NOTE: Gilmer Ath Blake Lynch sent out a tweet Saturday afternoon that he is withdrawing from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 in San Antonio.
He said on twitter that he wanted to spend time with his family and friends before he reported to Baylor on Jan. 8. However, remember he told SicEmSports last week that he pulled his left hamstring in the Class 4A Division II state championship game on Dec. 19 against West Orange-Stark. He called it a bad pull but doesn't believe it is torn.
Lynch said the hamstring had not improved well enough for him to play in the game. He was scheduled to arrive in San Antonio on Friday.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Offer arrives for McCulloch finally
Baylor had been telling 2016 Aldine Davis LB Jeffrey McCulloch an offer would arrive soon. He believed the staff -- he just didn't think it would come this soon.
Baylor had told him an offer would come after it had wrapped up its 2015 class. But it came on Friday instead.
"I was sitting at the mall and coach Gush told me to call them," McCulloch said. "He said he had good news and had talked to coach (Art) Briles and they had watched my film. He put me on speaker and told me and my mom that I had a Baylor offer.
"Nothing led me to believe the offer would come this weekend."
He and his mom had different reactions -- but both were positive.
"My mom started crying," McCulloch admitted. As for him, he was thrilled. He said his feelings about Baylor "can't change much more. They're already at the top with a couple of other people."
McCulloch will be in Waco for Baylor's first junior day and plans to attend similar events at Texas and Texas A&M. We'll be in steady contact with this prospect who obviously likes Baylor as much as Baylor likes him.
-Jake Shaw
Jackson looking at Junior Day
Cibolo Steele 2016 DE Mark Jackson said Saturday he is close to announcing a list of his top schools. Jackson didn't specify if it would be a Top 10 or a Top 5.
"It's coming soon,'' he said.
However, Jackson does have an invite to Baylor's Jan. 31 Junior Day. And everything appears to be going well with Baylor establishing a relationship with him. Jackson spoke with defensive line coach Chris Achuff on Christmas Day.
"It's a great school,'' Jackson said. "I like coach Achuff a lot. It's an excellent program.''
The Knights finished the season at 13-2 and lost to Katy in the Class 5A Division II state semifinals.
Jackson finished with a big season. The Rivals No. 211 rated prospect finished the season with 59 tackles (32 for losses), 11 sacks and 22 hurries. In other words, he spent a lot of time in the opposing team's backfield.
But Jackson holds himself to a standard that can help players reach higher levels.
"[2014] was OK, I guess,'' he said. "I feel I could have maybe done more.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Kameron Martin update
As you saw last week, Kameron Martin announced that he is shutting down his recruitment and said he is 100 percent to Baylor. The Port Arthur Memorial 2016 RB, ranked No. 165 in the Rivals 250 and ranked as the No. 1 all-purpose running back, said he will be participating in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl combine Friday in San Antonio. The Baylor commit said he will arrive in San Antonio on Thursday.
"I'm blessed to have this opportunity,'' Martin said. "There have been a lot of good players who have had a chance to show their skills. So be able to do this is a dream come true.''
Martin continues to keep in consistent contact with the Baylor coaching staff and should be at the Jan. 31 junior day in Waco. While the Titans didn't make the playoffs, Martin demonstrated that he was worthy of the ranking. He finished with 1,011 total offensive yards. He finished with 903 rushing yards and 18 TDs and 108 receiving and one score.
"All I'm going to do is keep working,'' Martin said. "I have a great relationship with the coaches. They make me feel like I'm one of the family.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball recruiting notes
Baylor 2015 signee King McClure of Triple A Academy is having a huge season. As the team heads to a tournament in Aldine the first of next week, McClure is averaging the following:
>31.5 ppg
>56 percent 3 point
>72 percent 2 point
>88 percent free throws
>3-1 assists to turnover ratio
As for 2016 commit Mark Vital and 2016 SG Terrance Ferguson of Prime Prep, the two each scored 19 points in the first game of the Under Armour Holiday Classic. The tournament runs through this weekend. Ferguson recently listed Baylor as among his leaders.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Early NFL Mock Draft report
Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to make their intentions known about their NFL draft status. Baylor should have an answer on both junior DE Shawn Oakman and junior LT Spencer Drango well before that.
In the CBS sports mock draft, Oakman is projected to be the 12th overall draft choice. However, there was a report that one NFL executive didn't consider Oakman a draft worthy player until the third day. That's the fourth through the seventh rounds.
Drango is projected to go in the second round as the 55th overall choice. Drango's decision could impact how Baylor is playing this with Ringling, OK OL Riley Daniel. Although Daniel is a guard, Baylor would need another lineman anyway. JUCO transfers Dominic Desouza (signed on Dec. 17) and Mo Porter (expected to sign on Feb. 4) are tackles.
The 2015 NFL draft will be held April 30-May 2 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced in October.
-SicEmSports
Big 12 Bowl Previews
A look at the seven Big 12 teams playing in their bowl games. All times are central.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)
Monday, 1:00 p.m. Liberty Bowl, Memphis (ESPN)
The skinny: A reunion of sorts for the Aggies and the Big 12, although the Mountaineers are one of those who replaced them and Missouri two years ago. A&M is looking for a defensive coordinator as this unit has been pretty bad during the Kevin Sumlin era. West Virginia QB Clint Trickett has given up football as concussions - five in 14 months - denied him the chance to play Monday. Sophomore Skyler Howard will get the start.
Russell Athletic Bowl
Oklahoma (8-4) vs. No. 17 Clemson (9-3)
Monday, 4:30 p.m. Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando (ESPN)
The skinny: Several storylines as Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight returns from missing the final three games of the year with a neck injury. Plus, former Sooner defensive coordinator Brent Venables will face his former program since he left after the 2011 season. He has the nation's top defense at 259.6 ypg. Clemson also has new offensive coordinators as Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott replace Chad Morris who became SMU's new head coach on Dec. 1
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas (6-6) vs. Arkansas (6-6)
Monday: 8:00 p.m. NRG Stadium, Houston (ESPN)
The skinny: The former Southwest Conference rivals meet for the 78th time. Texas leads, 56-21. This game mirrors teams with similar styles: live by a physical running game, use enough of the passing game and play tough defense. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen played pretty well down the stretch and threw only five interceptions. Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes was very up and down. His job in the spring is not a guarantee.
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 9 Ole Miss (9-3) vs. No. 6 TCU (11-1)
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Georgia Dome, Atlanta (ESPN)
The skinny: A battle of two pretty solid defenses. Ole Miss is in the top 15 in several categories. TCU ranked in among the Big 12's best. Oddly, the Rebels are looking for their seventh straight bowl win. TCU has won six of their last eight bowl games under Gary Patterson. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace can be streaky but when he's good, he's very good. TCU QB Trevone Boykin emerged as one of the best players in college football throwing for 3,714 yards and 30 TDs. He also rushed for nearly 650.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
No. 8 Michigan State (10-2) vs. No. 5 Baylor (11-1)
Thursday, 11:30 am AT&T Stadium, Arlington (ESPN)
The skinny: The Big 12 co-champion Bears (yes, they own the tie-breaker over TCU) come in as a slight favorite but are as healthy as they have been all season with RB Devin Chafin (elbow) and OL Desmine Hilliard (wrist) cleared to play. The Spartans are losing DC Pat Narduzzi to Pittsburgh but he will coach the bowl game. He has a big job on how to stop Baylor's explosive offense.
Valero Alamo Bowl
No. 11 Kansas State (9-3) vs. No. 14 UCLA (9-3)
Friday, 5:45 p.m. Alamodome, San Antonio (ESPN)
The skinny: This will be the final game for K-State WR Tyler Lockett who leaves as the program's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. It's also the final game QB Tyler Lockett. It could also be the final game for UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley who threw for more than 3,000 yards but was under a lot of duress because of a ragged offensive line.
TicketCity Cactus Bowl
Washington (8-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6)
Friday: 9:15 p.m. Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
The skinny: Huskies first-year coach Chris Petersen brings his program to postseason play, while Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, who now appears to be staying, found a way to get his program back into the postseason following a 38-35 overtime victory at Oklahoma in the regular season finale on Dec. 6. The Cowboys will not have all-everything return and offensive specialist Tyreek Hill who was dismissed from the team earlier this month following a domestic assault charge. Washington QB Cyler Miles returned from a one-game suspension earlier this year and has thrown for more than 2,100 yards and only three interceptions.
-SicEmSports
Emptying the Notebook
>To no one's surprise Part I - Sachse 2016 WR Devin Duvernay has received an invitation to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31. Duvernay, the No. 169 prospect in the Rivals 250, said he has kept in touch with newly named offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. So Baylor's position on Duvernay appears to stay on course.
>To no one's surprise Part II - Houston MacArthur DE Isaiah Chambers has also received an invitation to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31. Chambers is the No. 208 prospect on the Rivals 250.
>Baylor senior LB Bryce Hager and punter Spencer Roth have accepted invitations to play in the East-West Shrine game on Jan. 17 in St. Petersburg, FL. No Baylor players have yet accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24 in Mobile, Al. However, that could change once the bowl season has ended.
>Baylor has still not offered Fort Worth All Saints DT Mike Williams. However, Williams said he believes the contact with the coaching staff is picking up. He's hopeful that an invitation will come soon.
>Baylor has its eye on Fort Worth All Saints 2016 DB/WR Isaiah Harris. The pace of his recruitment could pick up once the dead period ends on Jan. 14. Harris a recruit who started to open a lot of program's eyes with his play in 2014.
-SicEmSports
He said on twitter that he wanted to spend time with his family and friends before he reported to Baylor on Jan. 8. However, remember he told SicEmSports last week that he pulled his left hamstring in the Class 4A Division II state championship game on Dec. 19 against West Orange-Stark. He called it a bad pull but doesn't believe it is torn.
Lynch said the hamstring had not improved well enough for him to play in the game. He was scheduled to arrive in San Antonio on Friday.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Offer arrives for McCulloch finally
Baylor had been telling 2016 Aldine Davis LB Jeffrey McCulloch an offer would arrive soon. He believed the staff -- he just didn't think it would come this soon.
Baylor had told him an offer would come after it had wrapped up its 2015 class. But it came on Friday instead.
"I was sitting at the mall and coach Gush told me to call them," McCulloch said. "He said he had good news and had talked to coach (Art) Briles and they had watched my film. He put me on speaker and told me and my mom that I had a Baylor offer.
"Nothing led me to believe the offer would come this weekend."
He and his mom had different reactions -- but both were positive.
"My mom started crying," McCulloch admitted. As for him, he was thrilled. He said his feelings about Baylor "can't change much more. They're already at the top with a couple of other people."
McCulloch will be in Waco for Baylor's first junior day and plans to attend similar events at Texas and Texas A&M. We'll be in steady contact with this prospect who obviously likes Baylor as much as Baylor likes him.
-Jake Shaw
Jackson looking at Junior Day
Cibolo Steele 2016 DE Mark Jackson said Saturday he is close to announcing a list of his top schools. Jackson didn't specify if it would be a Top 10 or a Top 5.
"It's coming soon,'' he said.
However, Jackson does have an invite to Baylor's Jan. 31 Junior Day. And everything appears to be going well with Baylor establishing a relationship with him. Jackson spoke with defensive line coach Chris Achuff on Christmas Day.
"It's a great school,'' Jackson said. "I like coach Achuff a lot. It's an excellent program.''
The Knights finished the season at 13-2 and lost to Katy in the Class 5A Division II state semifinals.
Jackson finished with a big season. The Rivals No. 211 rated prospect finished the season with 59 tackles (32 for losses), 11 sacks and 22 hurries. In other words, he spent a lot of time in the opposing team's backfield.
But Jackson holds himself to a standard that can help players reach higher levels.
"[2014] was OK, I guess,'' he said. "I feel I could have maybe done more.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Kameron Martin update
As you saw last week, Kameron Martin announced that he is shutting down his recruitment and said he is 100 percent to Baylor. The Port Arthur Memorial 2016 RB, ranked No. 165 in the Rivals 250 and ranked as the No. 1 all-purpose running back, said he will be participating in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl combine Friday in San Antonio. The Baylor commit said he will arrive in San Antonio on Thursday.
"I'm blessed to have this opportunity,'' Martin said. "There have been a lot of good players who have had a chance to show their skills. So be able to do this is a dream come true.''
Martin continues to keep in consistent contact with the Baylor coaching staff and should be at the Jan. 31 junior day in Waco. While the Titans didn't make the playoffs, Martin demonstrated that he was worthy of the ranking. He finished with 1,011 total offensive yards. He finished with 903 rushing yards and 18 TDs and 108 receiving and one score.
"All I'm going to do is keep working,'' Martin said. "I have a great relationship with the coaches. They make me feel like I'm one of the family.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball recruiting notes
Baylor 2015 signee King McClure of Triple A Academy is having a huge season. As the team heads to a tournament in Aldine the first of next week, McClure is averaging the following:
>31.5 ppg
>56 percent 3 point
>72 percent 2 point
>88 percent free throws
>3-1 assists to turnover ratio
As for 2016 commit Mark Vital and 2016 SG Terrance Ferguson of Prime Prep, the two each scored 19 points in the first game of the Under Armour Holiday Classic. The tournament runs through this weekend. Ferguson recently listed Baylor as among his leaders.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Early NFL Mock Draft report
Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to make their intentions known about their NFL draft status. Baylor should have an answer on both junior DE Shawn Oakman and junior LT Spencer Drango well before that.
In the CBS sports mock draft, Oakman is projected to be the 12th overall draft choice. However, there was a report that one NFL executive didn't consider Oakman a draft worthy player until the third day. That's the fourth through the seventh rounds.
Drango is projected to go in the second round as the 55th overall choice. Drango's decision could impact how Baylor is playing this with Ringling, OK OL Riley Daniel. Although Daniel is a guard, Baylor would need another lineman anyway. JUCO transfers Dominic Desouza (signed on Dec. 17) and Mo Porter (expected to sign on Feb. 4) are tackles.
The 2015 NFL draft will be held April 30-May 2 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced in October.
-SicEmSports
Big 12 Bowl Previews
A look at the seven Big 12 teams playing in their bowl games. All times are central.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Texas A&M (7-5) vs. West Virginia (7-5)
Monday, 1:00 p.m. Liberty Bowl, Memphis (ESPN)
The skinny: A reunion of sorts for the Aggies and the Big 12, although the Mountaineers are one of those who replaced them and Missouri two years ago. A&M is looking for a defensive coordinator as this unit has been pretty bad during the Kevin Sumlin era. West Virginia QB Clint Trickett has given up football as concussions - five in 14 months - denied him the chance to play Monday. Sophomore Skyler Howard will get the start.
Russell Athletic Bowl
Oklahoma (8-4) vs. No. 17 Clemson (9-3)
Monday, 4:30 p.m. Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando (ESPN)
The skinny: Several storylines as Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight returns from missing the final three games of the year with a neck injury. Plus, former Sooner defensive coordinator Brent Venables will face his former program since he left after the 2011 season. He has the nation's top defense at 259.6 ypg. Clemson also has new offensive coordinators as Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott replace Chad Morris who became SMU's new head coach on Dec. 1
Advocare V100 Texas Bowl
Texas (6-6) vs. Arkansas (6-6)
Monday: 8:00 p.m. NRG Stadium, Houston (ESPN)
The skinny: The former Southwest Conference rivals meet for the 78th time. Texas leads, 56-21. This game mirrors teams with similar styles: live by a physical running game, use enough of the passing game and play tough defense. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen played pretty well down the stretch and threw only five interceptions. Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes was very up and down. His job in the spring is not a guarantee.
Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl
No. 9 Ole Miss (9-3) vs. No. 6 TCU (11-1)
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. Georgia Dome, Atlanta (ESPN)
The skinny: A battle of two pretty solid defenses. Ole Miss is in the top 15 in several categories. TCU ranked in among the Big 12's best. Oddly, the Rebels are looking for their seventh straight bowl win. TCU has won six of their last eight bowl games under Gary Patterson. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace can be streaky but when he's good, he's very good. TCU QB Trevone Boykin emerged as one of the best players in college football throwing for 3,714 yards and 30 TDs. He also rushed for nearly 650.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl
No. 8 Michigan State (10-2) vs. No. 5 Baylor (11-1)
Thursday, 11:30 am AT&T Stadium, Arlington (ESPN)
The skinny: The Big 12 co-champion Bears (yes, they own the tie-breaker over TCU) come in as a slight favorite but are as healthy as they have been all season with RB Devin Chafin (elbow) and OL Desmine Hilliard (wrist) cleared to play. The Spartans are losing DC Pat Narduzzi to Pittsburgh but he will coach the bowl game. He has a big job on how to stop Baylor's explosive offense.
Valero Alamo Bowl
No. 11 Kansas State (9-3) vs. No. 14 UCLA (9-3)
Friday, 5:45 p.m. Alamodome, San Antonio (ESPN)
The skinny: This will be the final game for K-State WR Tyler Lockett who leaves as the program's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. It's also the final game QB Tyler Lockett. It could also be the final game for UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley who threw for more than 3,000 yards but was under a lot of duress because of a ragged offensive line.
TicketCity Cactus Bowl
Washington (8-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6)
Friday: 9:15 p.m. Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
The skinny: Huskies first-year coach Chris Petersen brings his program to postseason play, while Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, who now appears to be staying, found a way to get his program back into the postseason following a 38-35 overtime victory at Oklahoma in the regular season finale on Dec. 6. The Cowboys will not have all-everything return and offensive specialist Tyreek Hill who was dismissed from the team earlier this month following a domestic assault charge. Washington QB Cyler Miles returned from a one-game suspension earlier this year and has thrown for more than 2,100 yards and only three interceptions.
-SicEmSports
Emptying the Notebook
>To no one's surprise Part I - Sachse 2016 WR Devin Duvernay has received an invitation to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31. Duvernay, the No. 169 prospect in the Rivals 250, said he has kept in touch with newly named offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. So Baylor's position on Duvernay appears to stay on course.
>To no one's surprise Part II - Houston MacArthur DE Isaiah Chambers has also received an invitation to Baylor's junior day on Jan. 31. Chambers is the No. 208 prospect on the Rivals 250.
>Baylor senior LB Bryce Hager and punter Spencer Roth have accepted invitations to play in the East-West Shrine game on Jan. 17 in St. Petersburg, FL. No Baylor players have yet accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24 in Mobile, Al. However, that could change once the bowl season has ended.
>Baylor has still not offered Fort Worth All Saints DT Mike Williams. However, Williams said he believes the contact with the coaching staff is picking up. He's hopeful that an invitation will come soon.
>Baylor has its eye on Fort Worth All Saints 2016 DB/WR Isaiah Harris. The pace of his recruitment could pick up once the dead period ends on Jan. 14. Harris a recruit who started to open a lot of program's eyes with his play in 2014.
-SicEmSports
