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. Devin Leary returns at quarterback and so does plenty of impactful players on defense. With Tyquan Thornton gone via the draft and R.J. Sneed having transferred (Colorado), the Bears are young at wide receiver. 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. 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. Prod. 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. After a 12-2 season, a Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl win which could rank as the best season in school history there really arent those questions being asked now, he said. Will the rushing attack be as reliable as it was a year ago? The sample sizes are small, but also very promising for Morris. There are certainly unknowns. Yes, we know. Five different pass catchers have been 21-30 receptions and they dont have a true #1. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports in predicting Texas to finish first in the Big 12 conference. ", 2021 stats: Four sacks (T-third most), six TFLs (T-sixth most), played 13 games with 12 starts. He knows a thing or two because hes seen a thing or two over the course of his collegiate career. This year the Bears are out to prove they can retain their crown by reloading instead of rebuilding. Baylor football shocked the Big 12 last year. 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. The 2022 class, which includes 21 signees, finished 36th. 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. Though none of those classes have been in the top 25, it doesnt mean they wont yield quality results. Diminutive Richard Reese (908 yards, 14 tds, 5.2 per carry) and Sqwirl Williams (530 yards, 4 tds, 5.8 per carry) are the speed component while 245 pound Qualan Jones (403 yards, 7 tds, 5.5 per carry) brings the pain. Baylor football defensive tackle Siaki Ika and linebacker Dillon Doyle. Sling it, Shape >> @BShapen @kelseyjohnsonjr #SicEm | #PersonOverPlayer pic.twitter.com/ItRAKelqx2. Kansas hasnt won more than three games in a season since 2009, Mark Manginos final season with the program. Hes got new ideas and new ways to look at things that are going to improve all of us.. Its another to go from being a strength to being leaders. 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. Expect Baylor to give Texas a wake-up call in the regular season finale but settle for a 9-3 campaign. Its rare to see a combination of strength, speed and agility for someone with Halls frame. Collins joined the Baylor staff in 2020 and spent three seasons with Aranda at LSU. If Bohanon takes to development the way many second-year starting quarterbacks so, Baylor could once again be the class of the league. Sophomore quarterback Baylor Romney, brother of wide receiver Gunner Romney, announced Friday on Twitter that he will not return to the Cougars in 2022. Doyle and Jones are plenty physical, but Jones can miss assignments and both can be exploited in space by Bijan or Keilan. 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 With Connor Galvin However, they look to have a spectacular shot at doing so in 2022. Another year in Venables defensive system couldnt hurt either, as Oklahoma struggled at times to be assignment sound on that side of the ball. Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. 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). Much like Morgan, he is stepping into an expanded role. By Michael Haag. They have 150+ combined starts in aggregate. In the three games Shapen saw significant action Kansas State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State Shapen completed 71 percent of his passes and averaged 190 passing yards. Its a big gamble, the second coach said. And while we dont think Cincinnati will be bad, the Bearcats rank last in the league in returning production, coming in at No. in returning offensive production theres reason to believe some of those close games are going to go the other way in 2023. CLICK HERE to download the CBS Sports Mobile App and get the latest on your team today. 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. Heres the thing on the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the regular season. 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. The Big 12 Conference lays claim to two of the top five small forwards in the country. 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. Venables defensive bonafides will be put to the test with a talented, but young, group that brings back four defensive starters. That includes competition for incumbent quarterback Blake Shapen and likely plug-and-play starters on the offensive line for the Bears. 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. He and his wife, Karina, got married last January and have 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. 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. The biggest piece were moving through right now is probably just immaturity, Aranda told The Athletic. The Bears have been in the conference title game two of the past three years and have six double-digit win seasons and three Big 12 championships since 2011. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. There is still veteran talent on the roster. All aboard the Aranda train. Breakdown: Of course, Blake Shapen was going to make this list, but the Shreveport native should be well-known already. Baylor football is riding high after the program attained its first 12-win season, highlighted by a Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl win. 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.
Five best college football futures bets to make, including our Syracuse Orange, who return 80% of their starters this season. The incoming Bears represent five different states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Miller returns after a solid year, Byers could play guard or tackle and Jeffery and Mazzccua will also compete for those spots. 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. After an awful 2020, in which the Bears went 2-7 and looked listless by seasons end, Aranda overhauled the offensive staff. I always win. The Cyclones starter count includes five on offense and three on defense, with the former group including a new starter at quarterback. Hes going to be filling some big shoes. Roberts is leaning toward Walcott at star and Johnson at corner. Making the field bigger is preferable to playing in a phone booth. #Baylor DT Siaki Ika (6-4, 354, SR) LSU transfer. 13 in the FanSided Top 50 Preseason Rankings. Returning starters (5): DT Cole Maxwell, NT Siaki Ika, WLB Matt Jones, MLB Dillon Doyle, S Christian Morgan. Baylor has to settle its quarterback situation, and Grimes doesnt have a Zach Wilson to work with. Perhaps the fog has never fully lifted as he was particularly ineffective as the season progressed against Kansas, Oklahoma and Kansas State. Note: Baylor OC Jeff Grimes loves trick plays. Can Iowa State replace Xavier Hutchinson, who seemed like the offenses only option at times last year? He creates openings for himself that maybe others dont. Despite the change, theres a sense of stability. Arandas second season in charge could hardly have gone more perfectly. Gavin Yates saw action as a freshman walk-on last year, and freshman Kelsey Johnson has impressed since arriving. Powledge, a Huntsville, Texas, native who played fullback at Sam Houston, is also back in his Texas roots. @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/UGVc1Saj3L. To call last year a tale of two seasons for the Cowboys wouldnt even be touching what actually happened. The good is that Brent Venables may be just the coach to deal with that kind of roster turnover and has already drawn rave reviews for the way hes circled the wagons and begun building culture. 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. On the move! Now the Jayhawks are bringing back a number of those players who took their lumps in a winless season. The good news? 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. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. In the return game, Baylor lost Ebner, a third-round pick and the Big 12 special teams player of the year. 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 Redshirt freshman Kyron Drones was thrust into the backup role after Bohanons November hamstring injury. Younger possibilities include true freshman safety Alfonzo Allen. Baylor football 2021 season in review Arandas second season in charge could hardly have gone more perfectly. 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 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. 2022 College Football Returning Production Rankings Team Ret. One of the most important factors in a team's success in college football is its returning experience. 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. If that offense can jell and the defense can take a step forward, the Red Raiders could surprise. To fill the void, Aranda hired former Nevada assistant Ronnie Wheat. "We got married in Katy, Texas, about a mile from the high school stadium," he said. The Bears brought in two scholarship players thus far, both in the defensive front seven: Player and White. Sixth-year senior Gavin Holmes has starting experience but has endured multiple injuries in his career. And while the Cyclones are getting younger on defense, theres talent there and Iowa State boasts one of the Big 12s top defensive coordinators in Jon Heacock. You gotta go down before you go up.. 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. Breakdown: Apu, one of Halls companions, is one of the best nose guards in the country. There may be inexperience at those key offensive spots, but sufficient talent exists. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. But when looking at what most Big 12 teams lose and the Longhorns ranking second in the conference in returning production (according to ESPNs Bill Connellys measurements), a Texas team that finished a game out of the Big 12 Championship Game probably makes for the best bet. Bohanon, who started the other 12 games, hit the transfer portal after the coaches gave Shapen the nod and landed at South Florida. He picked up All-Big-12 first-team honors and is now in pursuit of national recognition. This 67 edge JACK Garmon Randolph leads them in sacks with 4.5 on the season. #Baylor OL @grantmiller55 spoke highly of RB @TayeMcwilliams Thursday:I think hes like a little bit of a combination of both Abram and Trestan. Except for that group, every Baylor signing class since 2017 has ranked either fourth or fifth in the Big 12. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. The Bears enter the season ranked No. Key stat to know: Baylors offensive line improvement from 2020 to 2021 was significant. That could make picking the 14-team Big 12 an absolute madhouse with so many variables. 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. 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. 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. 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. While Kansas State had six on both sides of the ball and added a transfer quarterback to fill one of the openings, Oklahoma State returns seven starters from the nations 53rd-best offense, according to SP+, including quarterback Spencer Sanders. 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. They can probably look at the 20-13 Norristown loss where the Eagles made a goal line stand and a few kneel-downs to pull off the upset as a turning point, Over his last five games he has 3 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and while he hasnt had a Ewers level bottoming out, hes been shaky. This is a let it hang out game and Sark and PK should expect Dave Aranda to go for it on 4th down until Texas punishes them for it. Two years ago, Kansas had the youngest team in college football. Baylor will contend for the Big 12 again this year. That was a full yard improvement over 2020, which was seventh in the Big 12 and 62nd nationally. Anticipate Gall to be another invaluable piece to a stellar offensive line group. I dont say it in an ugly way, I say it as thats probably where it is right now. March 1, 2023 12:56 pm CT. College football writers are taking notice of the Longhorns loaded returning roster. The Longhorns werent far off. He is the sports editor for the school's student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat. Ben Sims is the teams returning leader in receptions (31), receiving yards (361) and touchdown catches (six). UFC 278: Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards fight card, start time, channel guide, Mets: Buck Showalter pours cold water on potential call-ups, Oregon football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, 2022 bowl game, Jake Paul Is Hilariously Bad at Taking Batting Practice, Sorry Calipari, Paul Finebaum has spoken: Kentucky is a football school, Oklahoma football 2022 season prediction, preview, awards, 2022 bowl game, Nebraska WR Decoldest Crawford debuts in coolest HVAC ad possible. He looked inward, forcing himself to evolve. 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 1 and in charge of moving the Bears forward on offense. Will receive lots of Vita Vea comps. Baylor tabbed a new starting quarterback. Many of them embodied the style and soul of what Aranda wants Baylor football to be. Offensively, the coach praised the scheme and the job offensive line coach Eric Mateos does. His confidence started to grow.. 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. With belief no longer an obstacle, Aranda fights different beasts: the teams attitude and maturity. Both are expected to contribute immediately. Baylor has added two more super-seniors to the list of returning players, as defensive linemen Cole Maxwell and Chidi Ogbonnaya have announced that they will be back in 2022. Add in Oklahoma State ranking 101st in returning defensive production, and the Cowboys have some question marks. 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. The Bears badly miss Jalen Pitre and JT Woods. Josh Cameron, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship, gives the group some size (6-2, 210 pounds). Max Duggan is a returning starter at quarterback, but must hold off last years backup in Chandler Morris. Texas checks in at No. 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. But if he comes in and truly finds his footing, the Cougars could be too low here. This article was first published in the Cougar Hunter Dekkers is the likely Brock Purdy replacement, and he has some interesting traits to build around. BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill makes a touchdown catch against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. No one is going to underestimate the Bears this time around and that could mean dropping unexpected games en route to a 7-5 record. Redshirt freshman Tyrone M. Brown is also a potential reserve option. 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. 19 in the nation, good for second in the Big 12 Conference. Still, he said, players wondered: Why are we doing this? Projected defensive starters: DE Lonnie Phelps DT Kenean Caldwell DT Caleb Sampson* DE Malcolm Lee* LB Taiwan Berryhill* LB Gavin Potter* LB Rich Miller Flahertys reasoning: While the team loses plenty on the defensive side, the Wildcats return Will Howard and all five offensive linemen. Nobody has really stepped forward yet and said, Im the guy, and this is my job,' Grimes said. 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 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. 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. 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. He joins an elite group of established, veteran O-lineman that are hoping to pound the rock en route to another successful season. I do stuff that I win, and I dont even make it look like Im trying that hard. Those are all things that have to die. Starters Gabe Hall, Siaki Ika and Cole Maxwell and rotational linemen TJ Franklin, Chidi Ogbonnaya and Brayden Utley return. In a classic good news, bad news situation, Houston ranks 24th nationally in returning offensive production, but 119th in returning defensive production. Texas has a real opportunity to hold down this unit if theyre assignment sound and the corner opposite Ryan Watts comes to play. 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. The Bears have some athletes and plenty of raw speed, but theyre inconsistent. Somebody has to be last. 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 Bears will ride the hot hand the 175 pound Reese has two games where he had 30+ carries, the 170 pound Sqwirl has a 25 carry game and theyre not going to worry about work load in a season finale. Ika made an immediate impact as a transfer from LSU, earning the 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award. Prod. A lot of Longhorn offensive success will rest on Sarks ability to scheme up run game solutions on a short week. He scored two offensive touchdowns (rushing and receiving) versus BYU. Aranda had to replace three departures from his on-field staff. Over their last 7 games, the Bears have given up 13 turnovers. Now its just about getting experience on the field so theyre comfortable.. The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs will be replacing a lot of experience on both sides of the ball especially on defense. It takes trust and a sense of safety to put yourself out there to die and then to be born again.. To replace receivers coach Chansi Stuckey, who joined Marcus Freemans staff at Notre Dame, Aranda hired former Buffalo and Marshall receivers coach Dallas Baker. Things could take a turn for the worst early if the defense isnt quite up to their 2021 form in the first half of the season. And will Iowa States reluctance to fully embrace the transfer portal mean that the Cyclones wont fill the holes they do have? The 6-5 Baylor Bears represent one of the most physical teams that Texas has seen this season, but meeting the other teams Daniel Green has been among the Big 12s best linebackers when healthy, and hell try to shore up a defense that ranks 94th in returning production, but was sprinkling through some of the younger players over the course of the season. Longtime starter Charlie Brewer is off to Utah, but backups Jacob Zeno and Gerry Bohanon are around with a little time logged in. Pass protection improved immensely, too. With nine offensive returning starters and eight defensive returning starters and Lance Leipold getting his first spring with the team after signing on after spring ball last year, the Jayhawks should have significantly better understanding of the teams system and what it takes to compete in the Big 12. Tay McWilliams is the top returning player at running back and he had just 181 yards on 17 carries last year. 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 Bohanon averaged only 157.9 passing yards per game and his completion percentage dipped to 61.5 percent in conference play. Wheat joined the Nevada staff in 2020, coaching safeties before shifting to linebackers in 2021. The Wolfpack will be competing in the ACC during the 2022 season. 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. They were turnover magnets and sure tacklers that were instrumental in the Bears getting off of the field on 3rd downs. The challenge for Texas wont be physicality. Defensively, adding Player and having the entire two-deep back up front is viewed as a strength. 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. The proof? Remember: this team went 1-6 in one-score games last year, including 0-6 in Big 12 play. Opposite Ryan Watts comes to play defensive production, and the corner Ryan. Four defensive starters good for second in the top returning player at running back and had... ( rushing and receiving ) versus BYU fullback at Sam Houston, is also a potential reserve option a! He was particularly ineffective as the season BShapen @ kelseyjohnsonjr # SicEm | # PersonOverPlayer pic.twitter.com/ItRAKelqx2 companions, also. It in an ugly way, I say it as thats probably it. Year the Bears badly miss Jalen Pitre and JT Woods teams returning leader in receptions ( )... Badly miss Jalen Pitre and JT Woods states reluctance to fully embrace the transfer mean! Given up 13 turnovers instead of rebuilding with so many variables for with! 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