NOTE I: The Baylor Blitz will resume its normal Friday appearance on Jan. 9
NOTE II: Baylor should see the arrival of their four mid-semester enrollees starting Thursday. That would be Stephenville QB Jarrett Stidham, Gilmer athlete Blake Lynch, City College of San Francisco offensive tackle Dominic Desouza and grayshirt offensive lineman Devonte Jones. The spring semester begins on Jan. 12.
Hudson's status
A lot of talk has floated around Silsbee 2016 offensive lineman Patrick Hudson and the strength of his commitment to Baylor.
Hudson acknowledged that he is willing to look at other schools but said Friday that he remains committed to Baylor. He talked with the Baylor coaching staff after the Cotton Bowl.
"I'm not sure yet [what other schools] I will look at,'' Hudson said. "I'm sticking with Baylor.''
Of course, the Rivals No. 26 prospect changed his commitment from Texas A&M to Baylor at Baylor's final camp on July 18. But it's pretty well known that the Aggies have not given up on this effort and continue to pursue Hudson (6-5, 330). With a player as highly sought after as Hudson, the Baylor coaching staff has known well that it was going to have to stay in close contact with Hudson.
Hudson said he has received his invite to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31 and that he plans on attending. Expect a visit to Silsbee later this month when the dead period ends on Jan. 14.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Drango thankful
While the 2014 season didn't end the way Baylor wanted, it did end with the knowledge that junior left tackle Spencer Drango was returning. Drango announced his intensions on Tuesday.
He is arguably the most decorated lineman in Baylor history being named as a first-team All American in 10 publications, named a second-team All American selection in three others, an All-Big 12 first-team selection by league coaches and seven other publications and was co-offensive lineman of the year by the conference.
"I didn't expect that kind of attention, but it's very humbling,'' Drango said. "But really, it didn't matter. I just wanted to be healthy and play at a high level.''
Drango protected Bryce Petty's blind side and played a key role in Baylor averaging more than 581.5 yards of total offense for the season, best in the country. As for the draft, Drango said there was enough feedback from the NFL that led him that his draft status may not have gone as high as he would have hoped.
Drango missed spring football because he was still rehabbing from the back surgery he had in November 2013. He was cleared after spring.
"Really, when fall camp began, I felt great,'' he said. "It was nice to go through the season 100 percent.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Billings just beginning
The progression for sophomore defensive tackle Andrew Billings is right about where both he and Baylor head coach Art Briles thought it would be.
One of the strongest men in college football, Billings said the one thing he felt he improved on the most was in his pass coverage. And that leads us to the play of the year where was in pass coverage and managed to chase down Kansas running back Corey Avery from behind during Baylor's 60-14 win on Nov. 1 against Kansas.
"Well, I saw [Avery] go out and saw him catch it,'' Billings said. "Our cornerbacks were playing up, so when I saw him catch it, I thought, 'Well, there's nobody but me, so I better go get him.' And Billings did so. Most nose tackles aren't going to be known for their tackle numbers. Billings had 37 total. But he did have 11.5 tackles for loss and nine QB hurries. Those numbers will tell you how he can influence a game. And if he continues to progress, maybe he will have to make a decision following the 2015 season about the NFL draft.
"That really shows what separates him from other people because he is different,'' Baylor coach Art Briles said. "He is a different guy. When you possess that kind of speed, strength, and really the mental toughness that he brings to the table, it's hard to equal. He'll continue to make dynamic plays at that defensive tackle position. And I think he's a bona fide first‑round draft pick in two years.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
When healthy, Coleman erupted
He pulled (some say tore) his right hamstring in August and missed all of Baylor's non-conference schedule.
But when sophomore wide receiver Corey Coleman returned to the lineup on Sept. 27 agaisnt Iowa State, there was still a little hesitation about his explosiveness. That ended on his first catch. Although it went for six yards, it was the most important reception of his season.
"After that catch, it was fine,'' Coleman said. "I never thought about it again. I knew I was back.''
Coleman finished the 2014 season with 1,119 yards and 11 TDs. Those and his 64 receptions led all Baylor receivers. He was a Rivals 250 recruit when he signed in 2012. It could be said that his arrival paved the way for the likes of KD Cannon and Davion Hall to come to Baylor.
"Guys like Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood have shown me the ropes and what it takes to be a leader. They've been great leaders,'' Coleman said. "I came to Baylor because I knew all of the coaches were great and would give me the best opportunity to succeed. I just want to help other guys.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Catching up with Baylor MBB
The bowl season -- and Baylor's ugly departure from it -- took the spotlight off the men's basketball team, but Saturday's Big 12 opener served as a reminder that it's now time to focus on the hardwood.
It's not a surprise that Baylor (11-2/0-1) fell 73-63 at Oklahoma to begin conference play. OU (10-4/1-0) entered the game ranked 18th, having survived a very strong non-conference schedule (wins over UCLA, Butler and Missouri, with losses to top 25 Wisconsin and Washington), and Baylor was given about a 33 percent chance of winning by stat-site galore Kenpom.com. It was a surprise that Baylor led much of the first half, and was only down single-digits almost the entire second half, despite horrible games from its only seniors, Kenny Chery and Royce O'Neale.
Both scored four, Chery's season low and one more than O'Neale's worst showing of the season. Had they played to their averages -- 10.1 and 8.8 for O'Neale and Chery, respectively -- Baylor might've snuck out with a win. Instead, their off games sunk the great games from Johnathan Motley (24 points, 4 rebounds) and Taurean Prince (17 points, 2 rebounds).
Now Baylor must rebound Wednesday night in Waco against perennial champ Kansas (10-2), which plays UNLV today before opening Big 12 play at Baylor. Kansas is vulnerable this year, having lost to No. 1 Kentucky and a stunning 25-point loss at Temple. Next up is a road trip to an improved TCU (on Saturday), which lost its Big 12 opener to WVU, which was playing without leading scorer Juwan Staten. TCU (13-1/0-1) is improved, but to make the NCAA tourney, it's a must-win for Baylor.
Baylor then hosts Iowa State (10-2), the highest-ranked Big 12 team currently, before going to struggling Kansas State (7-7/0-1). What follows is basically a bye -- hosting Hardin-Simmons -- before 13 consecutive Big 12 games to close the regular season.
To make the NCAA tournament, a 9-9 conference record would probably do the trick. Baylor's ranked 22nd after its non-conference slate, so it's reasonable to think going .500 in the nation's toughest conference, according to RPI, would be enough to make the postseason.
To do that, Baylor probably needs to win 6-7 games at home and 2-3 on the road. Again, that's a reasonable expectation. Any wins above 9 would only help the seeding, especially if you could sprinkle in wins against a Kansas or Texas or Iowa State. And, to be frank -- at least right now -- there doesn't seem to be a potential bad loss in Big 12 play. TCU, the doormat the last two years, was undefeated before falling to WVU, and Texas Tech at 10-4 has played above expectation levels too.
Wednesday isn't a must-win considering the time of season and the competition, but is a big chance for Baylor to make a statement. This team has definite tourney potential, and we'll start to see just how much now that Big 12 play has begun.
-Jake Shaw
Temperature check
Just keeping you up to date on some of the current Baylor commits and their status. Of course, this is the time of year where the bizarre happens.
I didn't reach everybody, but you already know from the top note that those four recruits are in good shape. South Grand Prairie athlete Tony Nicholson and Fort Bend Ridge Point DB Jordan Tolbert said they remain very solid with Baylor.
Longview RB JaMycal Hasty is in California for the Semper Fi All-American Bowl. There was a report on our board that Oklahoma State was making a push since it lost Ronald Jones II. However, Hasty has been pretty tight with the Bears ever since he committed in the spring and reaffirmed that late Saturday.
"I'm a Bear!'' he said.
Houston Lamar Ath J.W. Ketchum could not be reached for comment as he was traveling back from his all-star game. However, there has been nothing to suggest he is wavering.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Junior Day update
Baylor 2016 commits, Port Arthur Memorial RB Kameron Martin, Kountze athlete Grayland Arnold, Grandview QB Zach Smith, Navasota WR Tren'Davian Dickson and Hudson are expected to come on Jan. 31 to the Baylor campus.
Meanwhile Plano Prestonwood LB Deonte Williams and DeMatha Catholic (MD) offensive lineman J.P. Urquidez said they have received their invites and plan to attend. Obviously, Urquidez has some traveling to do from Maryland, but he said he plans to make the effort to get to Waco.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>Whether or not he felt he was going to get a fair shot at quarterback is another matter, but we know for a fact that Baylor had told Temple QB Chad President that he could be viewed at wide receiver. That was before Jarrett Stidham.
>As we said if Dallas Skyline LB Anthony Wheeler had announced he was committing to Baylor, that would have been news to everybody. Wheeler really didn't have much communication with the staff for the last several months. That's something we reported before. Wheeler committed to Texas on Friday.
>Everything still points to Houston Lamar DB Holton Hill taking his official visit to Baylor on Jan. 23. That's the weekend the Baylor 2015 class is coming in. Now, we also had reported that might be the same weekend Gilmer DB Kris Boyd takes an official to Baylor. On Saturday, Boyd told Orangebloods he did not have an official visit date set up for Austin.
>Baylor AD Ian McCaw said construction of the $6 million Beauchamp Athletics Nutrition Center remains on track and is on schedule for completion for the end of August.
-SicEmSports
NOTE II: Baylor should see the arrival of their four mid-semester enrollees starting Thursday. That would be Stephenville QB Jarrett Stidham, Gilmer athlete Blake Lynch, City College of San Francisco offensive tackle Dominic Desouza and grayshirt offensive lineman Devonte Jones. The spring semester begins on Jan. 12.
Hudson's status
A lot of talk has floated around Silsbee 2016 offensive lineman Patrick Hudson and the strength of his commitment to Baylor.
Hudson acknowledged that he is willing to look at other schools but said Friday that he remains committed to Baylor. He talked with the Baylor coaching staff after the Cotton Bowl.
"I'm not sure yet [what other schools] I will look at,'' Hudson said. "I'm sticking with Baylor.''
Of course, the Rivals No. 26 prospect changed his commitment from Texas A&M to Baylor at Baylor's final camp on July 18. But it's pretty well known that the Aggies have not given up on this effort and continue to pursue Hudson (6-5, 330). With a player as highly sought after as Hudson, the Baylor coaching staff has known well that it was going to have to stay in close contact with Hudson.
Hudson said he has received his invite to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31 and that he plans on attending. Expect a visit to Silsbee later this month when the dead period ends on Jan. 14.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Drango thankful
While the 2014 season didn't end the way Baylor wanted, it did end with the knowledge that junior left tackle Spencer Drango was returning. Drango announced his intensions on Tuesday.
He is arguably the most decorated lineman in Baylor history being named as a first-team All American in 10 publications, named a second-team All American selection in three others, an All-Big 12 first-team selection by league coaches and seven other publications and was co-offensive lineman of the year by the conference.
"I didn't expect that kind of attention, but it's very humbling,'' Drango said. "But really, it didn't matter. I just wanted to be healthy and play at a high level.''
Drango protected Bryce Petty's blind side and played a key role in Baylor averaging more than 581.5 yards of total offense for the season, best in the country. As for the draft, Drango said there was enough feedback from the NFL that led him that his draft status may not have gone as high as he would have hoped.
Drango missed spring football because he was still rehabbing from the back surgery he had in November 2013. He was cleared after spring.
"Really, when fall camp began, I felt great,'' he said. "It was nice to go through the season 100 percent.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Billings just beginning
The progression for sophomore defensive tackle Andrew Billings is right about where both he and Baylor head coach Art Briles thought it would be.
One of the strongest men in college football, Billings said the one thing he felt he improved on the most was in his pass coverage. And that leads us to the play of the year where was in pass coverage and managed to chase down Kansas running back Corey Avery from behind during Baylor's 60-14 win on Nov. 1 against Kansas.
"Well, I saw [Avery] go out and saw him catch it,'' Billings said. "Our cornerbacks were playing up, so when I saw him catch it, I thought, 'Well, there's nobody but me, so I better go get him.' And Billings did so. Most nose tackles aren't going to be known for their tackle numbers. Billings had 37 total. But he did have 11.5 tackles for loss and nine QB hurries. Those numbers will tell you how he can influence a game. And if he continues to progress, maybe he will have to make a decision following the 2015 season about the NFL draft.
"That really shows what separates him from other people because he is different,'' Baylor coach Art Briles said. "He is a different guy. When you possess that kind of speed, strength, and really the mental toughness that he brings to the table, it's hard to equal. He'll continue to make dynamic plays at that defensive tackle position. And I think he's a bona fide first‑round draft pick in two years.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
When healthy, Coleman erupted
He pulled (some say tore) his right hamstring in August and missed all of Baylor's non-conference schedule.
But when sophomore wide receiver Corey Coleman returned to the lineup on Sept. 27 agaisnt Iowa State, there was still a little hesitation about his explosiveness. That ended on his first catch. Although it went for six yards, it was the most important reception of his season.
"After that catch, it was fine,'' Coleman said. "I never thought about it again. I knew I was back.''
Coleman finished the 2014 season with 1,119 yards and 11 TDs. Those and his 64 receptions led all Baylor receivers. He was a Rivals 250 recruit when he signed in 2012. It could be said that his arrival paved the way for the likes of KD Cannon and Davion Hall to come to Baylor.
"Guys like Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood have shown me the ropes and what it takes to be a leader. They've been great leaders,'' Coleman said. "I came to Baylor because I knew all of the coaches were great and would give me the best opportunity to succeed. I just want to help other guys.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Catching up with Baylor MBB
The bowl season -- and Baylor's ugly departure from it -- took the spotlight off the men's basketball team, but Saturday's Big 12 opener served as a reminder that it's now time to focus on the hardwood.
It's not a surprise that Baylor (11-2/0-1) fell 73-63 at Oklahoma to begin conference play. OU (10-4/1-0) entered the game ranked 18th, having survived a very strong non-conference schedule (wins over UCLA, Butler and Missouri, with losses to top 25 Wisconsin and Washington), and Baylor was given about a 33 percent chance of winning by stat-site galore Kenpom.com. It was a surprise that Baylor led much of the first half, and was only down single-digits almost the entire second half, despite horrible games from its only seniors, Kenny Chery and Royce O'Neale.
Both scored four, Chery's season low and one more than O'Neale's worst showing of the season. Had they played to their averages -- 10.1 and 8.8 for O'Neale and Chery, respectively -- Baylor might've snuck out with a win. Instead, their off games sunk the great games from Johnathan Motley (24 points, 4 rebounds) and Taurean Prince (17 points, 2 rebounds).
Now Baylor must rebound Wednesday night in Waco against perennial champ Kansas (10-2), which plays UNLV today before opening Big 12 play at Baylor. Kansas is vulnerable this year, having lost to No. 1 Kentucky and a stunning 25-point loss at Temple. Next up is a road trip to an improved TCU (on Saturday), which lost its Big 12 opener to WVU, which was playing without leading scorer Juwan Staten. TCU (13-1/0-1) is improved, but to make the NCAA tourney, it's a must-win for Baylor.
Baylor then hosts Iowa State (10-2), the highest-ranked Big 12 team currently, before going to struggling Kansas State (7-7/0-1). What follows is basically a bye -- hosting Hardin-Simmons -- before 13 consecutive Big 12 games to close the regular season.
To make the NCAA tournament, a 9-9 conference record would probably do the trick. Baylor's ranked 22nd after its non-conference slate, so it's reasonable to think going .500 in the nation's toughest conference, according to RPI, would be enough to make the postseason.
To do that, Baylor probably needs to win 6-7 games at home and 2-3 on the road. Again, that's a reasonable expectation. Any wins above 9 would only help the seeding, especially if you could sprinkle in wins against a Kansas or Texas or Iowa State. And, to be frank -- at least right now -- there doesn't seem to be a potential bad loss in Big 12 play. TCU, the doormat the last two years, was undefeated before falling to WVU, and Texas Tech at 10-4 has played above expectation levels too.
Wednesday isn't a must-win considering the time of season and the competition, but is a big chance for Baylor to make a statement. This team has definite tourney potential, and we'll start to see just how much now that Big 12 play has begun.
-Jake Shaw
Temperature check
Just keeping you up to date on some of the current Baylor commits and their status. Of course, this is the time of year where the bizarre happens.
I didn't reach everybody, but you already know from the top note that those four recruits are in good shape. South Grand Prairie athlete Tony Nicholson and Fort Bend Ridge Point DB Jordan Tolbert said they remain very solid with Baylor.
Longview RB JaMycal Hasty is in California for the Semper Fi All-American Bowl. There was a report on our board that Oklahoma State was making a push since it lost Ronald Jones II. However, Hasty has been pretty tight with the Bears ever since he committed in the spring and reaffirmed that late Saturday.
"I'm a Bear!'' he said.
Houston Lamar Ath J.W. Ketchum could not be reached for comment as he was traveling back from his all-star game. However, there has been nothing to suggest he is wavering.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Junior Day update
Baylor 2016 commits, Port Arthur Memorial RB Kameron Martin, Kountze athlete Grayland Arnold, Grandview QB Zach Smith, Navasota WR Tren'Davian Dickson and Hudson are expected to come on Jan. 31 to the Baylor campus.
Meanwhile Plano Prestonwood LB Deonte Williams and DeMatha Catholic (MD) offensive lineman J.P. Urquidez said they have received their invites and plan to attend. Obviously, Urquidez has some traveling to do from Maryland, but he said he plans to make the effort to get to Waco.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>Whether or not he felt he was going to get a fair shot at quarterback is another matter, but we know for a fact that Baylor had told Temple QB Chad President that he could be viewed at wide receiver. That was before Jarrett Stidham.
>As we said if Dallas Skyline LB Anthony Wheeler had announced he was committing to Baylor, that would have been news to everybody. Wheeler really didn't have much communication with the staff for the last several months. That's something we reported before. Wheeler committed to Texas on Friday.
>Everything still points to Houston Lamar DB Holton Hill taking his official visit to Baylor on Jan. 23. That's the weekend the Baylor 2015 class is coming in. Now, we also had reported that might be the same weekend Gilmer DB Kris Boyd takes an official to Baylor. On Saturday, Boyd told Orangebloods he did not have an official visit date set up for Austin.
>Baylor AD Ian McCaw said construction of the $6 million Beauchamp Athletics Nutrition Center remains on track and is on schedule for completion for the end of August.
-SicEmSports
