The second coach expects Baylors running game will again be solid but noted how little production returns at receiver. Aranda pointed to Fleeks and Baldwin as possibilities. 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. Why is Baylor the potential favorite to win its second consecutive Big 12 title? That could make picking the 14-team Big 12 an absolute madhouse with so many variables. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas, 10 key Baylor players to know in 2022: Returning O-line, D-line alleviates concerns, Everything you need to know about Baylor football: Key storylines, predictions and more, Ray Davis optimistic, anxious about Rangers season amidst tumultuous TV situation, Cowboys Mike McCarthy has more power, fewer excuses. I really felt we saw a different side of him, Grimes said. Aranda stressed the need for reps among the candidates to get comfortable. By Michael Haag. It resulted in nine 100-yard performances and 1,621 rushing yards, the most in Baylor history. Starters Gabe Hall, Siaki Ika and Cole Maxwell and rotational linemen TJ Franklin, Chidi Ogbonnaya and Brayden Utley return. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. Prod. 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. He creates openings for himself that maybe others dont. Thats the next challenge.. After helping the Bears reach the semifinalist phase for the Joe Moore Award, he could target individual honors in 2022. UW, of course, finished an 11-2 season with a No. @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/UGVc1Saj3L. 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. Ive watched them go through stretches where theyre utterly dominated by aggressive corner and nickel play. Sims had the best season of his career with 361 yards and six touchdowns last year. pic.twitter.com/zg3fJXYoU9, 2021 stats (Tulsa): 14.0 TFLs (led team, second in AAC), four sacks (second on team), one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. There was a point in spring where you say, Hes one of the top guys on our team, just based on production, Aranda said. 2021 stats: Six sacks (second most), 7.0 TFL, 17 total tackles. In a classic good news, bad news situation, Houston ranks 24th nationally in returning offensive production, but 119th in returning defensive production. That has turned each team's returning starter count into one of the most panned metrics heading into a given season. The defense was stifling and the offense pounded the rock as the Bears worked their way through the Big 12 slate and took down ranked BYU. Still, he said, players wondered: Why are we doing this? Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. in returning offensive production theres reason to believe some of those close games are going to go the other way in 2023. Explosive Florida State running back transfer Treshaun Ward is among the Big 12s most exciting transfer additions, and hell join DJ Giddens in making sure the Wildcats can still run the ball. I act like this. Point, blank period. Both are expected to contribute immediately. The Bears badly miss Jalen Pitre and JT Woods. His physical talent has always been there, but his improved maturity and preparation have readied him this season for the No. A returning starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel is a good thing, and the Sooners have the No. In the starting lineup, Grimes expects competition at both guard spots. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes hopes Shapen gives the offense a higher ceiling. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. We did some decent things last year at times, but we were just inconsistent, Grimes said. Grimes said Sims has improved as a blocker and Drake Dabney as a receiver. Sophomore Tony Anyanwu, whom Roberts said was the starting jack before foot surgery forced him to miss the season, will be in the mix, as well as redshirt freshman Jackie Marshall. If Shapen gets hurt this year, theyre (in trouble).. By far, this is the most depth weve had since Ive been here, Roberts said. The Cowboys came within inches of the Big 12 championship last year, and are tied with two other schools with 12 returning starters. 2021 stats: 183 rushing yards (fourth on team), two rushing TDs (T-third on team). A lot of Longhorn offensive success will rest on Sarks ability to scheme up run game solutions on a short week. 2021 stats: Started all 14 games at left tackle. February 8, 2023 7:57 pm CT. ESPN announced its returning production rankings for the 2023 season on Tuesday. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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. In the return game, Baylor lost Ebner, a third-round pick and the Big 12 special teams player of the year. Prod. Though none of those classes have been in the top 25, it doesnt mean they wont yield quality results. #Baylor DT Siaki Ika (6-4, 354, SR) LSU transfer. And while we dont think Cincinnati will be bad, the Bearcats rank last in the league in returning production, coming in at No. I expect an all conference season.6 TD catches in 21 pic.twitter.com/gOOF8Armmd. 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. With Tyquan Thornton gone via the draft and R.J. Sneed having transferred (Colorado), the Bears are young at wide receiver. Baylor tabbed a new starting quarterback. Gavin Holmes is the senior statesman of the group, but after dropping 210 yards against West Virginia, hes had 84 yards receiving total over the last five games. Im truly excited to see what the defense will accomplish in What should fans expect in 2022? Collins joined the Baylor staff in 2020 and spent three seasons with Aranda at LSU. The 6-7, 265-pound junior should build on his 2021, which included 29 tackles and three sacks in 11 games. Four of five starters return on the offensive line, and the entire defensive line two-deep is back. Roberts is leaning toward Walcott at star and Johnson at corner. 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. Dykes inherits six offensive starters and seven defensive starters, and theres plenty of room for growth on both sides. Whoever wins the job should have plenty of talent to utilize, but will need the offensive line to come together. Enter Sonny Dykes, who took the short jaunt from Dallas, and SMU, to Fort Worth. The 2022 class, which includes 21 signees, finished 36th. The 2021 second-team All-AAC selection should thrive being back in his hometown of Waco. Theyre certainly at their best running free on play action shots. LSUs Josh White will try to bolster the linebacker corps, which does return middle linebacker Dillon Doyle. Will that lead to more wins? The Bears enter the season ranked No. When Baylors outside zone running game is humming, theyre a Bear to defend as Reese and Sqwirl are adept at finding small creases or using their quickness to make sharp cuts against the grain when second level defenders overrun to the sideline. They may not have won that award in 2021, that distinction belongs to Michigan. In that regard, the Big 12 is a league in transition. Defense drove the Bears to the Big 12 title and if theres one thing Aranda can be counted on having, its a good defense. 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. The Red Raiders rank 31st in returning offensive production but could also stand to get a full season from Tyler Shough, which would likely lead to improvement on that end. Gavin Yates saw action as a freshman walk-on last year, and freshman Kelsey Johnson has impressed since arriving. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. Its a big gamble, the second coach said. Hes going to be filling some big shoes. WebThe official 2022 Football schedule for the Baylor University Bears Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 19, 2022. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards will take over a lot of the running duties with the potential to really be successful as a one-two punch. The Bears match up well in some spots to Texas, but theyre a five loss team for a reason. Players Im most excited to see in CFB - Pt 20Ben Sims - TE - BaylorSims was very productive on @BUFootball Big 12 championship run. It certainly helps that one of the offensive starters is Deuce Vaughn. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Kansas State Athletics Media Relations). Baker played receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Florida Gators, winning championships with each. Sixth-year senior Gavin Holmes has starting experience but has endured multiple injuries in his career. Doyle was second on the Bears defense with 90 tackles, adding 8.5 tackles for loss. Zeno (transferred to UAB) and Brown both entered the portal last September. If Shapen can take the passing game to another level, that adds another dimension to an already good team. #Baylor OL @grantmiller55 spoke highly of RB @TayeMcwilliams Thursday:I think hes like a little bit of a combination of both Abram and Trestan. 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. 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Projected defensive starters: DE Lonnie Phelps DT Kenean Caldwell DT Caleb Sampson* DE Malcolm Lee* LB Taiwan Berryhill* LB Gavin Potter* LB Rich Miller Michael has covered Baylor football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and more. 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. Anticipate Gall to be another invaluable piece to a stellar offensive line group. He joins an elite group of established, veteran O-lineman that are hoping to pound the rock en route to another successful season. But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. 13 in the FanSided Top 50 Preseason Rankings. Heres the thing on the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the regular season. To fill the void, Aranda hired former Nevada assistant Ronnie Wheat. 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