NOTE: The content on the Baylor Blitz is solely meant for the subscribers of SicEmSports. Let's all please make sure that whatever is written here stays here. We appreciate you all helping us with this. Now, let's all take a look at Baylor recruiting and what else is going on involving the Bears.
NOTE: The final Rival 2015 250 is scheduled to be released at the beginning of next week. The top 100 is scheduled for a Monday release. The 250 should be released on Tuesday with the balance of the rankings to follow Wednesday and Thursday. This will impact mid-semester enrollees QB Jarret Stidham, Ath Blake Lynch and May enrollee RB JaMycal Hasty.
Is it over?
Waco Midway teammates LB Lenoy Jones and WR Devontre Stricklin have committed to Baylor. But Baylor may not be done recruiting that school for the 2015 class.
We were told that safety and Oklahoma commit Kahlil Haughton talked with Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett for a little while. The tone of the discussion seemed pretty lively. And it seems that Baylor may not have given up on Haughton even though he announced his commitment to Oklahoma on Dec. 19.
While it would first appear that Haughton's decision to stay with Sooners is going to be hard to break, verbal commitments are non-binding.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Jones just had to be patient
The frustration became palpable for Waco Midway LB Lenoy Jones. He had been on Baylor's campus numerous times waiting for the offer to come. But it never did.
And while he committed to Houston back in the spring, Jones never gave up hope that Baylor would finally reach out to him and offer. On Thursday, it all came together fast. Bennett and LB coach Jim Gush arrived at the Midway campus with an offer. Within an hour, Jones switched his commitment to Baylor and became the 14th member of the 2015 class. Jones will take his official visit next weekend.
"I talked with coach Bennett a couple of weeks ago and told him that if they offered, I would commit to them on the spot,'' Jones said. "It was frustrating but [Waco Midway coach Terry Gambill] just told me to be patient. All I could do was pray and keep working. I was blessed it worked out.''
The early thinking is that Jones would be molded in the spot vacated by Bryce Hager. Jones (6-0, 215) said he understood that Baylor was looking at Cedar Hill's Richard Moore and Mesquite Poteet's Malik Jefferson. But he said that he believed that he grew as a player the fall.
"I just wanted to be one of the leaders of the defense and be faster,'' he said. "I knew who the other guys were. But the big thing for me is that I was going to play more physical.''
He helped the Panthers finish 12-1 before they lost to Spring in the Region II semifinals. He also forced turnovers with three fumbles. But the pipeline between Baylor and Midway is alive and well.
"You look at what Ahmad Dixon and Orion Stewart have done there and you can see what it means,'' Jones said. "It's hard to leave home. Plus, Baylor has a great program. There other programs like Texas and Texas A&M, but Baylor's record speaks for itself.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Notables
>Baylor head coach Art Briles' visit to Hope (AR) and visit 2016 defensive end McTelvin Agim could have been the move that put the Bears in a really good position with the Rivals No. 82 prospect.
"It was good,'' Agim said. "First time the 'Big Man' has been to see me. It definitely meant something to me. I like Baylor, and we're building a good relationship.''
And if there was any hesitancy or reluctance to travel to the Jan. 31 junior day in Waco, Agim's apparently not feeling it. All he needs is secure his transportation, and he should be ready to go.''
>The tone of Silsbee 2016 offensive line commit Patrick Hudson's commitment took on another tone when Hudson admitted a couple of weeks ago he would be interested in looking around. He's been committed to Baylor for the past six months after de-committing from Texas A&M.
Hudson met with Baylor offensive line coach Randy Clements. Hudson said the conversation never turned to him looking around.
"We had a good conversation,'' Hudson said. "But I never brought it up and he never asked. But I'm still committed to Baylor.''
>Baylor's interest in Richmond Travis' Eric Ogor appears to remain. But how much Baylor is going to push is another story. Ogor said Thursday Bennett and possibly LB coach Jim Gush and DL coach Chris Achuff will be visiting him on Friday.
Ogor said the coaches have told him that they are looking at him for their Bear linebacker position. What should be interesting is how the visit transpires. Ogor said he has an official visit set for next week. But with Lenoy Jones committing and Baylor offering Paris' Jordan Williams being offered and taking his official visit next week as well, time will tell if Ogor is the odd man out.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Williams finally gets his offer
Now, Mike Williams has a reason to consider Baylor.
Camp visits to the Baylor campus in 2013 and 2014 along with a series of dialogues with Baylor coach Jeff Lebby gave the Fort Worth All Saints 2016 defensive tackle every reason to believe that he was going to be offered.
The hour glass, though, continued to drain sand. Yet the time counting mechanism finally tipped over on Thursday when Lebby offered Williams (6-2, 290) and invited him to the Jan. 31 Junior Day.
"I've been waiting for this one for a long time,'' Williams said. "I remember when they saw me at camp they kept pointing out what I was doing well and that they liked my film. They thought my technical side of my game was really good in the way I used my hips, hands and feet and how quickly I can turn my hips.
"They told me for a while they were close to offering but they were taking their time on the defensive tackles. I'm just glad it happened.''
Williams played through pain during All Saints' season. He tore the labrum in his right shoulder in the third game of the season against Dallas Greenhill. But Williams waited until the end of the SPC season to have his shoulder surgery. He said it was successful and that he should be cleared for non-contact spring football (The Southwestern Preparatory Conference has non-contract spring football) in May.
For now, he's working with light weights so he can regain his range of motion. Already holding 16 offers, Williams said he believes Missouri and Stanford could be very close to offering. He said he does have a Top 5 or Top 10.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Bullish on Bullock
Round Rock 2016 cornerback Brian Bullock is just starting to find the pulse of his recruiting take a step forward.
He has an offer from Texas State and has been invited to Boise State's junior day later this year. His relationship with the Baylor coaches is in the early stages. Bullock has been talking with Jeff Lebby. Bullock came to Waco for the TCU game on Oct. 11. He hopes it can reach another level.
"When I was talking with coach Lebby, he said the things they look for are grades and being model citizens,'' Bullock said. "I've talked with [former Pflugerville Hendrickson product] Chance Waz who said he's learned a lot.''
Bullock (6-0, 180) enjoyed a pretty solid season in 2014. He had two interceptions, 45 tackles and five pass breakups. What he has going to him is unwillingness to be satisfied with what he has accomplished.
What he did focus on and what he will continue to focus on how he has to start at the top when it comes to playing his position. That begins with his eyes, then his feet and then using his hands - in that order.
"I could see where my form was wrong when I was starting with my hands first,'' Bullock said. "But I'm watching myself and trying to correct it.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Kelley's growth
Pflugerville 2016 safety Louis Kelley (6-1, 190) appears to be one of those recruits where when you see him, then you know what you have.
Well, maybe you don't. Kelley spent half of the 2014 season playing out of position. The emerging prospect went from safety to outside linebacker because of injuries during the season. But that turned out to be a pretty smooth move.
"I think it helped me player there because I could see the offense better and learn how to shed the blocking,'' Kelley said. "I just like being physical and letting that part of the game really show itself.''
Kelley said he has been invited to junior days at Oklahoma State and Colorado State. He started developing a rapport with former Baylor safeties coach Brian Norwood. But there's every reason to believe the Bears' coaching staff will stay in contact. Kelley came up for the 2014 and McLane Stadium opener against SMU over Labor Day weekend.
Things can change but it appears Kelley's future will be playing strong safety.
"If I have to cover I will,'' Kelley said. "But I like playing up closer on the line and being a run stopper.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
All-Star game warmup
With the NFL underclassman draft declaration deadline now in the past - as you know DE Shawn Oakman and OT Spencer Drango are returning for the 2015 season - the focus now shifts to the all-star games.
It starts this weekend with 90th annual East-West Shrine game Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fl. Two-time All-Big 12 linebacker Bryce Hager will be playing the West defensive squad. That game kicks off at 3:00 p.m. on the NFL Network.
Baylor does not have anyone playing in the NFLPA bowl which is also Saturday being played at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA. QB Bryce Petty and WR Antwan Goodley will be in the senior bowl Jan. 24 in Mobile, Al.
-SicEmSports
Has the ship sailed on Wesley Harris?
Do you even remember that name? Harris was the other half of the dynamic QB-WR duo at Fort Worth Southwest, joining prized recruit Robbie Rhodes, who of course has since transferred to Bowling Green because of off-field issues.
Harris signed at Baylor with Rhodes in 2013 but didn't make it in. He kind of spent the next year in limbo before heading to Trinity Valley, where he just finished his freshman year playing cornerback. I asked him if he talks to Baylor much. In short, not enough.
Harris said he still dreams of "playing cornerback for Baylor," but he's realistic and will be open to other schools. He'll play one more year at Trinity Valley and could enroll next spring. If that's at Baylor, it looks like the Baylor staff will have to chance its mind on him.
-Jake Shaw
P5 Autonomy Meeting Set for Saturday
A group of 80 voting members from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC will meet formally in two meetings on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the NCAA Convention to begin a new era of autonomy aimed at protecting and improving the college experience for student-athletes.
This is the first autonomy meeting and it follows a decision by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to grant self-governing prerogatives to the member institutions of these five conferences.
The sessions include representatives from each of the 65 member institutions of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC conferences and 15 student-athlete representatives discussing and voting on a series of proposals designed to improve the student-athlete experience on campus.
The autonomy session agenda features eight proposals and one resolution aimed at creating the optimal student-athlete experience in a fully integrated collegiate model in which athletics and academics are appropriately balanced. The proposals focus on the issues of cost of attendance, loss-of-value insurance, scholarship renewal, and concussion safety.
The commissioners of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC commented on the significance of the sessions: "This week represents a new chapter in our focus to help student-athletes learn, grow, and succeed. College sports are an American tradition, and we intend to provide these student-athletes with an enhanced level of support."
About the Autonomy Session
The autonomy proposals will be discussed in a Discussion Forum on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. ET, followed by voting during a Business Session from 4-6 p.m. The chair of the group will be President Nathan Hatch of Wake Forest University.
Proposals can be approved by one of the following methods:
· 60 percent of all votes (48 votes) and a simple majority support from schools in three of the five conferences, or;
· A majority of all votes (at least 41) and simple majority support from the schools in four of the five conferences.
In addition to representatives from the 65 universities, 15 student-athletes will give a voice for the tens of thousands of current student-athletes in the five conferences. The inaugural class of student-athletes in the new autonomy process includes:
Name Institution Sport
Patrick Andrews Clemson Baseball
Kaila Barber Notre Dame Track and Field
Ty Darlington Oklahoma Football
Diamond DeShields Tennessee Women's Basketball
Ben-Marvin Egel Purdue Men's Golf
McKenzie Fechter Washington Women's Gymnastics
Chris Hawthorne Minnesota Football
Jay Hughes Mississippi State Football
Taylor James California Women's Rowing
Anthony Lyons, Jr. Texas Tech Baseball
Nandi Mehta Northwestern Women's Soccer
Kene Orjioke UCLA Football
Artie Rowell Pittsburgh Football
-Big 12 Conference
This post was edited on 1/23 10:56 AM by K Lonnquist
