The Cyclones starter count includes five on offense and three on defense, with the former group including a new starter at quarterback. The second coach expects Baylors running game will again be solid but noted how little production returns at receiver. 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. 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. 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. Preseason prognosticators that looked at 14 returning starters and picked the Bears to win the league are being punished for not understanding that Baylor losing six players to the NFL Draft 4 of them in the first first 3 rounds isnt something that can be replaced. The secondary is being retooled with Christian Morgan providing the most veteran presence at safety. But perhaps the single biggest reason to believe in Oklahoma: When we looked at how teams fared in one-score games, the Sooners went 0-5 (0-4 in the article, then lost a one-score bowl game). Sanders may rank among the Big 12s best returning quarterbacks, and with the defense returning five starters from last years elite group, he could need to elevate his game, and the offense as a whole, for the Cowboys to finish this year atop the league standings. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Zach Boyden-Holmes, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire, Getty), (Photo: David Stacy/Icon Sportswire, Getty), (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports). 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. I really felt we saw a different side of him, Grimes said. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 4. There was a point in spring where you say, Hes one of the top guys on our team, just based on production, Aranda said. The nucleus of the 2021 team is largely gone, with six players chosen in the NFL Draft. Our standards are so high that it is difficult to be who you say were going to be, but Im going to stay on the path, Aranda said. 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. 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. Mark Milton, who started two games at corner last year, is a strong candidate at cornerback. This article was first published in the Cougar Sneed (Colorado) entered after the 2021 season and Bohanon (USF) and Landry (Missouri) departed after spring football ended. But those are all a far cry from a year ago, when it wasnt certain if Baylor could block consistently and installed a whole new offense. Now its just about getting experience on the field so theyre comfortable.. Aranda pointed to Fleeks and Baldwin as possibilities. On defense, the second coach sees Baylors defensive line as the deepest in the Big 12. The corners are unremarkable but have some size and are well schooled. Matthew Powledge, Baylors former safeties and special teams coach, joined Dan Lannings staff at Oregon in December. Dave Aranda can flat out coach defense, but 2021s elite unit was gutted by the NFL draft and theyre currently in a transitional phase. They work really well together and dont necessarily need to physically dominate at the point of attack to make their outside zone system hum. If that offense can jell and the defense can take a step forward, the Red Raiders could surprise. 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. 2022 College Football Returning Production Rankings Team Ret. Doyle and Jones are plenty physical, but Jones can miss assignments and both can be exploited in space by Bijan or Keilan. But perhaps the single biggest reason to believe in Oklahoma: (Photo: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire, Getty), (Photo: Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports), according to ESPNs Bill Connellys measurements, When we looked at how teams fared in one-score games. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Starters Gabe We did some decent things last year at times, but we were just inconsistent, Grimes said. Sims had the best season of his career with 361 yards and six touchdowns last year. In a classic good news, bad news situation, Houston ranks 24th nationally in returning offensive production, but 119th in returning defensive production. Enter Sonny Dykes, who took the short jaunt from Dallas, and SMU, to Fort Worth. 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. Will that lead to more wins? 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. His confidence started to grow.. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Qualan Jones, a fourth-year junior, hasnt seen many carries but is among the options. 2021 stats: Started all 14 games at center. Both are expected to contribute immediately. Baylors offensive line was one of thirteen finalists for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the nations top offensive line in college football. Theres talent on hand, particularly at quarterback where the Mountaineers added USC and Georgia transfer JT Daniels, giving West Virginia its most talented signal-caller in years. @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/UGVc1Saj3L. Breakdown: McWilliams time on the turf was limited, as he played behind two NFL running backs in Trestan Ebner and Abram Smith. To call last year a tale of two seasons for the Cowboys wouldnt even be touching what actually happened. This article was first published in the Cougar Baylor has been one of the least active teams in the transfer portal nationally. 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. You dont have to worry about a lot of things that you usually have to worry about. #SicEm, 2021 stats: 29 tackles, six pass breakups (led team), two tackles for loss. Two years ago, Kansas had the youngest team in college football. The Bears enter the season ranked No. If Bohanon takes to development the way many second-year starting quarterbacks so, Baylor could once again be the class of the league. Cornerback Al Walcott and safety Christian Morgan, both returning starters, will also see time at star, Roberts said. Ive watched them go through stretches where theyre utterly dominated by aggressive corner and nickel play. Prod. Aranda said Baker has done wonders with the receiving corps and called it probably the most improved group of the spring. Returning starters (5): DT Cole Maxwell, NT Siaki Ika, WLB Matt Jones, MLB Dillon Doyle, S Christian Morgan. The Horns need Quinn Ewers to throw the ball capably within the construct of a run first offense. If Shapen gets hurt this year, theyre (in trouble).. And that would typically seem to indicate some regression. Players Im most excited to see in CFB - Pt 20Ben Sims - TE - BaylorSims was very productive on @BUFootball Big 12 championship run. The 6-7, 265-pound junior should build on his 2021, which included 29 tackles and three sacks in 11 games. Another key defensive position to fill is the star, Baylors hybrid nickelback/outside linebacker role, previously occupied by 2021 Big 12 defensive player of the year and second-round pick Pitre. 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. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. (We have) to come from a position of powerlessness, a sense of, Hey, were fighting for every edge. 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 12 championship squad. He picked up All-Big-12 first-team honors and is now in pursuit of national recognition. Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. 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. Oklahoma and Texas will loom in the second half of the season but the Oct. 1 matchup with Oklahoma State could be the early indicator of what the Bears are capable of. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Seven months removed from winning the national championship, Baylor could be good enough to reach the final game again this season. Big TE Ben Sims is a chain mover, but 20 of his 30 catches happened in the first four games of the season. Remember, too, that while BYUs production numbers arent super high (middle of the Big 12 pack at No. Will that be enough for the Cyclones to overcome the leagues lowest returning starter count? Defensively, the Texas DL will match up just fine against Baylors experienced offensive line. Preseason prognosticators that looked at 14 returning starters and picked the Bears to win the league are being punished for not understanding that Baylor losing six players to the NFL Draft 4 of them in the first first 3 rounds isnt something that can be replaced. 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. Six four-star prospects and 14 three-star recruits headline BU's 26th-ranked class, according 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. With those two moved on, fall camp has indicated the Richmond native as being the likely bell cow back starting in Week 1, and hes impressed many as of late. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. Oklahoma State actually topped our Big 12 power rankings at one point, then by years end, the Cowboys might have legitimately been the Big 12s worst team. And the unit got a boost in the offseason, when Baylor landed Tulsa defensive tackle transfer Jaxon Player, a Waco, Texas, native and two-time All-AAC selection. Its another to go from being a strength to being leaders. Were winning every day. 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 They have 150+ combined starts in aggregate. With a solid crop of returning players, the question will be whether that talent can start delivering results on the field. While talent and certainly coaching are major indicators, perhaps nothing is quite as important as having good players who have already seen the field. 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. Breakdown: Apu, one of Halls companions, is one of the best nose guards in the country. They were turnover magnets and sure tacklers that were instrumental in the Bears getting off of the field on 3rd downs. Grimes also looks at fifth-year senior Mose Jeffery, sophomore Micah Mazzccua and redshirt freshman tackle Tate Williams as possible contributors. He played pretty well against TCU, so maybe hes on the rebound. Tay McWilliams is the top returning player at running back and he had just 181 yards on 17 carries last year. His physical talent has always been there, but his improved maturity and preparation have readied him this season for the No. Find more Baylor coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. The 6-5 Baylor Bears represent one of the most physical teams that Texas has seen this season, but meeting the other teams physicality hasnt been a problem for the Longhorns. 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. Offensively, the coach praised the scheme and the job offensive line coach Eric Mateos does. Now hes the uncontested No. 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 should once again field tough lines on both sides of the ball and an armory of speed. Itll be giving up a soft edge (pretty unlikely) or second level defenders overrunning or being paralyzed by backfield candy (more likely) allowing Baylor runners a crease in the alley. The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs will be replacing a lot of experience on both sides of the ball especially on defense. He joins an elite group of established, veteran O-lineman that are hoping to pound the rock en route to another successful season. February 8, 2023 7:57 pm CT. ESPN announced its returning production rankings for the 2023 season on Tuesday. While Gundy and Pokes fans seemed to have put their Theyre veteran, older players and thats really where you want your leadership to come from. It certainly helps that one of the offensive starters is Deuce Vaughn. Whoever wins the quarterback job out of Tyler Shough and Donovan Smith has both starting experience and a high ceiling. The Cougars are the top-ranked newcomer here, though whether that plays out will likely depend on whether Kedon Slovis can re-find some of the magic he showed a few years back at USC. The 2021 class ranked 41st. With whats left of the returners, here is who will stand out among the bunch in hopes to repeat as conference champions. He is the sports editor for the school's student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat. The ranking takes a look at data on both sides of the football for all FBS teams in the country. In the past four years, Baylor has more or less recruited at a top-40 level nationally. Here are our predictions for the Big 12's order of finish in 2023. Bohanon averaged only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play. Baylor (6-7 in 2022) (Photo: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire, Getty) The biggest reason to propel the Bears down these rankings is that Baylor ranks 100th nationally in I expect an all conference season.6 TD catches in 21 pic.twitter.com/gOOF8Armmd. 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. The Longhorns werent far off. Iowa State ranks 28th in returning production on offense, and while the defense looks vastly different in returning production, Jon Heacock gets a bit of benefit of the doubt there. Thats the bad. Besides Alabama or Georgia, I dont know whos got a better front scheme-wise than Baylor.. AJ McCarty is ready to contribute at corner and Chateau Reed may be the most talented of Baylors corners, Roberts said. The former Iowa Hawkeyes presence was shown even with Bernard on the squad, and hes beloved among his peers, so expect a big year from Doyle in 2022. Josh Fleeks moved this offseason from receiver to running back. Thats the next challenge.. At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. Redshirt freshman Devin Lemear graded out the highest of all the safeties this spring, Roberts said. Athletes in Action announced its winner for the coveted Coach Wooden Keys to Life Award, and its a Big 12 coach. Studying what Oklahoma and Kansas State did to them will be instructive. 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. 13 in the FanSided Top 50 Preseason Rankings. This was a big component of their 38-35 win over OU in Norman, forcing Dillon Gabriel into 3 first half interceptions, even though OUs offense was otherwise humming along. But West Virginia also ranks 89th in returning offensive production nationally, and doesnt really make up for it on the defensive side, where the Mountaineers are 49th. 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. There are also five transfers combined from those two cycles still around. The pass rush will be good, the run D will be great, and The Bears have six players on preseason watch lists for national awards. 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 Bears won the league last year, return their starting quarterback from a season ago in Gerry Bohanon and top all other projected contenders and rank second in the Big 12 in returning starters. Follow Sam on Twitter @skhanjr, Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen set an AT&T Stadium collegiate record with 17 straight completions en route to going 23-of-28 for 180 yards and a career-best three touchdowns against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. 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. 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