By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>There’s been rumors of backup QB Kyron Drones looking to enter the NCAA transfer portal after the season. For now, that appears not to be the case. That could change. However, the QB position is very fluid throughout the game. If there was any movement, there would almost have to be a spot waiting for him before he officially did it. We’ll keep you posted.
>If Baylor is going to make a move with an offer for Austin LBJ LB Latreveon McCutchin, a decision could be in the near future. Baylor staff still evaluating everything at this point.
>Katy Mayde Creek and Rivals No. 158 Tay’Shawn Wilson missed most of the season with a dislocated kneecap. However, he is on the mend.
“It’s going pretty good,’’ Wilson said. “I’m back running and doing things like before.Just really getting stronger and working on areas that I didn’t before. I’ll be ready and running for our first track meet.”
Notable TCU Visitors
The early 11:00 a.m. kickoff doesn’t help. Contrary to last week’s result against Kansas State, those games don’t impact if a recruit plans to come. There are couple of commits like QB Austin Novosad who can’t come because of his playoff game. Subject to change, here are the recruits who have told SicEmSports they plan to attend the home finale against the Horned Frogs.
2023
DK Kalu, DT, Fort Bend Ridge Point (Baylor commit)
Micah Gifford, WR, Pflugerville Weiss (Baylor commit)
LeVar Thornton, Ath, Keller Timber Creek (Baylor commit)
Tay’Shawn Wilson, DB, Katy Mayde Creek (Baylor commit)
Bryson Washington, RB, Franklin (Baylor commit)
Trent Thomas, DT, Fort Bend Marshall (Baylor commit)
DJ Coleman, DB, Mesquite Horn (Baylor commit)
James Walley, Jr., LB, Fort Bend Ridge Point (UTSA commit)
Trey Laurence, LB, San Antonio Reagan (Baylor interest)
Isaiah Robinson, OL, Arlington Lamar (Baylor commit)
Caden Jenkins, DB, Lewisville, Baylor commit
Dawson Pendergrass, RB, Mineola, Baylor commit
2024
Walker White, QB, Little Rock Christian (Baylor interest); Rivals No. 171
Jadon Porter, WR, Lorena (Baylor commit)
Trey Owens, QB, Cy Fair (Baylor offer)
Selman Bridges, DB, Lake Belton (Baylor offer)
Ellis Davis, OL, Prosper (Baylor interest)
Ashton Bethel-Roman, WR, Fort Bend Ridge Point (Baylor interest)
Trever Ham, QB, Melissa (Baylor interest)
2025
Talan Holmes, WR, Haslet V.R. Eaton (Baylor interest/Gavin Holmes younger brother)
Adrian Wilson, WR, Pflugerville Weiss (Baylor offer)
Jalen Cooper, WR, Cibolo Steele (Baylor offer)
Jamison Kitna, QB, Burleson (Baylor interest)
Baylor Seniors talk TCU
Baylor linebacker Bryson Jackson and left tackle Connor Galvin met with the media to discuss playing their final game at McLane Stadium and facing archrival TCU.
Bryson Jackson
(Last game at McLane) Yes, a lot of emotion. It’s going to be a lot of memories here that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, just the teammates I’ve had throughout the times, and this year has been amazing being able to spend it with the guys. We’ve worked hard this week to prepare for the game. It’s going to mean everything.
(Responding to K-State loss) Just recognizing how great of an opportunity it is to go through adversity, and show how we can overcome it and come out on the better end. Putting the work in this week and showing everybody what we’re all about. It’s pretty exciting to be with the guys and I’m looking forward to Saturday morning. We’re going to face a talented team, but it should be a test for us to dig in deep and play freely and play for each other.
(Payback for last year) One thing is we want to respect our opponents. TCU is a great program this year and they’ve definitely put the work in. For us it’s a test. From what we’ve been through, I think it’s all built up to this moment to go out there, and what better chance than to face this opponent to go out there and show them and give it our best.
(Rivalry with TCU) Yeah it’s a rivalry but for our team we’ve been through it and we know where we’re at. For us, it’s just about showing and displaying what we’re truly about. We’ve had a lot of adversity this year. That part of us figuring out who we are we’ve missed out on, so it’s important that we show who we are and play to our standard, and show what Baylor football is really about.
(Defending TCU) They’ve hit on a lot of areas with the pass game. But for us, we want to win the turnover battle and stop the run. For us, it’s about executing in all areas, so it’s important that our defensive backs focus on coverage and that it’s on an elite level in preparation this week. Up front, we’ve got the guys to stop the run. It’s about us playing our technique and being intentional, and having an intentional focus on doing our assignment right each play.
(Max Duggan) I’ve had a chance to play against him pretty much every year that I’ve been here. He’s very talented. He was a stout runner earlier in his career and now he’s definitely developed into a passer. So you can see his game come together and now he’s more comfortable on the field. He’s more calm than he was before, so we’re going to have to be really keen on putting pressure in his face and stop those passes that are kind of easy to make. Stopping those and having our DBs stop the deep ball because of the receivers they have and the advantages they have on that end. Just getting pressure in his face and speeding his game up.
(TCU’s offense being different than K-State’s) Yes, a little bit different. K-State definitely slowed the game down. So, for us, it’s really about working back up to the tempo style and being able to stop both the run and pass. Last week, our focus was stopping 22 (Deuce Vaughn) and figuring out how to tackle him in the pocket and in the box. This week, you’ve got the explosive running backs and you’ve got explosive receivers and they have a really good O-line. So, we’ve got to hit all phases to make sure we can stop one end and stop the other at the same time. You don’t want to stop one end and open up the other end.
(What stands out on film about Quentin Johnston) Yeah, just talented guy, plays hard, plays physical. So, just being able to stop him off the line is going to be our whole deal and our focus.
(Couldn’t get off the field, couldn’t stop the run) Yeah, a lot of small intentional things that we missed out on. So, just being intentional with playing our gaps. So, just playing our gap, having gap control and being able to be physical up front. Last week was more of a challenge for us, because you’ve got to have your eyes in the right place and your feet have to be there. So, this week, we’ve got to learn from last week and have our eyes in the right place and be more patient.
(Motivation to hold them under 80 yards rushing) Like I said before, what a great opportunity. Last week, was one of our very disappointing experiences. But for us, it’s learning from that. Our guys in the room have learned and took that personal, because we’ve been known for our physicality up front, on both ends. So, having that happen last week was just an eye-opener for us to pretty much focus on getting our eyes in the right spot and playing our keys and being intentional on assignment football.
(Separating the emotion of senior day and wanting to win the game) For us, I just think about our coaches’ families and how much investment we went into this year with the players and the offseason. So, all that up to this moment, what better opportunity to play for these guys because those are the most important things coming from this game is that we go out there and bring a performance that’s top-tier. And that’s my focus this week is to bring everything I have throughout the week, so that each player can get better and we can take that over to the next week and the next week.
Connor Galvin
(Last game at McLane, you going to be emotional?) I probably will be in the moment. But I’ve talked about it a few times here and there with the seniors. We’re just focused on TCU; we’re not focusing on all that stuff right now.
(TCU is a big rival, cool to play them in your last game here?) I mean, yeah. I mean, it is. I really don't care who we play, I'll be honest with you. It’s just another opponent.
(Idea of giving TCU taste of their own medicine after last year) We've addressed what's at stake for both teams. We've addressed the situation, the opportunity we have ahead of us. We know what's at stake, it was addressed on Monday. But we're not making a big deal about it. It’s next opponent up.
(What do you see from TCU?) Oh, they play hard. They play fast. They’re physical, athletic, (and) very smart. It's gonna be a 60-minute game. So, they're 10-0, they fight back. They've been down in some games, but they're really tough. They have fought back and won.
(What stands out about what TCU defense put on tape against Texas) Just from the film we've watched already, they kind of base out of like 3-3. So, (their) D-lineman (are) really athletic, stout at the line of scrimmage. (Their) linebackers are fast and physical. They're all 240+ (or) 250-ish. (They) run downhill, trigger fast. So, it’s gonna be (a) big man game and we're gonna have to win the front seven to win this game.
(What’s energy in practice been like?) It's been really good. Obviously, it wasn't fun to watch the film on Monday. But we addressed it and then I thought we practiced really well after watching the film. And then after that, we started prep for TCU. I thought practice today was really good, focused, physical (and) fast.
(What have you seen from Blake in practice) He made some really good throws today. He's tough. Really tough guy. Again, like I just said, he watched the film. He addressed his mistakes. It wasn't just him. It was a team loss. He fixed his mistakes. We move on from it. We address it. Working on our game plan for this week.
(On Josh Cameron) He is very dynamic. He can block as a receiver. He's lined up next to me (to) block some five techniques. But he can also line up, run some routes and catch balls across the middle on 4th-and-7 like he did against Oklahoma. So, very dynamic. He's smart. He's young, but he learns very fast. He picks up stuff so I think he has a very bright future.
(Was it frustrating to see K-State always on the field, not as many opportunities for the offense?) Yeah, it was frustrating. But as an offense, we just didn't do our job. We'd – first down, first down, flag. First down, first down, pick. This, or something like that. So, we stopped ourselves from scoring in the red zone. We beat ourselves. So, it was all really self-inflicted wounds after watching the film. And we've learned from that, and the goal is to not do that again.
(What’s this group of seniors mean to you?) Yeah, I've played a lot of football with these guys. I don't even know how many of us there are, but there's a lot of guys who played a lot of football here. We've gone through the previous staff together. We've gone through the transition with Coach Aranda. Up until now, we've been through a lot of stuff together, a lot of workouts, a lot of bad days, good days and all that stuff. So, it's gonna suck to not be with them after this year, but all of us have made friends for life. So, really can't complain about that.
SicEmSports Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports unveils its looks at the league who in its view deserves to be ranked where. Agree or disagree, here’s how they look.
1. TCU – Baylor remains last roadblock to undefeated regular season
2. Kansas State – Wildcats on the verge of clinching Big 12 title game berth
3. Oklahoma State – Bedlam very personal in Stillwater, OK.
4. Texas — How will Texas respond in Lawrence, KS?
5. Baylor – Lots of soul searching this week
6. Kansas – Looking to clinch winning season
7. Oklahoma – From preseason No. 6 to fighting for bowl eligibility
8. Texas Tech – Big win against Kansas has the Red Raiders closer to a bowl
9. West Virginia – AD search is on. HC search may soon follow.
10. Iowa State – Must win last two to be bowl eligible
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 schedule for the upcoming weekend. All games are Saturday unless otherwise listed. Rankings College Football Playoff poll. All times are central. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
No. 4 TCU (10-0, 7-0) at Baylor (6-4, 4-3); 11:00 a.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (FOX)
Series: TCU leads, 57-53-7
Notable: Bears looking to derail Horned Frogs College Football Playoff hopes. TCU QB Max Duggan has the most TDs in the conference (29).
No. 15 Kansas State (7-3, 5-2) at West Virginia (4-6, 2-5) 1:00 p.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN+)
Series: Tied, 6-6
Notable: Wildcats clinch the other Big 12 title game berth with a win. Mountaineers need to win their last two to become bowl eligible.
Texas (6-4, 4-3) at Kansas (6-4, 3-4); 2:30 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS (FS1)
Series: Texas leads, 16-4
Notable: Steve Sarkisian is 11-11 in his career at Texas. All eyes are on Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (shoulder) and if he will play.
Texas Tech (5-5, 3-4) at Iowa State (4-6, 1-6); 6:00 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FS1)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 12-8
Notable: Two of the worst turnover ratio teams in the Big 12. Iowa State is eighth (-5). Texas Tech is ninth (-6).
No. 22 Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3) at Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5); 6:30 p.m., Owen Field/Memorial Stadium (ABC)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 90-19-7
Notable: This could be Oklahoma State’s final trip to Norman as reports indicate Bedlam will end when OU joins the SEC. Unclear if Gunnar Gundy or Spencer Sanders starts for the Cowboys. Two of the worst defenses in the conference. Oklahoma allows 432.3. Oklahoma State 452.9.
Publisher
The Topper
>There’s been rumors of backup QB Kyron Drones looking to enter the NCAA transfer portal after the season. For now, that appears not to be the case. That could change. However, the QB position is very fluid throughout the game. If there was any movement, there would almost have to be a spot waiting for him before he officially did it. We’ll keep you posted.
>If Baylor is going to make a move with an offer for Austin LBJ LB Latreveon McCutchin, a decision could be in the near future. Baylor staff still evaluating everything at this point.
>Katy Mayde Creek and Rivals No. 158 Tay’Shawn Wilson missed most of the season with a dislocated kneecap. However, he is on the mend.
“It’s going pretty good,’’ Wilson said. “I’m back running and doing things like before.Just really getting stronger and working on areas that I didn’t before. I’ll be ready and running for our first track meet.”
Notable TCU Visitors
The early 11:00 a.m. kickoff doesn’t help. Contrary to last week’s result against Kansas State, those games don’t impact if a recruit plans to come. There are couple of commits like QB Austin Novosad who can’t come because of his playoff game. Subject to change, here are the recruits who have told SicEmSports they plan to attend the home finale against the Horned Frogs.
2023
DK Kalu, DT, Fort Bend Ridge Point (Baylor commit)
Micah Gifford, WR, Pflugerville Weiss (Baylor commit)
LeVar Thornton, Ath, Keller Timber Creek (Baylor commit)
Tay’Shawn Wilson, DB, Katy Mayde Creek (Baylor commit)
Bryson Washington, RB, Franklin (Baylor commit)
Trent Thomas, DT, Fort Bend Marshall (Baylor commit)
DJ Coleman, DB, Mesquite Horn (Baylor commit)
James Walley, Jr., LB, Fort Bend Ridge Point (UTSA commit)
Trey Laurence, LB, San Antonio Reagan (Baylor interest)
Isaiah Robinson, OL, Arlington Lamar (Baylor commit)
Caden Jenkins, DB, Lewisville, Baylor commit
Dawson Pendergrass, RB, Mineola, Baylor commit
2024
Walker White, QB, Little Rock Christian (Baylor interest); Rivals No. 171
Jadon Porter, WR, Lorena (Baylor commit)
Trey Owens, QB, Cy Fair (Baylor offer)
Selman Bridges, DB, Lake Belton (Baylor offer)
Ellis Davis, OL, Prosper (Baylor interest)
Ashton Bethel-Roman, WR, Fort Bend Ridge Point (Baylor interest)
Trever Ham, QB, Melissa (Baylor interest)
2025
Talan Holmes, WR, Haslet V.R. Eaton (Baylor interest/Gavin Holmes younger brother)
Adrian Wilson, WR, Pflugerville Weiss (Baylor offer)
Jalen Cooper, WR, Cibolo Steele (Baylor offer)
Jamison Kitna, QB, Burleson (Baylor interest)
Baylor Seniors talk TCU
Baylor linebacker Bryson Jackson and left tackle Connor Galvin met with the media to discuss playing their final game at McLane Stadium and facing archrival TCU.
Bryson Jackson
(Last game at McLane) Yes, a lot of emotion. It’s going to be a lot of memories here that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, just the teammates I’ve had throughout the times, and this year has been amazing being able to spend it with the guys. We’ve worked hard this week to prepare for the game. It’s going to mean everything.
(Responding to K-State loss) Just recognizing how great of an opportunity it is to go through adversity, and show how we can overcome it and come out on the better end. Putting the work in this week and showing everybody what we’re all about. It’s pretty exciting to be with the guys and I’m looking forward to Saturday morning. We’re going to face a talented team, but it should be a test for us to dig in deep and play freely and play for each other.
(Payback for last year) One thing is we want to respect our opponents. TCU is a great program this year and they’ve definitely put the work in. For us it’s a test. From what we’ve been through, I think it’s all built up to this moment to go out there, and what better chance than to face this opponent to go out there and show them and give it our best.
(Rivalry with TCU) Yeah it’s a rivalry but for our team we’ve been through it and we know where we’re at. For us, it’s just about showing and displaying what we’re truly about. We’ve had a lot of adversity this year. That part of us figuring out who we are we’ve missed out on, so it’s important that we show who we are and play to our standard, and show what Baylor football is really about.
(Defending TCU) They’ve hit on a lot of areas with the pass game. But for us, we want to win the turnover battle and stop the run. For us, it’s about executing in all areas, so it’s important that our defensive backs focus on coverage and that it’s on an elite level in preparation this week. Up front, we’ve got the guys to stop the run. It’s about us playing our technique and being intentional, and having an intentional focus on doing our assignment right each play.
(Max Duggan) I’ve had a chance to play against him pretty much every year that I’ve been here. He’s very talented. He was a stout runner earlier in his career and now he’s definitely developed into a passer. So you can see his game come together and now he’s more comfortable on the field. He’s more calm than he was before, so we’re going to have to be really keen on putting pressure in his face and stop those passes that are kind of easy to make. Stopping those and having our DBs stop the deep ball because of the receivers they have and the advantages they have on that end. Just getting pressure in his face and speeding his game up.
(TCU’s offense being different than K-State’s) Yes, a little bit different. K-State definitely slowed the game down. So, for us, it’s really about working back up to the tempo style and being able to stop both the run and pass. Last week, our focus was stopping 22 (Deuce Vaughn) and figuring out how to tackle him in the pocket and in the box. This week, you’ve got the explosive running backs and you’ve got explosive receivers and they have a really good O-line. So, we’ve got to hit all phases to make sure we can stop one end and stop the other at the same time. You don’t want to stop one end and open up the other end.
(What stands out on film about Quentin Johnston) Yeah, just talented guy, plays hard, plays physical. So, just being able to stop him off the line is going to be our whole deal and our focus.
(Couldn’t get off the field, couldn’t stop the run) Yeah, a lot of small intentional things that we missed out on. So, just being intentional with playing our gaps. So, just playing our gap, having gap control and being able to be physical up front. Last week was more of a challenge for us, because you’ve got to have your eyes in the right place and your feet have to be there. So, this week, we’ve got to learn from last week and have our eyes in the right place and be more patient.
(Motivation to hold them under 80 yards rushing) Like I said before, what a great opportunity. Last week, was one of our very disappointing experiences. But for us, it’s learning from that. Our guys in the room have learned and took that personal, because we’ve been known for our physicality up front, on both ends. So, having that happen last week was just an eye-opener for us to pretty much focus on getting our eyes in the right spot and playing our keys and being intentional on assignment football.
(Separating the emotion of senior day and wanting to win the game) For us, I just think about our coaches’ families and how much investment we went into this year with the players and the offseason. So, all that up to this moment, what better opportunity to play for these guys because those are the most important things coming from this game is that we go out there and bring a performance that’s top-tier. And that’s my focus this week is to bring everything I have throughout the week, so that each player can get better and we can take that over to the next week and the next week.
Connor Galvin
(Last game at McLane, you going to be emotional?) I probably will be in the moment. But I’ve talked about it a few times here and there with the seniors. We’re just focused on TCU; we’re not focusing on all that stuff right now.
(TCU is a big rival, cool to play them in your last game here?) I mean, yeah. I mean, it is. I really don't care who we play, I'll be honest with you. It’s just another opponent.
(Idea of giving TCU taste of their own medicine after last year) We've addressed what's at stake for both teams. We've addressed the situation, the opportunity we have ahead of us. We know what's at stake, it was addressed on Monday. But we're not making a big deal about it. It’s next opponent up.
(What do you see from TCU?) Oh, they play hard. They play fast. They’re physical, athletic, (and) very smart. It's gonna be a 60-minute game. So, they're 10-0, they fight back. They've been down in some games, but they're really tough. They have fought back and won.
(What stands out about what TCU defense put on tape against Texas) Just from the film we've watched already, they kind of base out of like 3-3. So, (their) D-lineman (are) really athletic, stout at the line of scrimmage. (Their) linebackers are fast and physical. They're all 240+ (or) 250-ish. (They) run downhill, trigger fast. So, it’s gonna be (a) big man game and we're gonna have to win the front seven to win this game.
(What’s energy in practice been like?) It's been really good. Obviously, it wasn't fun to watch the film on Monday. But we addressed it and then I thought we practiced really well after watching the film. And then after that, we started prep for TCU. I thought practice today was really good, focused, physical (and) fast.
(What have you seen from Blake in practice) He made some really good throws today. He's tough. Really tough guy. Again, like I just said, he watched the film. He addressed his mistakes. It wasn't just him. It was a team loss. He fixed his mistakes. We move on from it. We address it. Working on our game plan for this week.
(On Josh Cameron) He is very dynamic. He can block as a receiver. He's lined up next to me (to) block some five techniques. But he can also line up, run some routes and catch balls across the middle on 4th-and-7 like he did against Oklahoma. So, very dynamic. He's smart. He's young, but he learns very fast. He picks up stuff so I think he has a very bright future.
(Was it frustrating to see K-State always on the field, not as many opportunities for the offense?) Yeah, it was frustrating. But as an offense, we just didn't do our job. We'd – first down, first down, flag. First down, first down, pick. This, or something like that. So, we stopped ourselves from scoring in the red zone. We beat ourselves. So, it was all really self-inflicted wounds after watching the film. And we've learned from that, and the goal is to not do that again.
(What’s this group of seniors mean to you?) Yeah, I've played a lot of football with these guys. I don't even know how many of us there are, but there's a lot of guys who played a lot of football here. We've gone through the previous staff together. We've gone through the transition with Coach Aranda. Up until now, we've been through a lot of stuff together, a lot of workouts, a lot of bad days, good days and all that stuff. So, it's gonna suck to not be with them after this year, but all of us have made friends for life. So, really can't complain about that.
SicEmSports Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports unveils its looks at the league who in its view deserves to be ranked where. Agree or disagree, here’s how they look.
1. TCU – Baylor remains last roadblock to undefeated regular season
2. Kansas State – Wildcats on the verge of clinching Big 12 title game berth
3. Oklahoma State – Bedlam very personal in Stillwater, OK.
4. Texas — How will Texas respond in Lawrence, KS?
5. Baylor – Lots of soul searching this week
6. Kansas – Looking to clinch winning season
7. Oklahoma – From preseason No. 6 to fighting for bowl eligibility
8. Texas Tech – Big win against Kansas has the Red Raiders closer to a bowl
9. West Virginia – AD search is on. HC search may soon follow.
10. Iowa State – Must win last two to be bowl eligible
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 schedule for the upcoming weekend. All games are Saturday unless otherwise listed. Rankings College Football Playoff poll. All times are central. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action.
No. 4 TCU (10-0, 7-0) at Baylor (6-4, 4-3); 11:00 a.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (FOX)
Series: TCU leads, 57-53-7
Notable: Bears looking to derail Horned Frogs College Football Playoff hopes. TCU QB Max Duggan has the most TDs in the conference (29).
No. 15 Kansas State (7-3, 5-2) at West Virginia (4-6, 2-5) 1:00 p.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN+)
Series: Tied, 6-6
Notable: Wildcats clinch the other Big 12 title game berth with a win. Mountaineers need to win their last two to become bowl eligible.
Texas (6-4, 4-3) at Kansas (6-4, 3-4); 2:30 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS (FS1)
Series: Texas leads, 16-4
Notable: Steve Sarkisian is 11-11 in his career at Texas. All eyes are on Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (shoulder) and if he will play.
Texas Tech (5-5, 3-4) at Iowa State (4-6, 1-6); 6:00 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FS1)
Series: Texas Tech leads, 12-8
Notable: Two of the worst turnover ratio teams in the Big 12. Iowa State is eighth (-5). Texas Tech is ninth (-6).
No. 22 Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3) at Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5); 6:30 p.m., Owen Field/Memorial Stadium (ABC)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 90-19-7
Notable: This could be Oklahoma State’s final trip to Norman as reports indicate Bedlam will end when OU joins the SEC. Unclear if Gunnar Gundy or Spencer Sanders starts for the Cowboys. Two of the worst defenses in the conference. Oklahoma allows 432.3. Oklahoma State 452.9.
