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. The challenge for Texas wont be physicality. 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. Tay McWilliams is the top returning player at running back and he had just 181 yards on 17 carries last year. 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. Everything theyre doing, I feel good about it, Roberts said. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 4. Breakdown: Player was a highly touted transfer portal prospect, so the fact that hes joining Apu, Hall, TJ Franklin and Cole Maxwell must be terrifying for any opposition. The players are responding well to him. There are tangible questions that need answers, too. One of the most important factors in a team's success in college football is its returning experience. Whoever wins the job should have plenty of talent to utilize, but will need the offensive line to come together. Baylor tabbed a new starting quarterback. Baylors departing players registered 1,579 points, 512 rebounds, and 234 steals/blocks in the 2020-2021 season; those numbers rank 11th, 49th, and 7th in the country among non-returning players. Few teams across the nation if any were as wrecked by the transfer portal as the Sooners, who didnt just lose multiple starters, but also a foundational quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate in Caleb Williams. I dont say it in an ugly way, I say it as thats probably where it is right now. Following that group is a young trio: redshirt freshman Cisco Caston, true freshman Devyn Bobby and third-year sophomore Mike Harris. Written by Brett Gibbons Brett is an avid sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State. Baylor had a backloaded schedule in terms of difficulty and theyre on a two game slide after being obliterated by Kansas State 31-3 and then losing a heartbreaker to TCU by one point in which they outplayed (an injured-riddled) TCU for most of the game. WebThe official 2022 Football schedule for the Baylor University Bears If Johnson is at star, then Walcott will play corner and vice versa. 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. 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. 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. Baker played receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Florida Gators, winning championships with each. Hes a great athlete, good blocker, and can get involved in the vertical pass game. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports 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. in returning offensive production theres reason to believe some of those close games are going to go the other way in 2023. Theres still plenty of talent in H-Town, and the offense still has enough pieces to cause havoc (the young receiving corps could be particularly nasty). No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. A Big 12 championship game record 17-straight completions is one way to get into the spotlight, but thats just what Shapen did. SHARE If BYU football players, coaches were stocks, who would you buy? On the line, starters at four positions return: left tackle Connor Galvin, center Jacob Gall, right guard Grant Miller and both right tackles, Khalil Keith and Gavin Byers. Ive watched them go through stretches where theyre utterly dominated by aggressive corner and nickel play. There will be more on the QBs shoulders this season with reading rushers Abram Smith and Trestan Ebner gone. 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. Note: Baylor OC Jeff Grimes loves trick plays. I always win. 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. 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. Baylor has to settle its quarterback situation, and Grimes doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with. WACO, Texas Baylor football head coach Dave Aranda announced the signings of 20 student-athletes to the class of 2022 on Wednesday. With both coordinators back and all the returnees on the line of scrimmage, Baylor can figure it out. If Shapen can take the passing game to another level, that adds another dimension to an already good team. This year the Bears are out to prove they can retain their crown by reloading instead of rebuilding. Unlike last year, they dont take care of the ball all that well. Only two of Baylors 18 sacks allowed last season came within three seconds of the snap, the fewest in the country, per PFF. 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 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Kansas State Athletics Media Relations). Wake Forest Demon Deacons Sam Hartman is likely back for Wake Forest, which makes a Its one thing to go from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said. In 2021, that number rose to 2.2 yards per rush, sixth in the conference and 49th nationally, according to Pro Football Focus. Mark Milton, who started two games at corner last year, is a strong candidate at cornerback. 10:00 AM on Aug 5, 2022 CDT. Theyre veteran, older players and thats really where you want your leadership to come from. Breakdown: Gabe Hall has come up in recent news as being one of college footballs top freak athletes, and its true. There was a point in spring where you say, Hes one of the top guys on our team, just based on production, Aranda said. A more consistent downfield and intermediate passing game will be the big difference., Added Aranda: (Shapens) ability as a thrower to read coverages, to anticipate looks his arm is strong, his delivery can be unique. 2022 College Football Returning Production Rankings Team Ret. Studying what Oklahoma and Kansas State did to them will be instructive. He looked inward, forcing himself to evolve. Theyre headlined by OT Connor Galvin and C Jacob Gall. Grimes said Sims has improved as a blocker and Drake Dabney as a receiver. Baylors offensive line was one of thirteen finalists for the Joe Moore Award, presented annually to the nations top offensive line in college football. The Baylor Bears are riding a wave of momentum after a 21-7 victory over Ole Miss in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and this announcement just makes things all the better down in Waco. Their star defensive ends will need to be replaced, but their five returning starters make the Wolverines worthy of a high ranking in the 2022 college football preseason top 25. You gotta go down before you go up.. The Bears have been a strong Big 12 road team, compiling a 3-1 record, and their play style and experience tends to travel well. Sixth-year senior Gavin Holmes has starting experience but has endured multiple injuries in his career. 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. In the history of the Big 12, 2023 will always stand as an outlier. The Bears do lose starting left guard Xavier Newman-Johnson, who had 36 career starts and earned Pro Football Network First-Team All-American Honors in 2021. Returning starters (5): DT Cole Maxwell, NT Siaki Ika, WLB Matt Jones, MLB Dillon Doyle, S Christian Morgan. Run blocking has improved, Aranda said. 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. Leading receiver Tyquan Thornton is off to the NFL and No. The lowest-ranked class in that span, unsurprisingly, came in 2020 (49th), the transition class from former coach Matt Rhule to Aranda. If he can avoid making mistakes, the Cougars should be physical enough a trait BYU has shown in recent matchups with Big 12 teams to at least compete. 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. Dave Aranda enters Year 3 in Waco in considerably better shape than last year, with a Big 12 Championship in the trophy case. 13 in the FanSided Top 50 Preseason Rankings. It was hard, but necessary. Sophomore Monaray Baldwin starred in the Sugar Bowl with a 48-yard second-half touchdown run. Can a transfer class that brings in a few potential impact players turn the tide? Aranda signed a contract extension in February that is scheduled to keep him at the school through 2029, quieting coaching carousel discussion. Doyle was second on the Bears defense with 90 tackles, adding 8.5 tackles for loss. A year ago, Dave Aranda sensed his team still having doubts. The 2022 class, which includes 21 signees, finished 36th. It must replace the single-season school rushing record holder and both starting wide receivers. When the Bear running game hits it rhythm, its a lot of fun to watch and loading up the box can actually make things worse for the run defense. At middle linebacker, returning starter Dillon Doyle second on the team with 90 tackles in 2021 should be even better. Michael Haag, Baylor athletics blogger. Matt Jones, who played all 14 games and was fifth on the team in tackles, will begin the year as Bernards successor at weakside linebacker. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. "We got married in Katy, Texas, about a mile from the high school stadium," he said. 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. Each team's returning starter count comes from Athlon's look at the conference. "I thought football had to be part of it, somehow." Im truly excited to see what the defense will accomplish in Everybodys going to talk about Apu Ika, and rightfully so, but Gabe Hall is the real deal, he said. The Big 12 Conference lays claim to two of the top five small forwards in the country. Aranda likes how Blake Shapen is developing leadership skills: "The thing Im most proud of is his leadership and the art of when to say something and how to say it and being authentic with everything youve got. 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. Many of them embodied the style and soul of what Aranda wants Baylor football to be. 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. 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). But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. Hunter Dekkers is the likely Brock Purdy replacement, and he has some interesting traits to build around. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. LSUs Josh White will try to bolster the linebacker corps, which does return middle linebacker Dillon Doyle. No other Bear tight end has caught as many touchdowns as his nine career scores. 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. 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. Much of the fault is on Baylors second and third level defenders not hitting their run fits when runners spill wide. It might be way too early for college football predictions, but before the rest of the country hits the field for spring ball, here are our early predictions for Power-5 conference champions in 2023. By Matt Severance Updated: Dec 27, 2021 10:49AM PST . Bohanon averaged only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play. All three specialists return: punter Issac Power, place kicker Isaiah Hankins and kickoff specialist Noah Rauschenberg. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. The transfer portal will help the Sooners make up for some of the losses, and if Dillon Gabriel can join the five returning offensive starters and hit the ground running, the Sooners could take off. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. ", 2021 stats: Four sacks (T-third most), six TFLs (T-sixth most), played 13 games with 12 starts. And will Iowa States reluctance to fully embrace the transfer portal mean that the Cyclones wont fill the holes they do have? The Bears brought in two scholarship players thus far, both in the defensive front seven: Player and White. 2022 Baylor Football Preview. Redshirt freshman Kyron Drones was thrust into the backup role after Bohanons November hamstring injury. Hes long and has some quickness, but hes a one trick finesse pony. Now hes the uncontested No. Hes a guy that opened up his heart to the team and led his team in a real prideful, courageous way, Aranda said of Bohanon. 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. The Horned Frogs suffered a surprising collapse last year, particularly defensively, that ushered in changes at the highest levels. Projected defensive starters: DE Lonnie Phelps DT Kenean Caldwell DT Caleb Sampson* DE Malcolm Lee* LB Taiwan Berryhill* LB Gavin Potter* LB Rich Miller We did some decent things last year at times, but we were just inconsistent, Grimes said. 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. The Wildcats return 14 starters from last seasons 8-5 team, with 10 being All-Conference players. Returning that kind of experience should give Baylor the best offensive line in the Big 12, and possibly the country, in 2022. 7:00 AM on Aug 19, 2022 CDT. There are also five transfers combined from those two cycles still around. But Texas Tech also just couldnt get healthy quarterback play with some downright awful injury luck at the position. Lost in last years rough season: the Cyclones had quite a bit of young talent that took its lumps and probably needed another year to come together. Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. To fill the void, Aranda hired former Nevada assistant Ronnie Wheat. The QB will also be working with a rebuilt receiving corps. 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 school president and athletic director each signed 10-year extensions. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Five different pass catchers have been 21-30 receptions and they dont have a true #1. A big physical front headlined by plus size nose tackle Siaki Ika isnt designed to compile stats, but to dominate the interior line of scrimmage and force runners to either collide into an interior wall or bounce wide on a rounded angle that allows easy clean up. Breakdown: Returning for his fifth season, the 2021 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year will yet again be a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Breakdown: Gall is as dependable as they come. For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages. 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. If Shapen gets hurt this year, theyre (in trouble).. That was a full yard improvement over 2020, which was seventh in the Big 12 and 62nd nationally. I expect an all conference season.6 TD catches in 21 pic.twitter.com/gOOF8Armmd. In the past four years, Baylor has more or less recruited at a top-40 level nationally. Younger possibilities include true freshman safety Alfonzo Allen. #Baylor DT Siaki Ika (6-4, 354, SR) LSU transfer. The third and final of the three Big 12 schools who return 12 starters, Texas joins Kansas State with six returning starters on both offense and defense. 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