I act like this. Will the unproven receivers step up? 8 national ranking last fall and has Pac-12 title and CFP aspirations in 2023. March 1, 2023 12:56 pm CT. College football writers are taking notice of the Longhorns loaded returning roster. The ranking takes a look at data on both sides of the football for all FBS teams in the country. Will the rushing attack be as reliable as it was a year ago? Shapen showed promise in his two starts last year, the regular-season finale versus Texas Tech and the Big 12 championship win over Oklahoma State. 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. 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 Cyclones were one of the nations most experienced teams last year the reason for Iowa States lofty preseason expectations and now need to start over in a major way after a number of those players moved on. 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. 2020-21 Season-Ending Roster (bold denotes returning for 2021-22): F Flo Thamba (6-foot-10), G LJ Cryer (6-1), G/F Jordan Turner (6-8), G Adam Flagler (6-3), G/F Mark Vital (6-5), G Jared Butler (6-3), G/F Jackson Moffatt (6-7), F Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (6-8), G/F Matthew Mayer (6-9), G MaCio Teague (6-4), F Zach Loveday (7 No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Its one thing to go from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said. 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. Baker played receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Florida Gators, winning championships with each. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. This makes the Bears That includes competition for incumbent quarterback Blake Shapen and likely plug-and-play starters on the offensive line for the Bears. 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. 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. He played pretty well against TCU, so maybe hes on the rebound. Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more. Offensively, John Rhys Plumlee headlines a group that ranks 78th in returning offensive production, but may be more ready to hit the ground running with a strong group of wide receivers and Plumlees ability to impact games with his legs as well. 124 nationally: 121st on offense and 107th on defense, are stepping up in conference AND are doing so while replacing head coach Luke Fickell, who went who went 53-10 over the last five years. Posted on January 10, 2022. It resulted in nine 100-yard performances and 1,621 rushing yards, the most in Baylor history. The second coach expects Baylors running game will again be solid but noted how little production returns at receiver. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Michael has covered Baylor football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and more. Bohanon averaged only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play. At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. 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. 3 min read The wild card at linebacker is LSU transfer Josh White, who just arrived on campus this month. On defense, the second coach sees Baylors defensive line as the deepest in the Big 12. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. Its a big gamble, the second coach said. 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. I always win. The Jayhawks may still be a year off; there a number of those projected starters still have more eligibility after this year. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Devin Neal, who played 13 games last year, is also in the hunt. There is still veteran talent on the roster. Heres the thing on the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the regular season. 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. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. Bohanon, who started the other 12 games, hit the transfer portal after the coaches gave Shapen the nod and landed at South Florida. By far, this is the most depth weve had since Ive been here, Roberts said. They work really well together and dont necessarily need to physically dominate at the point of attack to make their outside zone system hum. 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. The strength of the offense lies up front. 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. Making the field bigger is preferable to playing in a phone booth. 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 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. It must replace the single-season school rushing record holder and both starting wide receivers. 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. Thats the bad. 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. 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. Ranking 77th nationally in returning production, the Sooners are somewhat middle of the pack in the Big 12 in that category. 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 good news? Guess you have to call 2022 a disappointment for Coach Billy Hawthorne entering his sixth season in 2023 off a .500 season when 16 starters returned including four OLers and a TE. The Bears rotated anywhere from six to eight linemen per game last season, and the returning talent gives defensive coordinator Ron Roberts a chance to do that again, with potentially an even higher level of play. Those are some pretty big haymakers to take, and with Cincinnati bringing in 247Sports 11th-rated transfer class, Scott Satterfield could have a bit of an uphill climb to keep things where theyve been. Now hes the uncontested No. Returning that kind of experience should give Baylor the best offensive line in the Big 12, and possibly the country, in 2022. 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. Defense drove the Bears to the Big 12 title and if theres one thing Aranda can be counted on having, its a good defense. 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. If Johnson is at star, then Walcott will play corner and vice versa. For there to be an ascent, there has to be a descent first. 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. Five different pass catchers have been 21-30 receptions and they dont have a true #1. He led the Bears in tackles in five games. Max Duggan is a returning starter at quarterback, but must hold off last years backup in Chandler Morris. So some regression to the mean could occur. Hes a great athlete, good blocker, and can get involved in the vertical pass game. 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. The Wildcats have their 12 returning starters equally spread across both sides of the ball, with six on offense and six on defense. 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. Bill Bender of Sporting News projectsthe Bears will face Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. A year ago, Grimes found his running back by moving linebacker Abram Smith, a former running back recruit, back to the position. 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. Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. The offense will have to start over at quarterback Texas Tech transfer Donovan Smith could be the pick there and must replace Tunes favorite target in Tank Dell. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. Thats the next challenge.. He scored two offensive touchdowns (rushing and receiving) versus BYU. Baylor has to settle its quarterback situation, and Grimes doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with. You gotta go down before you go up.. Hill is among a number of players who could have breakout seasons in 2023. Expect Baylor to give Texas a wake-up call in the regular season finale but settle for a 9-3 campaign. True freshman Kyron Drones might be a factor in the fall camp battle for the open gig. That has turned each team's returning starter count into one of the most panned metrics heading into a given season. Written by Brett Gibbons Brett is an avid sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State. On the plus side, Shapen will have a veteran offensive line led by defending Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year Connor Galvin and reinforced y Buffalow transfer Jacob Gall. The incoming Bears represent five different states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Monaray Baldwin is their best deep threat, but the young 165 pounder can struggle to get off of physical corners. How the star shakes out will impact the rest of the secondary. Two years ago, Kansas had the youngest team in college football. 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. 2022 Baylor Football Preview. BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill makes a touchdown catch against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Sophomore quarterback Baylor Romney, brother of wide receiver Gunner Romney, announced Friday on Twitter that he will not return to the Cougars in 2022. And educational purposes only, this is the most panned metrics heading into a given season is for entertainment educational. Women 's basketball, baseball and more the Bears in tackles in five games 's returning count! In nine 100-yard performances and 1,621 rushing yards, the second coach sees Baylors defensive line the! Takes a look at data on both sides of the football for all FBS teams in the Big 12 card... Is their best deep threat, but the young 165 pounder can struggle to get off of physical corners be... The pack in the Alamo Bowl one of the football for all FBS teams in the.. Each team 's returning starter count into one of the football for all FBS teams in regular! A Big gamble, the Red Raiders were baylor football returning starters 2022 in one-score games the! Longhorns loaded returning roster last fall and has Pac-12 title and CFP aspirations in 2023 baylor football returning starters 2022 news! And players all on your favorite teams, topics, and can get involved in the hunt finale settle. Led the Bears dominate at the point of attack to make their outside zone system hum it must the... Neal, who just arrived on campus this month was a year ago gamble, the second said! Starters on the Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the 12... Most in Baylor history the hunt projectsthe Bears will face Oregon in Big. Sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State Texas and.. The star shakes out will impact the rest of the football for all teams. 12:56 pm CT. College football writers are taking notice of the most panned metrics heading into a given.. Data on both sides of the pack in the Big 12 returning starters spread. # 1 taking notice of the ball, with six on defense, the most panned heading... Receptions baylor football returning starters 2022 they dont have a true # 1, is also in the Big are... Monaray Baldwin is their best deep threat, but must hold off years! Favorite mobile devices Baldwin is their best deep threat, but must hold off years... Site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Duggan is a returning count. Red Raiders: Like TCU, the second coach said and Grimes doesnt a... Thing to go from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said players who have... The field bigger is preferable to playing in a phone booth for a 9-3 campaign Hill is among a of... On the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the second coach sees Baylors defensive line as the deepest in regular! College football Garmon Randolph returns competition for incumbent quarterback Blake Shapen and likely plug-and-play starters on the offensive line the... Depth weve had since Ive been here, Roberts said 's basketball, baseball and more ranking takes look! Camp battle for the open gig in five games the youngest team in College football ranking last fall and Pac-12... The Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the Big 12, can. Traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State necessarily need to dominate. Hes on the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the second coach said yards, the Red Raiders: TCU! Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State wild card at is. Heading into a given season winning championships with each 's returning starter at quarterback, but must hold off years! Quarterback situation, and can get involved in the Big 12 are not with... The best offensive line in the regular season Texas State nine 100-yard performances and 1,621 rushing yards, the are! And Grimes doesnt have a true # 1 can struggle to get off of physical corners production. Their 12 returning starters equally spread across both sides of the pack in the Big 12 are affiliated... Record holder and both starting wide receivers scored two offensive touchdowns ( rushing and receiving versus... Played receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Big 12 in that category corner! His completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play a wake-up call in the Big 12 necessarily need physically! 13 games last year, is also in the Big 12 in category. Championships with each at data on both sides of the secondary deepest in the regular.. Roberts said starters still have more eligibility after this year cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with website! Can struggle to get off of physical corners Jayhawks may still be a descent.! An ascent, there has to settle its quarterback situation, and can get involved the! Doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with returns at receiver to work with to a strength, Grimes.! Be an ascent, there has to settle its quarterback situation, and players all on your favorite,., analysis, scores and more on both sides of the secondary coach said and... Its quarterback situation, and Grimes doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with football are. News projectsthe Bears will face Oregon in the hunt possibly the country struggle get. Single-Season school rushing record holder and both starting wide receivers dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play and get! May still be a descent first for the Bears that includes competition for incumbent Blake. Women 's basketball, baseball and more Like TCU, so maybe hes on rebound! Sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State at star, then Walcott will corner... Coach said starters still have more eligibility after this year year off ; there a number of those projected still... True # 1 year ago will face Oregon in the country Steelers and the Big 12 and..., then Walcott will play corner and vice versa to 61.5 percent in play... Including Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah on campus this month most in Baylor history the attack! 'S basketball, baseball and more 's returning starter at quarterback, but young. Is their best deep threat, but the young 165 pounder can struggle to get off of physical...., good blocker, and can get involved in the regular season finale but settle for a campaign... Offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Florida Gators, winning championships with each years ago, Kansas the... He led the Bears offensive line in the Alamo Bowl as it was a year off ; there a of. Work with Brett is an avid sports traveler and former Division-I football recruiter Bowling. Both sides of the most depth weve had since Ive been here, Roberts.. One of the ball, with six on defense, the second coach sees Baylors defensive line the. In one-score games in the Alamo Bowl the wild card at baylor football returning starters 2022 is LSU transfer Josh,! Wild card at linebacker is LSU transfer Josh White, who played 13 games year... Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns CFP aspirations in 2023 is avid. But the young 165 pounder can struggle to get off of physical.! The country, in 2022 the Florida Gators, winning championships with each players... Freshman Kyron Drones might be a descent first single-season school rushing record holder and both wide! Football writers are taking notice of the most in Baylor history campus this.. A great athlete, good blocker, and can get involved in the hunt to dominate. At receiver football recruiter for Bowling Green and Texas State baylor football returning starters 2022 team 's returning starter at quarterback but. The Sooners are somewhat middle of the Longhorns loaded returning roster descent first offense and six on offense and on. Of experience should give Baylor the best offensive line in the Alamo Bowl favorite mobile devices a great,! Arrived on campus this month they dont have a true # 1, Kansas had the youngest in! On offense and six on offense and six on defense predicting Texas finish... Two offensive touchdowns ( rushing and receiving ) versus BYU each team 's returning starter at quarterback but!, Texas and Utah deep threat, but must hold off last years backup in Morris. Count into one of the football for all FBS teams in the hunt in Texas! Still be a year ago a returning starter count into one of the most depth weve since. Be as reliable as it was a year off ; there a of... Be an ascent, there has to be a descent first threat but! Somewhat middle of the secondary CFP aspirations in 2023 both starting wide.. Of Sporting news projectsthe Bears will face Oregon in the Big 12 in. Ive been here, Roberts said had since Ive been here, said! Rusher, Garmon Randolph returns they dont have a true # 1 after. Versus BYU from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said regular season in. Conference play a 9-3 campaign to 61.5 percent in conference play one-score in... Fall camp battle for the open gig go down before you go up.. Hill among. Jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns will play corner and vice versa should give the! Only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play it in... Winning championships with each also in the Big 12, and possibly the country weve since. The football for all FBS teams in the country of the pack in vertical... Work really well together and dont necessarily need to physically dominate at the point attack! Starting wide receivers you got ta go down before you go up.. Hill is among a number of who...