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: We're hearing through that Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery is a candidate and may have some interest in the vacant head coaching position at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves are looking for their third coach in as many seasons. Bryan Harsin just took over at Boise State on Wednesday. Harsin replaced Gus Malzahn last year after Malzahn went to Auburn. We will keep you posted as this develops.
-SicEmSports
Davis talks Baylor
Despite the icy road conditions in Dallas-Fort Worth last Friday, it turned out to be worth the effort for 2015 Plano West/AAU Texas Titans center Tyler Davis.
The Rivals No. 20 player watched the No. 14 Bears upend then No. 3 Kentucky, 67-62, with an effort that only big men could love. Baylor outrebounded Kentucky, 41-25.
That only helped Baylor's case with Davis. He's visited Baylor twice in the summer and during the homecoming football game against Iowa State.
So far so good.
"Baylor stands pretty high with me,'' Davis said. "I think I could learn a lot from coach [Scott] Drew and I know how much they would push me to get better. I talked to Isaiah Austin and got a really good understanding of how hard they work.
"The support they would have like 1 on 1 tutors and having tutors come on road trips really impressed me.''
Davis is definitely a banger at 6-10, 265. He's currently not playing for two reasons. First, the District 10-5A executive committee ruled him ineligible following his transfer from Frisco Liberty. Second, he is two months removed from having surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. He said he's about 95 recovered.
"It's probably a blessing not playing,'' Davis said. "I know it hurts to have my junior year taken away from me, but I want to work on my body and my grades. When Duke was coming around, that really caught my attention.''
Davis doesn't have a Top 5 or Top 10. And he said he really wants to focus his recruiting more on evaluating the programs because of the players, the coaches and how he would fit versus rankings and TV appearances.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Broxton will make it official Wednesday
When a midseason offer came in from the University of Miami (Fla.), Jarell Broxton didn't even blink. Asked if it affected his commitment to Baylor, the Lackawanna (Penn.) JC offensive lineman laughed.
"Not at all," he said.
The first day mid-year junior college transfers can sign is on Wednesday. Broxton said he won't waste any time -- he'll sign that day. He has the paperwork in hand from Baylor and is scheduled to graduate in December as planned. He'll arrive in Waco on Jan. 10.
He never made it down to Waco after taking an official visit during the summer, but he enjoyed watching Baylor's Big 12 championship season unfold from far.
"I was really excited," he said. "I'm glad I'll get to be part of that in January. I know we can keep it rolling and win another when I'm there."
Broxton said he talks with Baylor OL coach Randy Clements "all the time." That included a conversation on Wednesday of this week. Broxton believes he can step right in this January and take the place of departing all-American Cyril Richardson.
"He wants me to play left guard after Cyril [Richardson] leaves," Broxton said. "He has a good feeling I can come in and play right away."
-Jake Shaw
Call him Gregory, if you please
Whatever you do, don't call him Greg. He prefers Gregory. And when that request is coming from someone 6-6, 280, you better follow instructions.
But Gregory Little is a gentle giant of sorts because he's soft spoken and very appreciative of what's happened one year into his varsity football career. The Allen 2016 right tackle has everybody's attention.
"My coaches told my mom one day that I was going to get a lot of attention,'' Little said. "I didn't pay too much attention to it then.''
On Wednesday, Baylor became the eighth school to offer him along with Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Clemson. To be honest, Little knows very little about Baylor and just spoke with linebackers coach Jim Gush on the phone Wednesday. He has not been to Waco.
"It went very well,'' Little said. "He seems like a cool guy. He wanted me to come down to a bowl practice. When I watch Baylor, that offense is explosive and scary.''
Little's only chance to see Baylor in person was as a guest of Oklahoma State. Of course, that turned into a long night for the Bears but it really didn't impact Little's impression.
"I could still tell that their offensive line is really physical,'' he said. "Getting a Baylor offer means a lot because of what they're doing.''
As young as he is, his physique is still a long ways away from taking shape. But his athleticism is noticeable because he plays basketball. That's helped his footwork and likely the first reason why all of these schools jumped on board so early and why more will follow.
His vertical is 29 inches but his wingspan - measured two years ago is 6-11 - and his bench (225) and squat (330) should all go up.
Allen, the No. 1 team in the 5A state of Texas, plays No. 2 DeSoto in a rematch of last year's Division I state semifinal at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Mesquite Memorial.
"We're trying to treat it as a regular game,'' Little said.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Freeman's status
Freshman point guard Allerik Freeman hasn't seen the floor this year for the Bears since suffering a hand injury in mid-October. There had been some hope that he would have been ready by the Maui Invitational the week of Thanksgiving. However, Freeman continues to sit.
From what we know, there doesn't seem to be real timetable for Freeman's return and several options are being considered. Of course, the Bears could use another ball handler in the back court with Kenny Chery. A redshirt could be an option.
But with the school currently going through fall semester finals, the time off is probably giving the coaching staff more time consider getting Freeman ready for the Big 12 season that starts Jan. 7 at Iowa State.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Rockwell healthy
While Wylie senior and Baylor 2014 commit T'Kevian Rockwell didn't enjoy the senior season he wanted. He missed nine of 10 regular season games because of a high ankle sprain. But Rockwell returned for the playoffs and played in all four postseason games. Wylie's season ended Monday in the 4A Region II Division I final, a 27-14 loss to Highland Park.
"When he was 100 percent, he was really good,'' Wylie coach Bill Howard said. "The first thing that stands out is his speed. In a lot of situations, he could just bounce outside and create pressure. He got a few sacks for us.''
Well, he wasn't bad either in the return game with either with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against South Oak Cliff in the regional semifinals.
"Anytime he was out there, something could happen,'' Howard said. "He was definitely a spark for us.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Baylor coaches busy HS playoff Saturday
Before the dead recruiting period begins on Monday, Baylor coaches will have plenty of opportunity to watch some 2015 targets who are still in the high school playoffs.
Although they turned out the lights last Saturday for Baylor's last home game at Floyd Casey Stadium, stadium officials are probably going to have to turn them back on Saturday evening.
At 1:30, the facility plays host to the Class 5A Division II state semifinal between Cedar Hill and Austin Lake Travis. The Longhorns feature two 2015 Baylor offers in wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge and linebacker Richard Moore. Baylor is also evaluating Longhorn 2015 DB Darrell Miller.
Then there's the Class 3A Division I state semifinal between Stephenville and 2015 QB Jarrett Stidham and Kilgore at 2:00 p.m. in Corsicana.
Also, at 2:00 p.m. they will watch their newest offer, Allen OL Gregory Little and the Eagles play DeSoto at Mesquite Memorial. We already mentioned that game in the Little story.
At 3:30 p.m. in Midlothian the staff should have somebody at the Class 4A Division II state semifinal between Ennis and Aledo. The Lions feature 2014 RB commit Terence Williams and 2015 DL offer James Lockhart who appears to be leaning toward Baylor. Aledo features 2015 athlete Ryan Newsome.
Should be a great weekend for high school football in Texas.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Hill still taking things slow
When I last spoke with Holton Hill, he was in no hurry to dive into the recruiting process. Nothing has changed since then for the 2015 Houston Lamar DB product.
"I'm still talking to a lot of schools on different days," he said. "I haven't made up my mind or anything about top schools."
Baylor, which offered him in June, is one of those schools. Hill actually made time to attend Baylor's win over West Virginia in early October, one of only two games he attended this fall (the other was a nearby Houston game).
"They had the gold helmets on," he said. "It was really nice. It was a real good experience for me. It was really cold, but I really enjoyed going. They just invited me to come, so I made time to go."
Hill had a very solid junior year, getting 41 tackles, returning his one interception for a touchdown, and also returning punts (he took one to the house). It helped him land him an offer from Auburn, his first out-of-state offer. He said he wants to explore other non-Texas programs like Oregon, Oklahoma and LSU. Despite that, he's not exactly looking to leave the state.
"It just depends on the situation," he said. "It will depend on how (my family) feels about me leaving the state. I don't necessarily prefer to leave the state, I just want to go with what feels right."
I'll be sure to keep in touch with Hill throughout his recruitment.
-Jake Shaw
Emptying the Notebook
>Wylie 2014 athlete Kameron Kelly said he spoke with Baylor assistant Jim Gush earlier in the week and said he believes Gush will come by the school to visit him next week. There's no offer, but at 6-2, Kelly is playing cornerback and Division I schools are looking for taller DBs.
>WR Tevin Reese (wrist) tweeted Thursday that he was cleared to play in the Fiesta Bowl against Texas. The timing of his tweet - five days after Texas - made us wonder how close he was to have played against Texas. The answer was not close.
>If you want to get a good read where this is going with Abilene Cooper LB Cordell Dorsey, you might want to check the potential press release that will be sent out Wednesday for the JUCO signing day. The release should announce that Broxton has signed his letter of intent and that Kingwood Park TE Jordan Feuerbacher, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau Ath Davion Hall and Ennis RB Terence Williams have signed their financial aid documents - something SicEmSports reported on in late October. If Dorsey, who is also a mid-semester graduate, is on the release, then there's your answer about him coming in for the spring semester. But if you don't that doesn't necessarily mean anything either. We know Dorsey's sexual assault case is still pending.
>Just to catch you up on some other football awards:
*Baylor coach Art Briles was named one of 10 finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year and one of five finalists for the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year award.
*Baylor QB Bryce Petty was named one of the finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
*Baylor OL Cyril Richardson earned 2013 Jim Parker Award.
>And if you didn't see it, Baylor University's Hurd Tennis Center was selected to host the 2015 NCAA Tennis Championships, the NCAA announced on Wednesday.
"Baylor is honored and excited to host the 2015 NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Championships," Baylor Athletics Director Ian McCaw said. "We look forward to providing the teams and student-athletes with a first class environment and tremendous experience."
>USA Today had a report of Division I college football's highest paid assistant coaches in 2012. It used tax returns when it came to finding out salaries for Baylor. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett earned $483,994. But we're hearing the salary bump the staff earned last month pushed Bennett to near or at $1 million. Last month, head coach Art Briles received a 10-year $4.5 per year extension.
-SicEmSports
