However, this years group will have some major absences to contend with, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Pitre and All-Big-12 first-team linebacker selection Terrel Bernard. Iowa States Ashley Joens and Bad blood spilled over in a major way during the opening round of the SEC Womens Basketball Tournament between Florida and Kentucky About us: HCS is owned and operated by Pete Mundo. By Matt Severance Updated: Dec 27, 2021 10:49AM PST . Will that be enough for the Cyclones to overcome the leagues lowest returning starter count? (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports). This is a tough one. On the other side of the ball, West Virginia will need some of the younger players it has landed in recent classes to pan out sooner rather than later. With a solid crop of returning players, the question will be whether that talent can start delivering results on the field. The Bears have young athletes out wide capable of explosive plays, but they are remarkably inconsistent and inexperienced. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Its one thing to go from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have a 4-month-old daughter, Zoe. The Bears are returning a total of 13 starters from last season, but they lost nearly all of their offensive production from 2021 and almost all of their starting secondary. The biggest reason to propel the Bears down these rankings is that Baylor ranks 100th nationally in returning production, third-to-last in the Big 12. Josh Fleeks moved this offseason from receiver to running back. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have a 4-month-old daughter, Zoe. Developing some receivers. Hes the smallest guy out there but maybe the toughest guy, Grimes said. Everybodys going to talk about Apu Ika, and rightfully so, but Gabe Hall is the real deal, he said. Michael Haag is a Journalism student at Baylor University in Waco, TX. There is still veteran talent on the roster. Ben Sims is the teams returning leader in receptions (31), receiving yards (361) and touchdown catches (six). BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill makes a touchdown catch against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. 17 Baylor Bears football team kicks off week four with a Big 12 Conference showdown against the undefeated Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, 2022 There are certainly unknowns. Likely this will be another year like last year: West Virginia has the talent to sneak up and bite somebody, but might not have the consistent week-in, week-out results. The incoming Bears represent five different states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Baylor had the most players of any team in the state of Texas chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft (six) and those recruits came from the 2017 and 2018 classes, which ranked 40th and 29th, respectively. On average, Baylor opponents had 8 yards to go on third downs, the longest average distance in the Big 12 and seventh best in the nation, according to PFF. Josh Cameron, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship, gives the group some size (6-2, 210 pounds). The OL is also stacked with returning starters and a few players who havent spent as much time in the trenches, so Im hoping that those who have led in the past: senior RG Sam Tecklenburg and C Jake Fruhmorgen will encourage the younger players to step up when theyre needed. 8 national ranking last fall and has Pac-12 title and CFP aspirations in 2023. Only two of Baylors 18 sacks allowed last season came within three seconds of the snap, the fewest in the country, per PFF. 3 overall class (including both high school talent and the Longhorns smaller transfer class), Texas should get some increased firepower on both sides of the ball. 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. And that would typically seem to indicate some regression. Returning starters (5): DT Cole Maxwell, NT Siaki Ika, WLB Matt Jones, MLB Dillon Doyle, S Christian Morgan. Baylor football is riding high after the program attained its first 12-win season, highlighted by a Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl win. They work really well together and dont necessarily need to physically dominate at the point of attack to make their outside zone system hum. Hes a great athlete, good blocker, and can get involved in the vertical pass game. Theyre veteran, older players and thats really where you want your leadership to come from. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. Aranda pointed to Fleeks and Baldwin as possibilities. Shapen is 60 and quite mobile, but not the running threat represented by a Jalen Daniels or Adrian Martinez. Almost a third of the league has less than 10 returning starters, and seven of the Big 12's teams have 12 or fewer. The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs will be replacing a lot of experience on both sides of the ball especially on defense. He covered the 2022 Allstate Sugar Bowl and multiple Texas Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Waco. Those expecting last year to be a one-off for Kansas arent looking at what Kansas brings back: the Jayhawks rank second nationally in returning production, including first offensively and 10th defensively. Will the Bears scratch and claw for progress the way the 2021 team did? Although not getting the glitz and glamour, the Bears can feel great knowing Apu is lining up opposite of the center this season. (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. Some of those bounces are likely to go the Sooners way this season, which could mean improvement in the win column just by being less unlucky. In a classic good news, bad news situation, Houston ranks 24th nationally in returning offensive production, but 119th in returning defensive production. No other Bear tight end has caught as many touchdowns as his nine career scores. While they lost to Oklahoma State and suffered a two-point defeat at TCU, they punched a ticket to the conference title game where they avenged their loss to the Cowboys for the crown. Both are expected to contribute immediately. 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. There was a point in spring where you say, Hes one of the top guys on our team, just based on production, Aranda said. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. Without certainty at running back or in the back seven of the defense, its fair to expect the Bears to take a slight step back. Miller returns after a solid year, Byers could play guard or tackle and Jeffery and Mazzccua will also compete for those spots. The slinger has proven he has an elite arm, and if the cards fall right, he is a legitimate contender for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. This page is He looked inward, forcing himself to evolve. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. Previously, he spent eight years covering college sports at ESPN.com and seven years as a sports reporter at the Houston Chronicle. Defensively, the Texas DL will match up just fine against Baylors experienced offensive line. 2022 College Football Returning Production Rankings Team Ret. True freshman Kyron Drones might be a factor in the fall camp battle for the open gig. Expect more transfer help at running back (UNLVs Aidan Robbins) and on both lines. Dave Aranda enters Year 3 in Waco in considerably better shape than last year, with a Big 12 Championship in the trophy case. Ten of Kansas 11 offensive starters are back from a team that ranked in the top 10 in Offensive SP+; the lone exit comes at left tackle, where Kansas signed a former five-star recruit in Wisconsins Logan Brown. Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Aranda signed a contract extension in February that is scheduled to keep him at the school through 2029, quieting coaching carousel discussion. They were turnover magnets and sure tacklers that were instrumental in the Bears getting off of the field on 3rd downs. Athletes in Action announced its winner for the coveted Coach Wooden Keys to Life Award, and its a Big 12 coach. The Bears O-line was the most improved unit in 2021, becoming a true strength as the Bears led the Big 12 in rushing and allowed the third-fewest sacks. The Cyclones starter count includes five on offense and three on defense, with the former group including a new starter at quarterback. Redshirt freshman Kyron Drones was thrust into the backup role after Bohanons November hamstring injury. Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 19, 2022. It certainly helps that one of the offensive starters is Deuce Vaughn. While Kansas State had six on both sides of the ball and added a transfer quarterback to fill one of the openings, Oklahoma State returns seven starters from the nations 53rd-best offense, according to SP+, including quarterback Spencer Sanders. This article was first published in the Cougar They may not have won that award in 2021, that distinction belongs to Michigan. Web2022 Football Roster - Baylor University Athletics Baylor University Athletics Scoreboard Football UAlbany Sep 3 6 PM ESPN + Football vs UAlbany September 3, 2022 6 PM #Baylor DT Siaki Ika (6-4, 354, SR) LSU transfer. Zeno (transferred to UAB) and Brown both entered the portal last September. 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. The Bears are allowing offenses to convert a healthy 45.4% of their 3rd downs this season and that simply doesnt marry well to Arandas larger philosophy. Breakdown: Gall is as dependable as they come. Only one league team brings back more than 14 starters, meaning that there's something of a hole at the top of the conference from where it has been in previous years. It was hard, but necessary. Max Duggan is a returning starter at quarterback, but must hold off last years backup in Chandler Morris. Studying what Oklahoma and Kansas State did to them will be instructive. The travel schedule is brutal for Baylor with trips to BYU, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas on tap. 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. I really felt we saw a different side of him, Grimes said. If Shapen gets hurt this year, theyre (in trouble).. The Longhorns werent far off. The Waller native is set for another huge year, playing alongside some of the nations best D-lineman, who are good candidates to be on this list. Here are our predictions for the Big 12's order of finish in 2023. 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. Aranda stressed the need for reps among the candidates to get comfortable. 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. The NFL Draft and NFL Draft Logo are copyright of the National Football League and in no way are owned by Ourlads Scouting Services LLC. Jones missed spring with a foot injury, allowing Will Williams to get the first-team reps at weakside linebacker, and Roberts was encouraged by his development. @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/UGVc1Saj3L. We did some decent things last year at times, but we were just inconsistent, Grimes said. Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. Theres a fair amount of moxie in him.. Younger possibilities include true freshman safety Alfonzo Allen. But when looking at what most Big 12 teams lose and the Longhorns ranking second in the conference in returning production (according to ESPNs Bill Connellys measurements), a Texas team that finished a game out of the Big 12 Championship Game probably makes for the best bet. If youre talking about which team is the Big 12 favorite, Im going with Baylor because of what they have up front, the coach said. Five different pass catchers have been 21-30 receptions and they dont have a true #1. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. Aranda had to replace three departures from his on-field staff. In comparison to Baylors six returning starters, BYU has a clear advantage in this department as they return a colossal 19 players from last years already stacked team. 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