Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. 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. 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. Baylor has to settle its quarterback situation, and Grimes doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with. With both coordinators back and all the returnees on the line of scrimmage, Baylor can figure it out. Why is Baylor the potential favorite to win its second consecutive Big 12 title? 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. Its rare to see a combination of strength, speed and agility for someone with Halls frame. 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. There are also five transfers combined from those two cycles still around. The tricky part will be actually defending the title with Oklahoma State still rolling, Oklahoma with their own defensive guru at the helm and Texas strengthening. Though none of those classes have been in the top 25, it doesnt mean they wont yield quality results. Big TE Ben Sims is a chain mover, but 20 of his 30 catches happened in the first four games of the season. That includes competition for incumbent quarterback Blake Shapen and likely plug-and-play starters on the offensive line for the Bears. 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. 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. Much of the fault is on Baylors second and third level defenders not hitting their run fits when runners spill wide. Baylor will get the Cowboys at home, but theyll be coming back from a road trip to Iowa State while OSU will be coming off a bye week. For there to be an ascent, there has to be a descent first. 2022 Sugar Bowl odds: Baylor starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon expected to return from injury vs. Ole Miss Baylor should have starting QB Gerry Bohanon available off injury for Saturday's Sugar Bowl matchup vs. Ole Miss. (We have) to come from a position of powerlessness, a sense of, Hey, were fighting for every edge. 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. 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. At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. The 2021 class ranked 41st. 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. 2023 sets up for Texas to have its most experienced 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. 14. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Try a week on us. Posted on January 10, 2022. Baylor Football: 2022 Bears Season Preview and Prediction Athlon Sports Jun 7, 2022 Blake Shapen and the Bears are ranked No. 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. 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 Horns need Quinn Ewers to throw the ball capably within the construct of a run first offense. But he questions the quarterback depth. 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. 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. But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. 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. 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. On the move! It takes trust and a sense of safety to put yourself out there to die and then to be born again.. 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. 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. The Bears have six players on preseason watch lists for national awards. And while Nebraska quarterback transfer Adrian Martinez couldnt give it a go in the spring, hes certainly an experienced option and would seem to be the frontrunner to take over for the graduated Skylar Thompson at quarterback. Besides Alabama or Georgia, I dont know whos got a better front scheme-wise than Baylor.. 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 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. The Cyclones starter count includes five on offense and three on defense, with the former group including a new starter at quarterback. Now the Jayhawks are bringing back a number of those players who took their lumps in a winless season. 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 match up well in some spots to Texas, but theyre a five loss team for a reason. Baylor ranked 10th in the country and first in the Big 12 in rushing offense in 2021, averaging 219.3 yards per game, leading the way to a Big 12 Championship. 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. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. 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. Whoever wins the job should have plenty of talent to utilize, but will need the offensive line to come together. Unlike last year, they dont take care of the ball all that well. 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. 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. 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. 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. Michael Haag, Baylor athletics blogger. Four of five starters return on the offensive line, and the entire defensive line two-deep is back. LT Connor Galvin, RG Grant Miller, RT Kahlil Keith, and C Jacob Gall are all seniors who were eligible to return for another season in 2022. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have Doyle and Jones are plenty physical, but Jones can miss assignments and both can be exploited in space by Bijan or Keilan. At least the defense will be anchored by Siaki Ika and a defensive line that should be just as stout as last year, especially with the addition of Jaxon Player from Tulsa. 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. Max Duggan is a returning starter at quarterback, but must hold off last years backup in Chandler Morris. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. True freshman Kyron Drones might be a factor in the fall camp battle for the open gig. [Get a FREE 7-day trial of Inside Texas Plus!]. Players Im most excited to see in CFB - Pt 20Ben Sims - TE - BaylorSims was very productive on @BUFootball Big 12 championship run. It must replace the single-season school rushing record holder and both starting wide receivers. Flahertys reasoning: While the team loses plenty on the defensive side, the Wildcats return Will Howard and all five offensive linemen. But Texas Tech also just couldnt get healthy quarterback play with some downright awful injury luck at the position. In the return game, Baylor lost Ebner, a third-round pick and the Big 12 special teams player of the year. 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 corners are unremarkable but have some size and are well schooled. Redshirt freshman Devin Lemear graded out the highest of all the safeties this spring, Roberts said. While talent and certainly coaching are major indicators, perhaps nothing is quite as important as having good players who have already seen the field. WebBaylors special teams will be in good hands with junior punter Issac Power and freshman kicker Isaiah Hankins returning. Find more Baylor coverage from The Dallas Morning News here. Returning Starters on Offense: 6 Offensive Coordinator Collin Klein, who was promoted to the position after a remarkable offensive output as the Wildcats Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. Fleeks has all the ability in the world, and Baldwin is a dynamic player with really good speed. Other receivers could get looks at returner. Hill is among a number of players who could have breakout seasons in 2023. Aranda signed a contract extension in February that is scheduled to keep him at the school through 2029, quieting coaching carousel discussion. Devin Leary returns at quarterback and so does plenty of impactful players on defense. Remember, too: Texas regular season losses last year came by a total of 18 points. Grimes said Sims has improved as a blocker and Drake Dabney as a receiver. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. The proof? And will Iowa States reluctance to fully embrace the transfer portal mean that the Cyclones wont fill the holes they do have? Mark Milton, who started two games at corner last year, is a strong candidate at cornerback. The QB will also be working with a rebuilt receiving corps. Venables defensive bonafides will be put to the test with a talented, but young, group that brings back four defensive starters. With the Wildcats tied for the fourth-highest number of returning starters, and some of the players that Kansas State has back, are the Wildcats in position to become a dark horse Big 12 candidate in a year where there are few true frontrunners? If Shapen can take the passing game to another level, that adds another dimension to an already good team. Breakdown: In the middle, all eyes are on Dillon Doyle for the 2022 season. 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