By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
One final thought from West Orange-Stark defensive end Carmello Jones who committed to Baylor earlier this week. This was final reaction to me on just committing: “It means a lot, and I feel that I made the right decision.”
Brown and Baylor reunite
When James Blanchard returned to Baylor as the assistant athletic director in charge of recruiting, it was almost as if he picked up where he left off with some relationships.
One of those was Texarkana Texas High 2022 linebacker Derrick Brown. Brown actually attended Baylor’s last on-campus event, the March 1, 2020 Junior Day. He wasn’t offered then. But he was earlier this week.
“I started talking to [Associate Head Coach] Joey McGuire and Blanchard,’’ Brown said. “They like me at both outside linebacker and defensive end. I never give up. I can play multiple positions. I’m never satisfied by a little.”
Of course, recruiting has changed. Baylor can’t have any face-to-face contact with recruits. Yet the relationships have to be developed differently. However, Baylor can draw upon some of that experience from 2020.
Brown put together a solid season with 67 tackles, 20 for loss, six sacks, forced three fumbles and defended two passes. He also was a ball hawk with two fumble recoveries and an INT. And indeed he did split time between defensive end and outside linebacker. That was because Texas High would rotate between a 3-4 and 4-3 loss. Interchangeable players like Brown can do that. The Tigers finished 11-1 and eventually lost to eventually Class 5A Division II state finalist Crosby in the area round.
“I was mostly standing up than having a hand on the ground,’’ Brown said. “I love coach McGuire and Blanchard. He’s my guy. And the great thing is that they seem like a lot of my coaches at Texas High.’’
His offer list is continuing to fill. Oklahoma, Minnesota and more recently TCU have joined the group. Others include Penn State, Oklahoma State and SMU.
But does Baylor have an edge over the others?
”We’re just going to have to wait and see,’’ Brown said.
A 3-star prospect with a 5.3 rating, Brown is the No. 59 rated player in Texas by Rivals.
Baylor in Biloxi
It may be just a matter of time before Biloxi (MS) 2022 defensive end RJ Moss starts to see his recruiting blow up.
But Baylor’s part, the out of town programs have to start early when it comes to making an impression and maintaining that head start.
Earlier in the week, the Bears offered Moss. They are the second program to do so. However, they are among the first P5 programs to do so. Home state schools Ole Miss and Mississippi State have already offered. Arkansas, Memphis and Southern Miss have also offered.
“I don’t know a lot about Baylor yet,’’ Moss said. “But I know I want to find out. I’ve been in contact with [defensive line coach] Dennis Johnson. It’s been about a week now. And he’s a great coach to talk to. Him being from Mississippi, we have some things in common.’’
A physical presence at the line of scrimmage, Moss is considered strong at the point of attack and a solid run stopper. He continues to be a threat as a pass rusher and understands that if he’s not going to get to the quarterback, he must get his hands up in order to deflect pass.
However, there are some little things to work on including keeping his hands active with his opposing block and working on the first step on the snap.
In Biloxi’s 6-4 2020 season, Moss finished with 40 tackles including nine for loss along with 11 QB hurries and five sacks. That kind of activity gets noticed.
“Coach Johnson didn’t get into anything too specific with me just yet,’’ Moss said. “But he said he liked how I balled out and that I was a good player. It’s good to hear that. But I know [during the recruiting process] I have to stay humble and not let things get to my head.’’
For any out of state recruit, he has to do his work because the potential of leaving home to play college football is a major decision. There’s time for Moss to do that.
I want to learn how the students and athletes feel about the school and jus more about the team,’’ Moss said.
At this time, Moss is unrated by Rivals as well as his Mississippi state ranking.
GPNS 2022 DE talks Baylor
For Galena Park North Shore defensive end Kristopher Ross, his connection with Baylor isn’t your normal, “Cool I got an offer” type of reaction.
“Actually, I’m really excited about it,’’ Ross said. “I’m talking to a couple of the coaches. But the main ones are Coach Blanchard and [Head Coach] Dave Aranda.’’
Of course, North Shore is one of the premiere program in all of Texas High School football coming off of Class 6A D1 titles in 2018 and 2019 and playing in the 2020 state semifinals.
A mountain of a young man, Ross is 6-4, 265 and was one of the defensive reasons the Mustangs continue to put together strong campaigns.
And he appears to have the kind of movement that Aranda wants from his defensive ends. It’s one thing to come off the edge. It’s another to get to the sideline to try and cut off the perimeter if plays are flowing that way.
“They said they like how I use my hands and how I’m a sideline to sideline player and how I get movement on the line of scrimmage.’’ Ross said. “Honestly, I feel like I’m very disruptive in the back field in the pass and run game.’’
Ross’ recruiting is just getting started. He only has offers from Louisiana Tech, SMU and UTSA. He isn’t aware of any incoming offers. However, that could be just a matter of time.
“I’m liking the vibe there,’’ he said. “Cool coaches and I can’t tell they want what’s best for me .”
A 3-star prospect with a 5.7 rating, Ross is the No. 51 player rated in Texas by Rivals.
BB: 5-star Guard Updates recruiting, Baylor
Keyonte George jumped to No. 6 overall in the latest 2022 Rivals150 earlier this week and is now ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the class. And likewise, the 6-foot-5 Texas native has become one of the most highly recruited prospects in the class.
George’s offer list now includes schools such as Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and many more. Kentucky has also started to recruit him as well since hiring Jai Lucas as an assistant coach a few months ago.
In his own words
Arizona: “I don’t know too much about them, but JT (assistant coach Jason Terry) tells me they are working hard to get better every day. He was with Drive Nation coaching the girls side last summer, so he was around a lot and I would work with him a little bit. He would give me advice and help me with my game. He thinks I have a bright future.”
Baylor: “I like coach (Scott) Drew a lot. He had a great conversation with me and my family when I went down there. It’s just really good vibes down on their campus.”
Kansas: “It’s a winning program as well. They’ve been winning for a while now. Coach (Bill) Self is a great coach, cares about his players and coaches them hard. He holds you accountable, no matter who you are or where you come from.”
Kentucky: “It’s a great winning program. They aren’t doing so well right now, but they are starting to get better. I had a great relationship with (assistant coach) Jai Lucas when he was at Texas, so we keep in touch. I haven’t talked to coach (John) Calipari yet. I’ve talked to some guys who went there like Tyrese Maxey and he said you have to be basketball-crazy to go there. He’s going to coach you hard.”
Texas: “When I went down there, you could tell coach (Shaka) Smart cares about his players. He’s going to get the best out of you. He’s going to push you to be great. I just love how he cares about his players. They are doing great this year. It’s cool to see them doing so well.”
Texas Tech: “It’s a winning program. Coach (Chris) Beard, he’s intense on the court. He’s always locked in. On my visit there, the fans are really into it. It’s the only thing in Lubbock, so everyone loves the sports there.”
RIVALS’ REACTION
George says he’s in no rush to make a college decision. His current plan is to finish up his high school season, play out the travel season through July, and then start moving toward a decision prior to his senior season. Ideally, he’ll be able to get out and visit schools in the near future when the NCAA ends the extended dead period.
Keep an eye on the possibility of an offer coming in from Kentucky. George built a strong relationship with Lucas and it could be enough to pull him to Big Blue Nation.
However, all the other schools he discussed have done a great job so far as well. He loves the passion of the Texas Tech fan base. He loves the way Smart treats his players. The culture at Baylor has his attention. The winning tradition at Kansas appeals to him. And his relationship with Terry will keep Arizona in play.
-Dan McDonald, Rivals Basketball Recruiting Analyst
Publisher
The Topper
One final thought from West Orange-Stark defensive end Carmello Jones who committed to Baylor earlier this week. This was final reaction to me on just committing: “It means a lot, and I feel that I made the right decision.”
Brown and Baylor reunite
When James Blanchard returned to Baylor as the assistant athletic director in charge of recruiting, it was almost as if he picked up where he left off with some relationships.
One of those was Texarkana Texas High 2022 linebacker Derrick Brown. Brown actually attended Baylor’s last on-campus event, the March 1, 2020 Junior Day. He wasn’t offered then. But he was earlier this week.
“I started talking to [Associate Head Coach] Joey McGuire and Blanchard,’’ Brown said. “They like me at both outside linebacker and defensive end. I never give up. I can play multiple positions. I’m never satisfied by a little.”
Of course, recruiting has changed. Baylor can’t have any face-to-face contact with recruits. Yet the relationships have to be developed differently. However, Baylor can draw upon some of that experience from 2020.
Brown put together a solid season with 67 tackles, 20 for loss, six sacks, forced three fumbles and defended two passes. He also was a ball hawk with two fumble recoveries and an INT. And indeed he did split time between defensive end and outside linebacker. That was because Texas High would rotate between a 3-4 and 4-3 loss. Interchangeable players like Brown can do that. The Tigers finished 11-1 and eventually lost to eventually Class 5A Division II state finalist Crosby in the area round.
“I was mostly standing up than having a hand on the ground,’’ Brown said. “I love coach McGuire and Blanchard. He’s my guy. And the great thing is that they seem like a lot of my coaches at Texas High.’’
His offer list is continuing to fill. Oklahoma, Minnesota and more recently TCU have joined the group. Others include Penn State, Oklahoma State and SMU.
But does Baylor have an edge over the others?
”We’re just going to have to wait and see,’’ Brown said.
A 3-star prospect with a 5.3 rating, Brown is the No. 59 rated player in Texas by Rivals.
Baylor in Biloxi
It may be just a matter of time before Biloxi (MS) 2022 defensive end RJ Moss starts to see his recruiting blow up.
But Baylor’s part, the out of town programs have to start early when it comes to making an impression and maintaining that head start.
Earlier in the week, the Bears offered Moss. They are the second program to do so. However, they are among the first P5 programs to do so. Home state schools Ole Miss and Mississippi State have already offered. Arkansas, Memphis and Southern Miss have also offered.
“I don’t know a lot about Baylor yet,’’ Moss said. “But I know I want to find out. I’ve been in contact with [defensive line coach] Dennis Johnson. It’s been about a week now. And he’s a great coach to talk to. Him being from Mississippi, we have some things in common.’’
A physical presence at the line of scrimmage, Moss is considered strong at the point of attack and a solid run stopper. He continues to be a threat as a pass rusher and understands that if he’s not going to get to the quarterback, he must get his hands up in order to deflect pass.
However, there are some little things to work on including keeping his hands active with his opposing block and working on the first step on the snap.
In Biloxi’s 6-4 2020 season, Moss finished with 40 tackles including nine for loss along with 11 QB hurries and five sacks. That kind of activity gets noticed.
“Coach Johnson didn’t get into anything too specific with me just yet,’’ Moss said. “But he said he liked how I balled out and that I was a good player. It’s good to hear that. But I know [during the recruiting process] I have to stay humble and not let things get to my head.’’
For any out of state recruit, he has to do his work because the potential of leaving home to play college football is a major decision. There’s time for Moss to do that.
I want to learn how the students and athletes feel about the school and jus more about the team,’’ Moss said.
At this time, Moss is unrated by Rivals as well as his Mississippi state ranking.
GPNS 2022 DE talks Baylor
For Galena Park North Shore defensive end Kristopher Ross, his connection with Baylor isn’t your normal, “Cool I got an offer” type of reaction.
“Actually, I’m really excited about it,’’ Ross said. “I’m talking to a couple of the coaches. But the main ones are Coach Blanchard and [Head Coach] Dave Aranda.’’
Of course, North Shore is one of the premiere program in all of Texas High School football coming off of Class 6A D1 titles in 2018 and 2019 and playing in the 2020 state semifinals.
A mountain of a young man, Ross is 6-4, 265 and was one of the defensive reasons the Mustangs continue to put together strong campaigns.
And he appears to have the kind of movement that Aranda wants from his defensive ends. It’s one thing to come off the edge. It’s another to get to the sideline to try and cut off the perimeter if plays are flowing that way.
“They said they like how I use my hands and how I’m a sideline to sideline player and how I get movement on the line of scrimmage.’’ Ross said. “Honestly, I feel like I’m very disruptive in the back field in the pass and run game.’’
Ross’ recruiting is just getting started. He only has offers from Louisiana Tech, SMU and UTSA. He isn’t aware of any incoming offers. However, that could be just a matter of time.
“I’m liking the vibe there,’’ he said. “Cool coaches and I can’t tell they want what’s best for me .”
A 3-star prospect with a 5.7 rating, Ross is the No. 51 player rated in Texas by Rivals.
BB: 5-star Guard Updates recruiting, Baylor
Keyonte George jumped to No. 6 overall in the latest 2022 Rivals150 earlier this week and is now ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the class. And likewise, the 6-foot-5 Texas native has become one of the most highly recruited prospects in the class.
George’s offer list now includes schools such as Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and many more. Kentucky has also started to recruit him as well since hiring Jai Lucas as an assistant coach a few months ago.
In his own words
Arizona: “I don’t know too much about them, but JT (assistant coach Jason Terry) tells me they are working hard to get better every day. He was with Drive Nation coaching the girls side last summer, so he was around a lot and I would work with him a little bit. He would give me advice and help me with my game. He thinks I have a bright future.”
Baylor: “I like coach (Scott) Drew a lot. He had a great conversation with me and my family when I went down there. It’s just really good vibes down on their campus.”
Kansas: “It’s a winning program as well. They’ve been winning for a while now. Coach (Bill) Self is a great coach, cares about his players and coaches them hard. He holds you accountable, no matter who you are or where you come from.”
Kentucky: “It’s a great winning program. They aren’t doing so well right now, but they are starting to get better. I had a great relationship with (assistant coach) Jai Lucas when he was at Texas, so we keep in touch. I haven’t talked to coach (John) Calipari yet. I’ve talked to some guys who went there like Tyrese Maxey and he said you have to be basketball-crazy to go there. He’s going to coach you hard.”
Texas: “When I went down there, you could tell coach (Shaka) Smart cares about his players. He’s going to get the best out of you. He’s going to push you to be great. I just love how he cares about his players. They are doing great this year. It’s cool to see them doing so well.”
Texas Tech: “It’s a winning program. Coach (Chris) Beard, he’s intense on the court. He’s always locked in. On my visit there, the fans are really into it. It’s the only thing in Lubbock, so everyone loves the sports there.”
RIVALS’ REACTION
George says he’s in no rush to make a college decision. His current plan is to finish up his high school season, play out the travel season through July, and then start moving toward a decision prior to his senior season. Ideally, he’ll be able to get out and visit schools in the near future when the NCAA ends the extended dead period.
Keep an eye on the possibility of an offer coming in from Kentucky. George built a strong relationship with Lucas and it could be enough to pull him to Big Blue Nation.
However, all the other schools he discussed have done a great job so far as well. He loves the passion of the Texas Tech fan base. He loves the way Smart treats his players. The culture at Baylor has his attention. The winning tradition at Kansas appeals to him. And his relationship with Terry will keep Arizona in play.
-Dan McDonald, Rivals Basketball Recruiting Analyst
