By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Austin Novosad – The latest
There may be more hurdles for the Baylor fan base to cross before it can ever feel secure about the commitment of Rivals No. 136, quarterback Austin Novosad.
The Dripping Springs 2023 spinner took an official visit to Ohio State about a week after visiting Columbus for a camp. From what we gather from those who know about the visit, it was a solid weekend experience.
What it didn’t sound like was that the Buckeyes put on a hard push for Novosad to immediately re-consider where he was and where he would like to go. It does sound like that head coach Ryan Day’s staff was pretty respectful about where he was with Baylor.
Ohio State doesn’t have a QB commitment as of yet. That doesn’t mean this staff would push or not down the line. Time will tell.
Novosad is expected to take his official visit to Baylor this weekend. That’s been locked in for nearly a month. He’s also one of signature members of this class that needs some more help along the offensive and defensive fronts.
He has been committed to Baylor since Dec. 16, 2021, the day after the early signing period began for the 2022 class.
Catching up: Rivals rankings
Last week, your publisher was out of town in Pittsburgh for business when the new Rivals rankings were released.
Here are a couple of updates:
>Novosad’s jump is significant. He was No. 247 in the previous rankings and moved up not only 111 spots but also improved his rating from 5.8 to 5.9. He’s now the No. 22 player in Texas and No. 9 pro-style QB in the nation. And he didn’t have to be committed to Texas for that to happen. To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time a Baylor Rivals 250 commit/signee made such a dramatic move.
>The other movement was Lake Belton safety Javeon Wilcox moved from 5.5 to 5.7. Kingsville offensive lineman Justin DeLeon dropped from four stars and 5.8 to three stars and 5.7. Houston Stratford tight end Hawkins Polley moved from 5.6 to 5.7. Aldine Nimitz safety Corey Huff inched from 5.6 to 5.7. Cy Ranch linebacker Christian Brathwaite dropped from four stars and 5.8 to three stars and 5.7. Temple linebacker Taurean York went from 5.6 to 5.7. Finally, Phoenix tight end Matthew Klopfenstein took a big jump from 5.5 to 5.7.
In total, six commitments moved up in rating and only two moved down.
Keller 2025 QB reviews camp
It’s good to be Keller Central signal caller Kelden Ryan. With three varsity seasons to play, Ryan already possesses nine offers. Baylor is one of those.
Ryan had a busy weekend in Waco. He took an unofficial visit this past Friday – his second unofficial visit of his young recruiting process – and then stuck around and worked out at Saturday’s camp.
“I really enjoyed being there,’’ Ryan said. “I really love Coach Shawn Bell and Coach Dave Aranda. I had a great time talking ball with Coach Bell. We got to spend some time watching film and going over plays. His on-field instruction at the camp was really good too.’’
Among Ryan’s offer list includes Arkansas, Cal, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. Alabama, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma are taking a strong look at him.
This camp season could blossom into something more. Ryan’s stock should climb. However, Baylor has used this time to build the foundation of a relationship.
“The coaching staff at Baylor is awesome, one of the best in the country, and they play good football.,’’ Ryan said. “I think it’s a great school for academics and athletics.”
Ryan split time during the 2021 season with senior Jack Helsley. He held his own throwing for 711 yards and completing nearly 63 percent of his attempts. The Chargers struggled to a 2-8 season.
Yet the keys to the 2022 offense will be his. It will be up to him to take Central to new heights. This is a program that has never won a playoff game. Central is 0-7 lifetime.
That can wait. The goal Saturday was to harness the skills that can lead to better Novembers. Ryan spent a lot of one-on-one time with Bell both on the field and in the film room.
“His film breakdown was very detailed,’’ Ryan said. “He did a really nice job of communicating how my style of play and my strengths would translate. On the field at the camp, he paid a lot of attention to our mechanics and ball placement. His instruction was similar to a private QB session.”
Ryan likely won’t be back for the camp in late July. However, he said he plans to attend Baylor games this fall.
Notable
On Monday, Garland Lakeview Centennial defensive end Trey Wilson released at Top 8 that included Baylor. But don’t look for him to take an official visit for either of these next two weekends. Rivals FutureCasts have him headed to Texas Tech.
Publisher
Austin Novosad – The latest
There may be more hurdles for the Baylor fan base to cross before it can ever feel secure about the commitment of Rivals No. 136, quarterback Austin Novosad.
The Dripping Springs 2023 spinner took an official visit to Ohio State about a week after visiting Columbus for a camp. From what we gather from those who know about the visit, it was a solid weekend experience.
What it didn’t sound like was that the Buckeyes put on a hard push for Novosad to immediately re-consider where he was and where he would like to go. It does sound like that head coach Ryan Day’s staff was pretty respectful about where he was with Baylor.
Ohio State doesn’t have a QB commitment as of yet. That doesn’t mean this staff would push or not down the line. Time will tell.
Novosad is expected to take his official visit to Baylor this weekend. That’s been locked in for nearly a month. He’s also one of signature members of this class that needs some more help along the offensive and defensive fronts.
He has been committed to Baylor since Dec. 16, 2021, the day after the early signing period began for the 2022 class.
Catching up: Rivals rankings
Last week, your publisher was out of town in Pittsburgh for business when the new Rivals rankings were released.
Here are a couple of updates:
>Novosad’s jump is significant. He was No. 247 in the previous rankings and moved up not only 111 spots but also improved his rating from 5.8 to 5.9. He’s now the No. 22 player in Texas and No. 9 pro-style QB in the nation. And he didn’t have to be committed to Texas for that to happen. To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time a Baylor Rivals 250 commit/signee made such a dramatic move.
>The other movement was Lake Belton safety Javeon Wilcox moved from 5.5 to 5.7. Kingsville offensive lineman Justin DeLeon dropped from four stars and 5.8 to three stars and 5.7. Houston Stratford tight end Hawkins Polley moved from 5.6 to 5.7. Aldine Nimitz safety Corey Huff inched from 5.6 to 5.7. Cy Ranch linebacker Christian Brathwaite dropped from four stars and 5.8 to three stars and 5.7. Temple linebacker Taurean York went from 5.6 to 5.7. Finally, Phoenix tight end Matthew Klopfenstein took a big jump from 5.5 to 5.7.
In total, six commitments moved up in rating and only two moved down.
Keller 2025 QB reviews camp
It’s good to be Keller Central signal caller Kelden Ryan. With three varsity seasons to play, Ryan already possesses nine offers. Baylor is one of those.
Ryan had a busy weekend in Waco. He took an unofficial visit this past Friday – his second unofficial visit of his young recruiting process – and then stuck around and worked out at Saturday’s camp.
“I really enjoyed being there,’’ Ryan said. “I really love Coach Shawn Bell and Coach Dave Aranda. I had a great time talking ball with Coach Bell. We got to spend some time watching film and going over plays. His on-field instruction at the camp was really good too.’’
Among Ryan’s offer list includes Arkansas, Cal, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. Alabama, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma are taking a strong look at him.
This camp season could blossom into something more. Ryan’s stock should climb. However, Baylor has used this time to build the foundation of a relationship.
“The coaching staff at Baylor is awesome, one of the best in the country, and they play good football.,’’ Ryan said. “I think it’s a great school for academics and athletics.”
Ryan split time during the 2021 season with senior Jack Helsley. He held his own throwing for 711 yards and completing nearly 63 percent of his attempts. The Chargers struggled to a 2-8 season.
Yet the keys to the 2022 offense will be his. It will be up to him to take Central to new heights. This is a program that has never won a playoff game. Central is 0-7 lifetime.
That can wait. The goal Saturday was to harness the skills that can lead to better Novembers. Ryan spent a lot of one-on-one time with Bell both on the field and in the film room.
“His film breakdown was very detailed,’’ Ryan said. “He did a really nice job of communicating how my style of play and my strengths would translate. On the field at the camp, he paid a lot of attention to our mechanics and ball placement. His instruction was similar to a private QB session.”
Ryan likely won’t be back for the camp in late July. However, he said he plans to attend Baylor games this fall.
Notable
On Monday, Garland Lakeview Centennial defensive end Trey Wilson released at Top 8 that included Baylor. But don’t look for him to take an official visit for either of these next two weekends. Rivals FutureCasts have him headed to Texas Tech.
