Chad President: A final look
Final line from the Class 5A Division I state championship game vs. Aledo (Aledo won, 49-45)
Passing: 18-33-2 233 1 TD
Rushing: 11-70
Here's what I liked: A leader's character is revealed when his team is behind. Trailing 35-17, President led his team to 28 second half points. I liked his command of the offense. His arm strength is pretty good. Like Blake Lynch, he's smooth in his strides when he takes off with it. President is really good with the crossing pattern throws. On his 48-yard TD strike to Davion Curtis, President hit Curtis in stride, the ball was at Curtis' hip and the rest was history. President isn't too bad on his touch throws. The most important element is that he's a competitor. I didn't see any antics on the field. That's not him. But he owns the huddle. His teammates trust him.
Here' what I didn't like: I think President has some trouble off his first read. No surprise there. A good number of high school quarterbacks do. He had a little too much air on his deep throws. On the pick six by Aledo's Larry Brown, President never saw him and threw into traffic. It was not a good decision. Plus, he threw that ball off balance so there was no velocity on that throw. A possession later, President was chased to the sideline and instead of throwing the ball away, he threw a pop up into double coverage and was lucky that it wasn't picked off. I didn't think his footwork was very good. Having said that, those elements can be coached and corrected.
Rumblings: Within the last week, I had three different people tell me that they have heard through channels that the right knee needs surgery again. Now, I don't know if that's true. What I do know is that President didn't favor or play gimpy on it. The brace didn't seem to limit his movement to any great extent. Plus, when he drew contact, there was nothing to suggest that he was trying to protect it. So we'll see if what I have been told is fact or fiction.
Going with my gut: I'm not saying President can't play quarterback in college. He has great tools. They're very raw. And maybe if Jarrett Stidham wasn't coming to Baylor, it would be a no-brainer that President would remain a quarterback. But with Stidham coming - and look there's a reason why Baylor stayed after Stidham - I could foresee a scenario where spring ball starts with President going through his fair share of reps (provided the information in the rumblings segment doesn't happen) against Stidham and Seth Russell. Then when the spring is over, I can see the Baylor coaches approaching President telling him they need to move him to wide receiver or safety for whatever means necessary. Consider a wide receiver setup with President and Blake Lynch. Those two are big targets who can run and are defensive matchup nightmares. Obviously, more of this story will be told in the coming months. What is a great thing is that President is coming. He's a great talent. I really enjoy his humility. And if health is with him, there's no telling what he can accomplish.
-Kevin Lonnquist
A 2015 refresher
The dead period arrived this week -- though not without some clamor after Jarrett Stidham officially picked Baylor -- meaning recruiting will slow down a bit until Jan. 15, when coaches can resume contact with recruits. So while we're in a quiet time, we might as well examine what's left for Baylor in this 2015 class.
Baylor played with 83 Scholarship players in 2014 (two below the NCAA limit), and nine of them were seniors. So after their departure, Baylor would have 74 scholarship players for the 2015 season, leaving 11 open spots. However, Baylor has already filled four of those spots with the mid-year signings of junior OL Dominic Desouza, as well as three true freshmen: Blake Lynch, Chad President and Devonte Jones (who didn't lose any eligibility by gray-shirting). That could become five with Stidham, but we'll wait on that until his enrollment becomes official.
That gives Baylor 77 scholarship players at this moment in time, leaving seven available scholarships in a 2015 recruiting class that -- subtracting Lynch, President and Desouza -- is 11-strong right now, with 2-3 more commitments expected. Two more scholarships could open up if Spencer Drango and Shawn Oakman forgo their senior seasons to go to the NFL draft, but that remains to be seen.
If both stay, again, that keeps Baylor at seven available scholarships. That will force offseason attrition once again, as anywhere from three to five players will likely have to leave the program to make room for incoming recruits (just who leaves is a conversation for another time).
Let's get inside the current scholarships/commitments a bit more in depth now.
2015 scholarship allotment by position:
DEFENSE (37 total): 7 Cornerbacks; 5 safeties; 6 Linebackers; 3 Nickel Backs; 9 Defensive ends; 7 Defensive tackles
OFFENSE (40): 17 Offensive linemen (including Devonte Jones and Desouza); 3 Quarterbacks (including President); 5 running backs; 4 tight ends; 10 receivers (with Lynch); 1 kicker; 0 Punters
What that means: Of the current 77 scholarship players, 33 of them -- 42 percent -- are linemen, either offensive or defensive. It's safe to say Baylor is loaded here and doesn't need to address these positions, although one more OL (Maurice Porter) will come in during the summer. The next highest scholarship totals: 12 defensive backs (15 percent of the scholarships) and 10 receivers (13 percent).
Scholarships by class (representing 2015 classification):
> 17 seniors
> 23 juniors
> 18 sophomores
> 17 RS freshmen
> 3 True freshmen
What that means: Baylor's senior class in 2015 is nearly double what it was in 2014, making this upcoming squad a much more experienced team, especially when you add in 23 juniors-to-be. But that doesn't come at the expense of youth, as Baylor has 38 current sophomores or below, plus the additions that will come with signing day. Overall, the eligibility is spread out nicely between all the classes, unlike last year when Baylor had a very small senior class.
Commitments/signees by position (14 total):
> 2 QB, 1 RB, 3 WR, 3 OL (9 offensive commitments);
> 0 DL, 1 LB, 2 DB, 1 ATH (4 defensive commitments);
> 1 Kicker/Punter
What that means: Baylor obviously has some ground to make up on the defensive side of the ball with more than twice as many offensive commitments. And considering Baylor has three more offensive players on scholarship than defensive, closing out this class on the defensive side is a must. Speaking of, let's wrap this up by looking at the players left on the board.
Remaining targets (9 known):
RB Soso Jamabo, Plano West -- Considering Baylor will have five RBs, the most experienced being two juniors, this isn't a priority position. But if you can get a guy like this, you take him. Baylor's chances aren't that high, however, so Jamabo appears to be a reach at this point.
WR DaMarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill -- Like RB, Baylor doesn't need another WR but you don't turn down guys like Lodge. Also like Jamabo, Baylor appears to be a longshot for the former A&M commit.
OL Riley Daniel (Houston commit), Ringling (OK) -- Baylor offered him late, and with Houston's coaching job settled but not able to recruit until after the dead period, Baylor could move in. But with two JUCO OLs coming, Devonte Jones arriving off his gray shirt plus Sam Tecklenburg, you have to wonder if Baylor would fill one of its final spots with another lineman.
LB Anthony Wheeler, Dallas Skyline -- He appears Oklahoma bound, and Baylor has probably cooled on him anyway, but he still has an offer out there and you just never know with recruiting. Nobody expected JW Ketchum to commit after all.
LB Richard Moore, Cedar Hill -- The Bears seem to have the edge here after he decommitted from Texas A&M earlier this month. Baylor had an in-home visit with him on Dec. 14, the night before the dead period start. Remember, the Bears have stayed after Moore just like they did with Jarrett Stidham.
CB Kris Boyd, Gilmer -- Baylor's hoping its best recruiter (Blake Lynch) can persuade his teammate to come with him. Since Gilmer's had a long playoff run, teams haven't been able to recruit him as hard, but Baylor does have a chance here.
CB Holton Hill, Houston Lamar -- He's not the biggest name on the list, but he could be the most important. Baylor was one of the first two schools to offer Hill and hasn't ramped down its recruiting since. This is a major need position, and Hill would give Baylor a stud CB signing it has lacked.
CB Jay'Onn Myles, Pierce CC (CA) -- This JUCO product appears to be the backup plan if Baylor can't get Boyd or Hill. Since he's not signing till February, Baylor can afford to wait and keep Myles just close enough (without getting a commitment) while the recruiting unfolds for their prime CB targets.
DT Darrion Daniels, Dallas Bishop Dunne -- The Bears are in Daniels' top six, and landing this 4-star product would prevent Baylor from getting shut out of defensive linemen (though, with current scholarship numbers, it's not a need position at all).
In summary: Baylor doesn't have to get any more commitments in this class, considering the scholarship limit has been exceeded as of now. That's why Baylor's remaining target list is pretty small -- and filled almost exclusively with 4- and 5-star talent. Baylor can afford to be very picky right now. A dream finish would be getting a couple more players from the list above, especially if neither of the players are Myles, who the Bears could probably land if they really wanted.
-Jake Shaw
What Hilliard's return means
After having surgery on his wrist in October, Desmine Hilliard was cleared to play in the Cotton Bowl Wednesday. His return to the offensive line will be very important as this will definitely add much needed depth to the right side.
With Troy Baker being out since the West Virginia game with a torn ACL, the right guard and tackle positions have been held down by Jarrell Broxton and Pat Colbert, respectively. Both have continued to improve and impress week by week, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the starting right guard position for the Cotton Bowl.
If Hilliard is truly back to 100% and shows it in practice, then he will definitely be starting. This doesn't mean that Broxton will sit the bench the entire game. More than likely, the coaches will go back to some sort of rotation between the two, as they had before Hilliard went down.
Should Desmine play, he likely will have something on his arm to protect his wrist, but free enough that he can actually use his hands. Either a brace or a custom made cast will be tried on to see how comfortable and practical it is for him in the game. With Hilliard's return, this will definitely improve how lethal this offense can be going into the bowl game.
-Nick Jean-Baptiste
An opposing point of view
With their seasons now complete, SicEmSports reached out to opposing coached who faced Baylor's three commits who appeared in the state championship games this past week. So don't take our word for it, take theirs.
Bill Elliott, Celina on Gilmer's Ath Blake Lynch (Gilmer defeated Celina in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals): "At our level, you don't see a 6-4 player like him so he's hard to match up against. We didn't have kids who could handle him. Our DBs were 5-7 and 5-8. Lynch was very physical. When he came off the line, we tried to re-direct him and had a safety come over the top. But he just handled us. He's a high level with his body control in space. When I watch him, he reminds me when Dez Bryant was at Oklahoma State. The arm length to control the ball is impressive. I could see him set big records when he gets to Baylor."
Ross Rogers, Bryan, on Temple QB Chad President (Temple's game with Bryan was canceled early in the season because of inclement weather in the middle of the first quarter): "Actually, I think he looks like Robert Griffin III. He's a thicker kid than Robert but doesn't have the track speed like Robert had. But he's plenty fast. Chad makes great decisions with the zone read. He understands that. If he stays healthy, he could be a top player in the Big 12.''
Jerry Vance, Liberty Hill, on Navasota WR Tren'Davian Dickson (Navasota defeated Liberty Hill, 49-26, in the Class 4A Division I state semifinals): "We tried to double cover him and did a pretty good job. We just let everybody else run free. He did get by us for one. Ultimately, our style was to try and keep him and their offense off the field. We did a poor job in the second half. To appreciate his speed, you need to sit in the end zone and watch him. The thing about his [65 yard TD reception] was that they hit him on a 30-yard play and he just ran away from us. We don't have anything like that to keep up with him. You can't coach speed. He's very impressive.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the notebook
>Frisco Centennial 2016 DB Raleigh Texada has been invited to Baylor Junior Day on Jan. 31, 2015.
>When Sachse 2016 DB Jared Mayden announced Thursday that he was moving Baylor back into his Top 5 and Texas A&M out of it, we asked him what brought the change. He said, "I kept talking to coach [Jim] Gush and coach [Carlton] Buckels. And when Buckels came up to the school, we had a really good conversation. That really helped them establish themselves with me.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Final line from the Class 5A Division I state championship game vs. Aledo (Aledo won, 49-45)
Passing: 18-33-2 233 1 TD
Rushing: 11-70
Here's what I liked: A leader's character is revealed when his team is behind. Trailing 35-17, President led his team to 28 second half points. I liked his command of the offense. His arm strength is pretty good. Like Blake Lynch, he's smooth in his strides when he takes off with it. President is really good with the crossing pattern throws. On his 48-yard TD strike to Davion Curtis, President hit Curtis in stride, the ball was at Curtis' hip and the rest was history. President isn't too bad on his touch throws. The most important element is that he's a competitor. I didn't see any antics on the field. That's not him. But he owns the huddle. His teammates trust him.
Here' what I didn't like: I think President has some trouble off his first read. No surprise there. A good number of high school quarterbacks do. He had a little too much air on his deep throws. On the pick six by Aledo's Larry Brown, President never saw him and threw into traffic. It was not a good decision. Plus, he threw that ball off balance so there was no velocity on that throw. A possession later, President was chased to the sideline and instead of throwing the ball away, he threw a pop up into double coverage and was lucky that it wasn't picked off. I didn't think his footwork was very good. Having said that, those elements can be coached and corrected.
Rumblings: Within the last week, I had three different people tell me that they have heard through channels that the right knee needs surgery again. Now, I don't know if that's true. What I do know is that President didn't favor or play gimpy on it. The brace didn't seem to limit his movement to any great extent. Plus, when he drew contact, there was nothing to suggest that he was trying to protect it. So we'll see if what I have been told is fact or fiction.
Going with my gut: I'm not saying President can't play quarterback in college. He has great tools. They're very raw. And maybe if Jarrett Stidham wasn't coming to Baylor, it would be a no-brainer that President would remain a quarterback. But with Stidham coming - and look there's a reason why Baylor stayed after Stidham - I could foresee a scenario where spring ball starts with President going through his fair share of reps (provided the information in the rumblings segment doesn't happen) against Stidham and Seth Russell. Then when the spring is over, I can see the Baylor coaches approaching President telling him they need to move him to wide receiver or safety for whatever means necessary. Consider a wide receiver setup with President and Blake Lynch. Those two are big targets who can run and are defensive matchup nightmares. Obviously, more of this story will be told in the coming months. What is a great thing is that President is coming. He's a great talent. I really enjoy his humility. And if health is with him, there's no telling what he can accomplish.
-Kevin Lonnquist
A 2015 refresher
The dead period arrived this week -- though not without some clamor after Jarrett Stidham officially picked Baylor -- meaning recruiting will slow down a bit until Jan. 15, when coaches can resume contact with recruits. So while we're in a quiet time, we might as well examine what's left for Baylor in this 2015 class.
Baylor played with 83 Scholarship players in 2014 (two below the NCAA limit), and nine of them were seniors. So after their departure, Baylor would have 74 scholarship players for the 2015 season, leaving 11 open spots. However, Baylor has already filled four of those spots with the mid-year signings of junior OL Dominic Desouza, as well as three true freshmen: Blake Lynch, Chad President and Devonte Jones (who didn't lose any eligibility by gray-shirting). That could become five with Stidham, but we'll wait on that until his enrollment becomes official.
That gives Baylor 77 scholarship players at this moment in time, leaving seven available scholarships in a 2015 recruiting class that -- subtracting Lynch, President and Desouza -- is 11-strong right now, with 2-3 more commitments expected. Two more scholarships could open up if Spencer Drango and Shawn Oakman forgo their senior seasons to go to the NFL draft, but that remains to be seen.
If both stay, again, that keeps Baylor at seven available scholarships. That will force offseason attrition once again, as anywhere from three to five players will likely have to leave the program to make room for incoming recruits (just who leaves is a conversation for another time).
Let's get inside the current scholarships/commitments a bit more in depth now.
2015 scholarship allotment by position:
DEFENSE (37 total): 7 Cornerbacks; 5 safeties; 6 Linebackers; 3 Nickel Backs; 9 Defensive ends; 7 Defensive tackles
OFFENSE (40): 17 Offensive linemen (including Devonte Jones and Desouza); 3 Quarterbacks (including President); 5 running backs; 4 tight ends; 10 receivers (with Lynch); 1 kicker; 0 Punters
What that means: Of the current 77 scholarship players, 33 of them -- 42 percent -- are linemen, either offensive or defensive. It's safe to say Baylor is loaded here and doesn't need to address these positions, although one more OL (Maurice Porter) will come in during the summer. The next highest scholarship totals: 12 defensive backs (15 percent of the scholarships) and 10 receivers (13 percent).
Scholarships by class (representing 2015 classification):
> 17 seniors
> 23 juniors
> 18 sophomores
> 17 RS freshmen
> 3 True freshmen
What that means: Baylor's senior class in 2015 is nearly double what it was in 2014, making this upcoming squad a much more experienced team, especially when you add in 23 juniors-to-be. But that doesn't come at the expense of youth, as Baylor has 38 current sophomores or below, plus the additions that will come with signing day. Overall, the eligibility is spread out nicely between all the classes, unlike last year when Baylor had a very small senior class.
Commitments/signees by position (14 total):
> 2 QB, 1 RB, 3 WR, 3 OL (9 offensive commitments);
> 0 DL, 1 LB, 2 DB, 1 ATH (4 defensive commitments);
> 1 Kicker/Punter
What that means: Baylor obviously has some ground to make up on the defensive side of the ball with more than twice as many offensive commitments. And considering Baylor has three more offensive players on scholarship than defensive, closing out this class on the defensive side is a must. Speaking of, let's wrap this up by looking at the players left on the board.
Remaining targets (9 known):
RB Soso Jamabo, Plano West -- Considering Baylor will have five RBs, the most experienced being two juniors, this isn't a priority position. But if you can get a guy like this, you take him. Baylor's chances aren't that high, however, so Jamabo appears to be a reach at this point.
WR DaMarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill -- Like RB, Baylor doesn't need another WR but you don't turn down guys like Lodge. Also like Jamabo, Baylor appears to be a longshot for the former A&M commit.
OL Riley Daniel (Houston commit), Ringling (OK) -- Baylor offered him late, and with Houston's coaching job settled but not able to recruit until after the dead period, Baylor could move in. But with two JUCO OLs coming, Devonte Jones arriving off his gray shirt plus Sam Tecklenburg, you have to wonder if Baylor would fill one of its final spots with another lineman.
LB Anthony Wheeler, Dallas Skyline -- He appears Oklahoma bound, and Baylor has probably cooled on him anyway, but he still has an offer out there and you just never know with recruiting. Nobody expected JW Ketchum to commit after all.
LB Richard Moore, Cedar Hill -- The Bears seem to have the edge here after he decommitted from Texas A&M earlier this month. Baylor had an in-home visit with him on Dec. 14, the night before the dead period start. Remember, the Bears have stayed after Moore just like they did with Jarrett Stidham.
CB Kris Boyd, Gilmer -- Baylor's hoping its best recruiter (Blake Lynch) can persuade his teammate to come with him. Since Gilmer's had a long playoff run, teams haven't been able to recruit him as hard, but Baylor does have a chance here.
CB Holton Hill, Houston Lamar -- He's not the biggest name on the list, but he could be the most important. Baylor was one of the first two schools to offer Hill and hasn't ramped down its recruiting since. This is a major need position, and Hill would give Baylor a stud CB signing it has lacked.
CB Jay'Onn Myles, Pierce CC (CA) -- This JUCO product appears to be the backup plan if Baylor can't get Boyd or Hill. Since he's not signing till February, Baylor can afford to wait and keep Myles just close enough (without getting a commitment) while the recruiting unfolds for their prime CB targets.
DT Darrion Daniels, Dallas Bishop Dunne -- The Bears are in Daniels' top six, and landing this 4-star product would prevent Baylor from getting shut out of defensive linemen (though, with current scholarship numbers, it's not a need position at all).
In summary: Baylor doesn't have to get any more commitments in this class, considering the scholarship limit has been exceeded as of now. That's why Baylor's remaining target list is pretty small -- and filled almost exclusively with 4- and 5-star talent. Baylor can afford to be very picky right now. A dream finish would be getting a couple more players from the list above, especially if neither of the players are Myles, who the Bears could probably land if they really wanted.
-Jake Shaw
What Hilliard's return means
After having surgery on his wrist in October, Desmine Hilliard was cleared to play in the Cotton Bowl Wednesday. His return to the offensive line will be very important as this will definitely add much needed depth to the right side.
With Troy Baker being out since the West Virginia game with a torn ACL, the right guard and tackle positions have been held down by Jarrell Broxton and Pat Colbert, respectively. Both have continued to improve and impress week by week, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the starting right guard position for the Cotton Bowl.
If Hilliard is truly back to 100% and shows it in practice, then he will definitely be starting. This doesn't mean that Broxton will sit the bench the entire game. More than likely, the coaches will go back to some sort of rotation between the two, as they had before Hilliard went down.
Should Desmine play, he likely will have something on his arm to protect his wrist, but free enough that he can actually use his hands. Either a brace or a custom made cast will be tried on to see how comfortable and practical it is for him in the game. With Hilliard's return, this will definitely improve how lethal this offense can be going into the bowl game.
-Nick Jean-Baptiste
An opposing point of view
With their seasons now complete, SicEmSports reached out to opposing coached who faced Baylor's three commits who appeared in the state championship games this past week. So don't take our word for it, take theirs.
Bill Elliott, Celina on Gilmer's Ath Blake Lynch (Gilmer defeated Celina in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals): "At our level, you don't see a 6-4 player like him so he's hard to match up against. We didn't have kids who could handle him. Our DBs were 5-7 and 5-8. Lynch was very physical. When he came off the line, we tried to re-direct him and had a safety come over the top. But he just handled us. He's a high level with his body control in space. When I watch him, he reminds me when Dez Bryant was at Oklahoma State. The arm length to control the ball is impressive. I could see him set big records when he gets to Baylor."
Ross Rogers, Bryan, on Temple QB Chad President (Temple's game with Bryan was canceled early in the season because of inclement weather in the middle of the first quarter): "Actually, I think he looks like Robert Griffin III. He's a thicker kid than Robert but doesn't have the track speed like Robert had. But he's plenty fast. Chad makes great decisions with the zone read. He understands that. If he stays healthy, he could be a top player in the Big 12.''
Jerry Vance, Liberty Hill, on Navasota WR Tren'Davian Dickson (Navasota defeated Liberty Hill, 49-26, in the Class 4A Division I state semifinals): "We tried to double cover him and did a pretty good job. We just let everybody else run free. He did get by us for one. Ultimately, our style was to try and keep him and their offense off the field. We did a poor job in the second half. To appreciate his speed, you need to sit in the end zone and watch him. The thing about his [65 yard TD reception] was that they hit him on a 30-yard play and he just ran away from us. We don't have anything like that to keep up with him. You can't coach speed. He's very impressive.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the notebook
>Frisco Centennial 2016 DB Raleigh Texada has been invited to Baylor Junior Day on Jan. 31, 2015.
>When Sachse 2016 DB Jared Mayden announced Thursday that he was moving Baylor back into his Top 5 and Texas A&M out of it, we asked him what brought the change. He said, "I kept talking to coach [Jim] Gush and coach [Carlton] Buckels. And when Buckels came up to the school, we had a really good conversation. That really helped them establish themselves with me.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
