*This is part of a series of previews for Student Union Sports, for teams other than Baylor, see here.
When he took the Baylor job, Matt Rhule knew two things: It was a rebuild, and the school would be patient. That being said, not many predicted that Baylor would go 7-6 in just the second year under Rhule, highlighted by a Texas Bowl win over Vanderbilt. Going into year 3 with a veteran QB, expectations are shooting drastically up for the Baylor
Prestige Ranking: 4*
Taking away all the off the field issues of the past couple years, and one will remember that Baylor almost made the playoff a few years ago. Going 1-11 certainly hurt them, but 7-6 rebound of last season eased them just slightly back into 4 star territory.
Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (4-5 Big 12)
Baylor was downright awful in 2017, and no really expected them to do much in 2018. Matt Rhule being Matt Rhule gave the bears a quick turnaround, including a bowl win. Rhule has been tasked with repairing both Baylor’s football team and their image, and he seems to be doing a good job. They didn’t really pull any upsets, but they won the games they needed to.
Projected Returning Starters
Offense: 5
- QB Charlie Brewer
- WR Denzel Mims
- WR Chris Platt
- LT Connor Galvin
- RG Sam Tecklenburg
Quarterback Charlie Brewer will be the star of the offense after a sophomore season that saw him throw 19 touchdowns. The junior was the Texas Bow MVP and had over 3,000 yards passing. With nearly 400 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns, he has the ability to keep defenses honest.
Last season the team had three rushers go over 400 yards, leading to a back by committee approach. However, last year’s leader, John Lovett, got looks at safety in the spring. Trestan Ebner had a big Texas Bowl and is the presumed starter.
Three of the top four receivers from a season ago return, including Denzel Mims, who caught 8 touchdowns. Mims will be the go to receiver and could surpass 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. Chris Platt, who was third on the team, was granted a fifth year of eligibility and sophomore tight end Christoph Henle could be poised for a breakout season.
The main offensive concern will be the offensive line, which returns just two starters from last season. LT and RG are settled, but every other position is up in the air. If Baylor wants to shock some people this year, they will have to keep Brewer up right.
Defense: 5
- DT Bravvion Roy
- DE James Lynch
- MLB Clay Johnston
- SLB Blake Lynch
- S Chris Miller
Never forget a Matt Rhule defense is always going to be nasty, regardless of who is playing. Sack leader James Lynch returns for his junior year, and should be one of the stars of the defense. On the line with him are Texas A&M transfer DE James Lockhart, DT Rob Saulin, who played both O and D-line last year, and DT Bravvion Roy, who was a starter a season ago.
Linebacker will be a position of strength on the team, especially with two-year starter Clay Johnston returning. Johnston totaled 99 tackles last year and is a force in the middle. He will be surrounded by Blake lynch on one side, while a postion battle for the last spot battles on between the super athletic Terrel Bernard and last season’s starter Jordan Williams.
The secondary is a big question with only one returning starter in safety Chris Miller, who was second on the team with 67 tackles last season. New starting corner Raleigh Texada had two interceptions last year. The inexperienced secondary will have to grow up quickly to compete with teams like Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Specialists:
Returning zero specialists is genrally not good, but Baylor got somewhat lucky. Both kicker John Mayers (fantastic name) and punter Issac Power got to play and impress in the bowl game, leaving coaches confident in their abilities.
Key Losses
Receiver Jalen Hurd: the former Tennessee RB switched to WR with the Bears and had a huge season, leading the team in receiving yardage with 946. Someone will have to step up and become the new go-to target
Offensive Lineman Blake Blackmar: Three year starter whose presence on a young line will be missed.
Key Newcomer on Offense: TE Christoph Henle
Just a sophomore, Henle could see a ton of targets with the departure of Jalen Hurd. If he can become Brewer’s safety valve, he could help propel the Baylor offense to new heights.
Key Newcomer on Defense: DE James Lockhart
A senior transfer, Lockhart has potential to start on the D-line. With James Lynch taking a majority of the double teams, Lockhart could be free to run wild.
Win the Conference if:
Oklahoma and Texas fall off a cliff. Baylor is talented, and could finish as high as third in the Big 12, but they aren’t ready to play with the big boys yet.
Circle this game: Oklahoma State
Baylor gets lucky in that they get most of the major players in the conference at home. However, they do have to travel to OK State in October, and if they want to try and make some noise this year, this is a must win game.
2019 Outlook: 9-3
Looking at this schedule, it is not hard to talk yourself into 10 possible wins for Baylor this season. But, in an attempt to curb optimism, we will give them nine. Texas and Oklahoma will likely handle the Bears, and a team such as Iowa State or OK State will sneak another loss in. That being said, Rhule will have Baylor improving for a third consecutive season, and it is hard not to feel great about that.