Hey, Baylor might be okay after all.
The first year of the Matt Rhule Baylor era went…. really bad. This is no fault of Rhule’s as the attrition the program went through following the departure of Art Briles left him with a barebones roster. Following a 1-11 season, Rhule and the Bears really have no where to go but up.
Prestige Ranking: 3*
Baylor almost slotted in at a four here, based on the success of the last few years, but the horrific 1-11 record of a season ago knock them down to a three.
Returning Starters: 16
Offense: 8
QB Charlie Brewer, RB Johnathan Lovett, WR Denzel Mims, WR Tony Nicholson, LG Xavier Newman, C Sam Tecklenburg, RG Black Blackmar, RT Patrick Lawrence
As a true freshman, Charlie Brewer finally brought a level of stability to the quarterback position, on his way to earning Big 12 Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year. Brewer threw 11 TDs through four and a half games. His development will be a key storyline this year, as building on his freshman year will integral to the Baylor offense.
Baylor uses a trio of running backs in the run game, and leading rusher John Lovett returns. It will be interesting to see if one of the three can take command of the position. According to coaches, Junior JaMycal Hasty has game breaking ability, and is the back to keep and eye on.
In the wide receiver room, I don’t know if I have covered a group I like this much yet. Denzel Mims is an absolute stud and the go-to guy, topping 1,000 yards last year. He should be one of the best WR’s in the Big 12 and should help pace the offense. Baylor also gets a ton of receivers back from injury, so the offense hopes to be explosive once again.
The X-factor though, is Jalen Hurd. The Tennessee transfer converted from running back, and is said to look like a natural. If he can continue to be as explosive as he was at UT, he may be the most entertaining player on the team. Plus, he seems like a good kid you just want to succeed.
The offensive line returns every position but LT. This should help Brewer, who is still young, stay away from pressure while he works through his reads. Of note, C Sam Tecklenburg converted to C from TE. He must have been a big tight end.
Defense: 8
DE Greg Roberts, NT Ira Lewis, DT Tyrone Hunt, OLB Jalen Pitre, ILB Clay Johnston, CB Harrison Hand, CB Grayland Arnold, S Verkedrick Vaughns
Having time to acclimate to the new defensive playbook will ensure a better unit this year. The group returns plenty of contributors in the second level that will be key to the defense’s growth in the second season under coordinator Phil Snow. The linebackers dealt with injuries throughout the spring, so the depth there is worth monitoring.
Safety Blake Lynch will likely be a key player on the defense. He has, prior to being moved to safety, played receiver, quarterback, and corner. The man is like a “Swiss Army Knife”-type player, and should factor greatly into the Bear’s defense.
Special Teams: 2
K Connor Martin, P Drew Galitz
Martin went 20-24 a year ago, being one of the few bright spots on an other wise poor team. Galitz was one of the top punters in the nation prior to getting injured last season.
Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace All Name Team Member: Pooh Stricklin
Key Losses: You went 1-11, so none, really.
Five Year Recruiting Rank: 31
Obviously, Baylor’s ranking is high because of the success they have recently had, but Rhule has been no slouch in recruiting. Yes, the scandal there will likely at some point have an impact on recruiting (especially if another repeat of last season happens), but at Temple Rhule showed a talent of developing players, which is key to the future of the Baylor football program.
Alcohol Prediction for Fans: CoronaRita
It will help keep you cool during the hot Texas days of the early season. From a philosophical standpoint, it works because it is sweet, because Matt Rhule is going to get you back to a bowl game very soon. But also kinda sucks, because it has a shitty beer in it. The beer represents the dark cloud over your school, your disgraced former coach, and losing to Libery. Enjoy!
Outlook:
A bowl is within the Bear’s grasp this season. The schedule is incredibly backloaded, but Baylor has an opportunity to start the season 4-0. What will ultimately decide their fate is how they fare against the lower tier Big 12 teams. Six wins may be the ceiling and they are a long way from where they were a few years ago, but considering what they have been through, that should be considered a rousing success in Rhule’s second year.