with a,!
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