By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>A reminder that the annual Meet the Bears is slated for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. Hopefully, you can make your plans to attend. If you can, here are some things to know from Baylor:
Refugio’s Campbell ready
Baylor has its eyes on 2024 athlete Ernest Campbell. A two-way player with a projected Division I future at wide receiver, Campbell picked up his Baylor offer at the July 30 camp.
“I worked out at the WR position, and I like the way the coaches gave me advice on my mechanics to improve my game,’’ Campbell said. “To get an offer from Baylor is pretty special.’’
Campbell has nine offers to this point. The other four notables are Penn State, Oregon, Louisville and Houston. Obviously, he’s not a secret kept in the Lone Star State. National programs used the May evaluation period to find him.
Through the day, Campbell worked with new Baylor wide receivers coach Dallas Baker. The two apparently hit it off from the beginning. A relationship between a coach and player – even though this one is just beginning from what happened at a camp – can tell the story.
“I like the way he teaches the game,’’ Campbell said. “He just did a lot of things for me about my technique and to improve my skills. It was a good day.’’
He’s not big at 5-8, but does he have speed. This past May at the Class 2A Texas state track and field meet, he won the 100 in 10.32 seconds and ran a leg on the state champion 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams.
Refugio is expected to have another strong season in 2022. The Bobcats finished 13-1 before falling to eventual Class 2A Division I champion Shiner in the state quarterfinals, 55-14.
As with any great athlete playing for a small school, he’s hardly going to come off the field. However, Campbell said he believes most of his playing time will be at wide receiver. The balance will be at cornerback on defense.
Refugio opens the season Friday at Hitchcock.
Keeping tabs
Lucas Lovejoy 2024 linebacker and Baylor major target Payton Pierce is pretty much ready to go for the upcoming season.
The nation’s No. 32 player is just about all the way back from a pretty tough ankle injury he suffered during the wrestling season. He lost spring ball out of it and didn’t go through any camps including Baylor’s on July 30.
But he did attend the post camp BBQ. And that’s all Baylor was concerned about – getting him back down for another unofficial visit. Pierce visited a spring football practice in April and then returned in June.
That makes three unofficials that Pierce has taken to Baylor since April.
“I’m about 90 percent straight ahead and 75 percent side to side,’’ Pierce said of where his ankle was at the time of the camp. “My coaches didn’t want me workout out just to be safe. But I definitely wanted to be there.’’
Those percentages have improved over the last month. Lovejoy opens the season Saturday against College Station in the Tom Landry Classic at Allen’s Eagle Stadium.
Tracking Central Texas QB
While Baylor’s coaching staff has its eyes on several 2024 and 2025 QBs and made offers to several, there are others the staff is watching.
One is 2024 spinner Will Hammond of Hutto. Baylor did not offer the 6-3, 190-pound rising prospect at its camp. But Texas Tech has along with a couple of smaller schools.
Hammond is coming off a pretty strong sophomore season in 2021. He threw for 2,143 yards and 25 touchdowns.
“I got quite a bit out of working with [Baylor QB coach Shawn Bell],’’ Hammond said. “He truly makes the most of every minute he has with you. He pays attention to the details and takes time to get to know you as a person. I really enjoy being around him.
“He coached me to get rid of the Pat of the ball when I throw as well as my under center footwork. Also getting high with my elbow when throwing over linemen.”
Time will tell how this relationship moves forward between Hammond and the Bears. A big junior season could be the one that details to what extent Baylor takes this to the next level with an offer. But that could be said about a lot of other programs who are monitoring him.
“I performed at a higher level than the last time I was on campus,’’ he said. “There are always things you can look back on wanting to be better but as a whole I truly enjoyed camp.”
Publisher
The Topper
>A reminder that the annual Meet the Bears is slated for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. Hopefully, you can make your plans to attend. If you can, here are some things to know from Baylor:
- Gate C will open at 2 p.m. to the public, and parking is free at McLane Stadium.
- Baylor's clear bag policy will be in effect for Meet the Bears.
- An exclusive Meet the Bears poster will be provided for the event.
- Student-athletes will be able to sign one memorabilia item per person.
- The Bears will have 16 programs represented for autographs throughout the concourse, including a special appearance by Bruiser and Marigold.
Refugio’s Campbell ready
Baylor has its eyes on 2024 athlete Ernest Campbell. A two-way player with a projected Division I future at wide receiver, Campbell picked up his Baylor offer at the July 30 camp.
“I worked out at the WR position, and I like the way the coaches gave me advice on my mechanics to improve my game,’’ Campbell said. “To get an offer from Baylor is pretty special.’’
Campbell has nine offers to this point. The other four notables are Penn State, Oregon, Louisville and Houston. Obviously, he’s not a secret kept in the Lone Star State. National programs used the May evaluation period to find him.
Through the day, Campbell worked with new Baylor wide receivers coach Dallas Baker. The two apparently hit it off from the beginning. A relationship between a coach and player – even though this one is just beginning from what happened at a camp – can tell the story.
“I like the way he teaches the game,’’ Campbell said. “He just did a lot of things for me about my technique and to improve my skills. It was a good day.’’
He’s not big at 5-8, but does he have speed. This past May at the Class 2A Texas state track and field meet, he won the 100 in 10.32 seconds and ran a leg on the state champion 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams.
Refugio is expected to have another strong season in 2022. The Bobcats finished 13-1 before falling to eventual Class 2A Division I champion Shiner in the state quarterfinals, 55-14.
As with any great athlete playing for a small school, he’s hardly going to come off the field. However, Campbell said he believes most of his playing time will be at wide receiver. The balance will be at cornerback on defense.
Refugio opens the season Friday at Hitchcock.
Keeping tabs
Lucas Lovejoy 2024 linebacker and Baylor major target Payton Pierce is pretty much ready to go for the upcoming season.
The nation’s No. 32 player is just about all the way back from a pretty tough ankle injury he suffered during the wrestling season. He lost spring ball out of it and didn’t go through any camps including Baylor’s on July 30.
But he did attend the post camp BBQ. And that’s all Baylor was concerned about – getting him back down for another unofficial visit. Pierce visited a spring football practice in April and then returned in June.
That makes three unofficials that Pierce has taken to Baylor since April.
“I’m about 90 percent straight ahead and 75 percent side to side,’’ Pierce said of where his ankle was at the time of the camp. “My coaches didn’t want me workout out just to be safe. But I definitely wanted to be there.’’
Those percentages have improved over the last month. Lovejoy opens the season Saturday against College Station in the Tom Landry Classic at Allen’s Eagle Stadium.
Tracking Central Texas QB
While Baylor’s coaching staff has its eyes on several 2024 and 2025 QBs and made offers to several, there are others the staff is watching.
One is 2024 spinner Will Hammond of Hutto. Baylor did not offer the 6-3, 190-pound rising prospect at its camp. But Texas Tech has along with a couple of smaller schools.
Hammond is coming off a pretty strong sophomore season in 2021. He threw for 2,143 yards and 25 touchdowns.
“I got quite a bit out of working with [Baylor QB coach Shawn Bell],’’ Hammond said. “He truly makes the most of every minute he has with you. He pays attention to the details and takes time to get to know you as a person. I really enjoy being around him.
“He coached me to get rid of the Pat of the ball when I throw as well as my under center footwork. Also getting high with my elbow when throwing over linemen.”
Time will tell how this relationship moves forward between Hammond and the Bears. A big junior season could be the one that details to what extent Baylor takes this to the next level with an offer. But that could be said about a lot of other programs who are monitoring him.
“I performed at a higher level than the last time I was on campus,’’ he said. “There are always things you can look back on wanting to be better but as a whole I truly enjoyed camp.”
