Amani Bledsoe: The latest
Rivals 250 defensive end Amani Bledsoe of Lawrence, KS is at the Semper Fi All-American Game this weekend at Carson, CA. He took his official visit to Baylor the weekend of Dec. 5 when the Bears played Texas. Rated No. 154, Rivals West Coast analyst Blair Angulo visited with him on the latest.
Recruiting wrap: Bledsoe has a final five of Baylor, Kansas, N.C. State, Oklahoma and Oregon - all of which he has officially visited. He told Rivals.com he intends to make a decision soon and doesn't want to wait until National Signing Day.
Performance: The four-star was maybe the most physically imposing linemen on the West team. He drew rave reviews for his work in the one-on-one battles and later made a handful of plays during the live period. Bledsoe has the size and savvy to contribute early at the next level.
-Blair Angulo
Recruits react to Baylor’s Russell Athletic Bowl
Given the circumstances that Baylor faced going into Tuesday’s Russell Athletic Bowl and the manner in which the Bears won it, SicEmSports reached out to the 2016 class to get its impression.
>Kameron Martin, RB, Port Arthur Memorial: “A program that’s about business. Five years and 50 wins…that’s great.’’
>Chris Miller, S, Frisco Centennial: “That Art Briles and the team can find a way to win no matter what. When some big players are not with them, they find a way to step up.’’
>Kenan Ivy, S, Lancaster: “No matter what, the great coaching staff at Balor will work magic with what they have and do what they can to win.’’
>Bravvion Roy, NT, Spring: “That next season is about to be epic.’’
>Jared Atkinson, WR, Mesquite Horn: “Baylor is a team that doesn’t give up no matter what.’’
>Raleigh Texada, DB, Frisco Centennial: “We have a great coaching staff that can adjust to really any situation.’’
>Micheal Johnson, DE, Fort Bend Hightower: “It’s very resilient. The coaching staff and players know how to adjust and overcome obstacles.’’
>Zach Smith, QB, Grandview: “It showed the heart and resilience that these players and coaches have, to come out and perform like they did. Makes you think what they would’ve done if they had everyone healthy.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Ausbon thinking like Mond
On Tuesday, Baylor 2017 wide receiver commit Jhamon Ausbon of Houston St. Thomas announced he was transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl in January. That came a day after 2017 QB commit Kellen Mond announced his transfer.
Like Mond, Ausbon said he is considering enrolling early at Baylor in the spring semester for 2017. Ausbon said when he arrives at IMG he will look into his options and discuss what he can do with academic advisors and coaches.
Mond said Wednesday he still plans on becoming a mid-semester enrollee at Baylor in January 2017. Mond said he has already spoken with the IMG coaches about graduating early and was told there should not be any problems with that.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Position Grades
Now, that the 2015 season has concluded for No. 17 Baylor has finished 10-3, SicEmSports provides its grades for every position of this team. The grades are alphabetical.
Offense
Quarterback: Almost tempted to give this an incomplete when the Bears were down to using multiple choice and playing with a direct snap to the likes of Johnny Jefferson, Terence Williams and Lynx Hawthorne. But I can’t. Through the first seven games, Seth Russell was pretty solid but occasionally hurt himself with the ridiculous interception. See Lamar. His fearlessness cost him the season when he went down with the broken neck Oct. 24 against Iowa State. I thought the best game he played was against Texas Tech. Jarrett Stidham’s introduction to college football had some positive moments. But he also had a lot to learn as well, especially against Oklahoma when the Sooners pretty much took Corey Coleman away from him. And then he was lost at Oklahoma State with an ankle fracture. Chris Johnson ultimately takes this grade down because you have to understand his limitations. Look at the Russell Athletic Bowl. This wasn’t the season the Baylor coaches were expecting in August. But they had to handle it as best they could.
Grade: B
Running back: This could arguably the best group of running backs Baylor has ever assembled. You couldn’t have asked for a better start for Shock Linwood who appeared to be on his way to breaking Walter Abercrombie’s all-time rushing record. He will have to wait until 2016. Linwood finished with 1,329 yards but when injuries popped up it really slowed him down. He only had 353 in the final five games. But if you want to know how dependable this group is, look at the Russell Athletic Bowl when the Bears set a school and FBS bowl record of 645 yards. Johnny Jefferson reached 1,000 yards. Devin Chafin and Terence Williams each surpassed 500 yards. Baylor rushed for a single-season school-record 4,247 yards. That was nearly 500 yards more than what the passing game delivered.
Grade: A+
Wide receivers: What more do you say about NFL-bound and Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman, who set the single season school record for TD receptions with 20 and the school record for TD receptions in a career with 30. Coleman complimented his speed and disciplined route running with a physical style that made him tough to match up against. His Baylor career ended a game early when he missed the postseason with a sports hernia. He finished with 1,363 yards. KD Cannon’s season was very up and down. He finished with 868 yards but 422 of those came in three games against SMU, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Cannon is a great talent but needs the maturity to match it. When you look at Jay Lee (758 yards), you’re left asking could there have been more in his career. Obviously, the QB play for the final four games impacted everything. But after Coleman, there were still some consistency concerns.
Grade: B
Offensive line/TE: Baylor’s offense finished with 8,011 yards. It averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt and 16.4 yards per completion. A senior laden group left by Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American tackle Spencer Drango led the way. There were other all-conference performers in senior left guard Blake Muir, senior right guard Jarell Broxton and junior center Kyle Fuller. Before he got hurt, senior right tackle Pat Colbert was solid as well. Now, there were times when this unit didn’t dominate like everyone expected including Oklahoma and parts of the Texas and Iowa State games (yes, Baylor jumped out to a 35-0 lead against the Cyclones). Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other guy for playing well too. However, to finish the season like it did against North Carolina was the ideal was beyond impressive. This group left its mark at Baylor. As for Gus Penning at the TE/H back, he handled the role pretty well before a shoulder injury disrupted his season. He was also pretty decent at receiver at 6-109. LaQuan McGowan was a fan favorite and he had touchdowns against Oklahoma and Kansas.
Grade: A
Defense
Defensive line: All-American and Co-Big 12 defensive player of the year and junior nose tackle Andrew Billings is the quintessential player for that position. Look beyond his stat line (15 TFL and 5.5 sacks). His presence consistently drew double teams. Everybody held their breath when he sprained his ankle against West Virginia. But he returned against Kansas State. The stats will show that defensive end Shawn Oakman had 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and it was just OK. He could be dominant when the spirit moved him. He would disappear too. Beau Blackshear’s knee injury against Oklahoma really hurt the depth. Sometimes, Blackshear would get pushed around. Undersized K.J. Smith was asked to move to the inside. Byron Bonds wasn’t healthy either. Jamal Palmer was steady (13.5 TFL, 4.5 SK) a year removed from his torn ACL. This was a solid defensive line. Baylor finished with 30 sacks.
Grade: B
Linebacker: It wasn’t the year most people were expecting from this group. Sure, Grant Campbell led the team with 93 tackles but he was just average moving laterally and as far as the speed of the college game is concerned, he had his issues there as well. Taylor Young’s season was not as consistent as you would hope he was going to have. Teams figured out how to make his lack of size work against him. But when he was on, he was very good. In Aiavion Edwards case, it wasn’t how he started but how he finished. From the November on, Edwards was arguably the best linebacker on the field. We could see him slide over to Campbell’s position in 2016.
Grade: C+
Secondary/NB: Travon Blanchard emerged as arguably the second best player on the defense with is ability to create turnovers (2 INT, 2 FR and 3 FF). He was also second on the team in tackles with 83. There were times when he over pursued plays and took himself out of position. But for the most part, he grew into the role at NB. The secondary had probably its best year under defensive coordinator with 12 interceptions (Xavien Howard and Ryan Reid combined for eight and overall had pretty solid seasons) and allowing just 233 passing yards per game. Given that Baylor plays a lot of man coverage, you just have to accept the fact that it will give up some plays. But this group was a major reason why the defense was the best unit of this team for final six games of 2015. The points and yards allowed late to Oklahoma State and North Carolina were misleading because Baylor had control of the game by the end of the third quarter. Texas’ passing game converted one big play the entire night. Chance Waz had some issues in pass coverage. The offseason move to watch is if Davion Hall will move to the secondary given the glut of receivers this program will have. It might Hall’s best chance to play at the next level.
Grade: B-
Special teams: Baylor is in the market for a new place-kicker because Chris Callahan is simply not a factor. He made all of 83 of PAT, but when you pull an 0-fer on the field goals (0-3) from 40+, that’s a problem. If a drive stalls at the opposing team’s 30, then means the Bears had to go for it more. Callahan’s confidence had to be an issue by the end of the season. He was 8-of-13 but 2-of-5 in the last five games. Kyle Peterson was respectable on kickoffs. Drew Galitz had a pretty strong debut season averaging 40.7 yards per effort. The Baylor return games were solid with either Chris Platt or Ishmael Zamora returning them. Baylor’s coverage teams had their moments where guys wouldn’t stay in their lanes and allow big returns. Baylor’s special teams didn’t hurt this team. But it also didn’t really become a major factor either.
Grade: C+
Notable numbers
>Baylor had a 0 turnover ratio. It committed 26 turnovers (13 INT, 13 fumbles) and created 26 turnovers (14 INT, 12 fumbles).
>The Bears averaged 80 yards per game in penalties (it is what it is with that). Baylor converted on 3rd down at 47 percent (91-194) and converted on 4th down at 70 percent (28-40).
>Baylor will likely end the season leading the nation in scoring for the third consecutive season at 48.1 ppg. The Bears averaged a nation’s best 616.2 yards per game. The defense permitted 396.5 ypg and 28.3 ppg.
>Baylor was 61-70 in the red zone with 53 touchdowns (76 percent on TDs). Opponents were 38-42 in the red zone with 30 touchdowns (71 percent)
In the coming weeks, we'll start looking forward to the offseason and positions and the major issues each will face.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Amani Bledsoe: The latest
Rivals 250 defensive end Amani Bledsoe of Lawrence, KS is at the Semper Fi All-American Game this weekend at Carson, CA. He took his official visit to Baylor the weekend of Dec. 5 when the Bears played Texas. Rated No. 154, Rivals West Coast analyst Blair Angulo visited with him on the latest.
Recruiting wrap: Bledsoe has a final five of Baylor, Kansas, N.C. State, Oklahoma and Oregon - all of which he has officially visited. He told Rivals.com he intends to make a decision soon and doesn't want to wait until National Signing Day.
Performance: The four-star was maybe the most physically imposing linemen on the West team. He drew rave reviews for his work in the one-on-one battles and later made a handful of plays during the live period. Bledsoe has the size and savvy to contribute early at the next level.
-Blair Angulo
Recruits react to Baylor’s Russell Athletic Bowl
Given the circumstances that Baylor faced going into Tuesday’s Russell Athletic Bowl and the manner in which the Bears won it, SicEmSports reached out to the 2016 class to get its impression.
>Kameron Martin, RB, Port Arthur Memorial: “A program that’s about business. Five years and 50 wins…that’s great.’’
>Chris Miller, S, Frisco Centennial: “That Art Briles and the team can find a way to win no matter what. When some big players are not with them, they find a way to step up.’’
>Kenan Ivy, S, Lancaster: “No matter what, the great coaching staff at Balor will work magic with what they have and do what they can to win.’’
>Bravvion Roy, NT, Spring: “That next season is about to be epic.’’
>Jared Atkinson, WR, Mesquite Horn: “Baylor is a team that doesn’t give up no matter what.’’
>Raleigh Texada, DB, Frisco Centennial: “We have a great coaching staff that can adjust to really any situation.’’
>Micheal Johnson, DE, Fort Bend Hightower: “It’s very resilient. The coaching staff and players know how to adjust and overcome obstacles.’’
>Zach Smith, QB, Grandview: “It showed the heart and resilience that these players and coaches have, to come out and perform like they did. Makes you think what they would’ve done if they had everyone healthy.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Ausbon thinking like Mond
On Tuesday, Baylor 2017 wide receiver commit Jhamon Ausbon of Houston St. Thomas announced he was transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl in January. That came a day after 2017 QB commit Kellen Mond announced his transfer.
Like Mond, Ausbon said he is considering enrolling early at Baylor in the spring semester for 2017. Ausbon said when he arrives at IMG he will look into his options and discuss what he can do with academic advisors and coaches.
Mond said Wednesday he still plans on becoming a mid-semester enrollee at Baylor in January 2017. Mond said he has already spoken with the IMG coaches about graduating early and was told there should not be any problems with that.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Position Grades
Now, that the 2015 season has concluded for No. 17 Baylor has finished 10-3, SicEmSports provides its grades for every position of this team. The grades are alphabetical.
Offense
Quarterback: Almost tempted to give this an incomplete when the Bears were down to using multiple choice and playing with a direct snap to the likes of Johnny Jefferson, Terence Williams and Lynx Hawthorne. But I can’t. Through the first seven games, Seth Russell was pretty solid but occasionally hurt himself with the ridiculous interception. See Lamar. His fearlessness cost him the season when he went down with the broken neck Oct. 24 against Iowa State. I thought the best game he played was against Texas Tech. Jarrett Stidham’s introduction to college football had some positive moments. But he also had a lot to learn as well, especially against Oklahoma when the Sooners pretty much took Corey Coleman away from him. And then he was lost at Oklahoma State with an ankle fracture. Chris Johnson ultimately takes this grade down because you have to understand his limitations. Look at the Russell Athletic Bowl. This wasn’t the season the Baylor coaches were expecting in August. But they had to handle it as best they could.
Grade: B
Running back: This could arguably the best group of running backs Baylor has ever assembled. You couldn’t have asked for a better start for Shock Linwood who appeared to be on his way to breaking Walter Abercrombie’s all-time rushing record. He will have to wait until 2016. Linwood finished with 1,329 yards but when injuries popped up it really slowed him down. He only had 353 in the final five games. But if you want to know how dependable this group is, look at the Russell Athletic Bowl when the Bears set a school and FBS bowl record of 645 yards. Johnny Jefferson reached 1,000 yards. Devin Chafin and Terence Williams each surpassed 500 yards. Baylor rushed for a single-season school-record 4,247 yards. That was nearly 500 yards more than what the passing game delivered.
Grade: A+
Wide receivers: What more do you say about NFL-bound and Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman, who set the single season school record for TD receptions with 20 and the school record for TD receptions in a career with 30. Coleman complimented his speed and disciplined route running with a physical style that made him tough to match up against. His Baylor career ended a game early when he missed the postseason with a sports hernia. He finished with 1,363 yards. KD Cannon’s season was very up and down. He finished with 868 yards but 422 of those came in three games against SMU, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Cannon is a great talent but needs the maturity to match it. When you look at Jay Lee (758 yards), you’re left asking could there have been more in his career. Obviously, the QB play for the final four games impacted everything. But after Coleman, there were still some consistency concerns.
Grade: B
Offensive line/TE: Baylor’s offense finished with 8,011 yards. It averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt and 16.4 yards per completion. A senior laden group left by Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American tackle Spencer Drango led the way. There were other all-conference performers in senior left guard Blake Muir, senior right guard Jarell Broxton and junior center Kyle Fuller. Before he got hurt, senior right tackle Pat Colbert was solid as well. Now, there were times when this unit didn’t dominate like everyone expected including Oklahoma and parts of the Texas and Iowa State games (yes, Baylor jumped out to a 35-0 lead against the Cyclones). Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other guy for playing well too. However, to finish the season like it did against North Carolina was the ideal was beyond impressive. This group left its mark at Baylor. As for Gus Penning at the TE/H back, he handled the role pretty well before a shoulder injury disrupted his season. He was also pretty decent at receiver at 6-109. LaQuan McGowan was a fan favorite and he had touchdowns against Oklahoma and Kansas.
Grade: A
Defense
Defensive line: All-American and Co-Big 12 defensive player of the year and junior nose tackle Andrew Billings is the quintessential player for that position. Look beyond his stat line (15 TFL and 5.5 sacks). His presence consistently drew double teams. Everybody held their breath when he sprained his ankle against West Virginia. But he returned against Kansas State. The stats will show that defensive end Shawn Oakman had 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and it was just OK. He could be dominant when the spirit moved him. He would disappear too. Beau Blackshear’s knee injury against Oklahoma really hurt the depth. Sometimes, Blackshear would get pushed around. Undersized K.J. Smith was asked to move to the inside. Byron Bonds wasn’t healthy either. Jamal Palmer was steady (13.5 TFL, 4.5 SK) a year removed from his torn ACL. This was a solid defensive line. Baylor finished with 30 sacks.
Grade: B
Linebacker: It wasn’t the year most people were expecting from this group. Sure, Grant Campbell led the team with 93 tackles but he was just average moving laterally and as far as the speed of the college game is concerned, he had his issues there as well. Taylor Young’s season was not as consistent as you would hope he was going to have. Teams figured out how to make his lack of size work against him. But when he was on, he was very good. In Aiavion Edwards case, it wasn’t how he started but how he finished. From the November on, Edwards was arguably the best linebacker on the field. We could see him slide over to Campbell’s position in 2016.
Grade: C+
Secondary/NB: Travon Blanchard emerged as arguably the second best player on the defense with is ability to create turnovers (2 INT, 2 FR and 3 FF). He was also second on the team in tackles with 83. There were times when he over pursued plays and took himself out of position. But for the most part, he grew into the role at NB. The secondary had probably its best year under defensive coordinator with 12 interceptions (Xavien Howard and Ryan Reid combined for eight and overall had pretty solid seasons) and allowing just 233 passing yards per game. Given that Baylor plays a lot of man coverage, you just have to accept the fact that it will give up some plays. But this group was a major reason why the defense was the best unit of this team for final six games of 2015. The points and yards allowed late to Oklahoma State and North Carolina were misleading because Baylor had control of the game by the end of the third quarter. Texas’ passing game converted one big play the entire night. Chance Waz had some issues in pass coverage. The offseason move to watch is if Davion Hall will move to the secondary given the glut of receivers this program will have. It might Hall’s best chance to play at the next level.
Grade: B-
Special teams: Baylor is in the market for a new place-kicker because Chris Callahan is simply not a factor. He made all of 83 of PAT, but when you pull an 0-fer on the field goals (0-3) from 40+, that’s a problem. If a drive stalls at the opposing team’s 30, then means the Bears had to go for it more. Callahan’s confidence had to be an issue by the end of the season. He was 8-of-13 but 2-of-5 in the last five games. Kyle Peterson was respectable on kickoffs. Drew Galitz had a pretty strong debut season averaging 40.7 yards per effort. The Baylor return games were solid with either Chris Platt or Ishmael Zamora returning them. Baylor’s coverage teams had their moments where guys wouldn’t stay in their lanes and allow big returns. Baylor’s special teams didn’t hurt this team. But it also didn’t really become a major factor either.
Grade: C+
Notable numbers
>Baylor had a 0 turnover ratio. It committed 26 turnovers (13 INT, 13 fumbles) and created 26 turnovers (14 INT, 12 fumbles).
>The Bears averaged 80 yards per game in penalties (it is what it is with that). Baylor converted on 3rd down at 47 percent (91-194) and converted on 4th down at 70 percent (28-40).
>Baylor will likely end the season leading the nation in scoring for the third consecutive season at 48.1 ppg. The Bears averaged a nation’s best 616.2 yards per game. The defense permitted 396.5 ypg and 28.3 ppg.
>Baylor was 61-70 in the red zone with 53 touchdowns (76 percent on TDs). Opponents were 38-42 in the red zone with 30 touchdowns (71 percent)
In the coming weeks, we'll start looking forward to the offseason and positions and the major issues each will face.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Rivals 250 defensive end Amani Bledsoe of Lawrence, KS is at the Semper Fi All-American Game this weekend at Carson, CA. He took his official visit to Baylor the weekend of Dec. 5 when the Bears played Texas. Rated No. 154, Rivals West Coast analyst Blair Angulo visited with him on the latest.
Recruiting wrap: Bledsoe has a final five of Baylor, Kansas, N.C. State, Oklahoma and Oregon - all of which he has officially visited. He told Rivals.com he intends to make a decision soon and doesn't want to wait until National Signing Day.
Performance: The four-star was maybe the most physically imposing linemen on the West team. He drew rave reviews for his work in the one-on-one battles and later made a handful of plays during the live period. Bledsoe has the size and savvy to contribute early at the next level.
-Blair Angulo
Recruits react to Baylor’s Russell Athletic Bowl
Given the circumstances that Baylor faced going into Tuesday’s Russell Athletic Bowl and the manner in which the Bears won it, SicEmSports reached out to the 2016 class to get its impression.
>Kameron Martin, RB, Port Arthur Memorial: “A program that’s about business. Five years and 50 wins…that’s great.’’
>Chris Miller, S, Frisco Centennial: “That Art Briles and the team can find a way to win no matter what. When some big players are not with them, they find a way to step up.’’
>Kenan Ivy, S, Lancaster: “No matter what, the great coaching staff at Balor will work magic with what they have and do what they can to win.’’
>Bravvion Roy, NT, Spring: “That next season is about to be epic.’’
>Jared Atkinson, WR, Mesquite Horn: “Baylor is a team that doesn’t give up no matter what.’’
>Raleigh Texada, DB, Frisco Centennial: “We have a great coaching staff that can adjust to really any situation.’’
>Micheal Johnson, DE, Fort Bend Hightower: “It’s very resilient. The coaching staff and players know how to adjust and overcome obstacles.’’
>Zach Smith, QB, Grandview: “It showed the heart and resilience that these players and coaches have, to come out and perform like they did. Makes you think what they would’ve done if they had everyone healthy.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Ausbon thinking like Mond
On Tuesday, Baylor 2017 wide receiver commit Jhamon Ausbon of Houston St. Thomas announced he was transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl in January. That came a day after 2017 QB commit Kellen Mond announced his transfer.
Like Mond, Ausbon said he is considering enrolling early at Baylor in the spring semester for 2017. Ausbon said when he arrives at IMG he will look into his options and discuss what he can do with academic advisors and coaches.
Mond said Wednesday he still plans on becoming a mid-semester enrollee at Baylor in January 2017. Mond said he has already spoken with the IMG coaches about graduating early and was told there should not be any problems with that.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Position Grades
Now, that the 2015 season has concluded for No. 17 Baylor has finished 10-3, SicEmSports provides its grades for every position of this team. The grades are alphabetical.
Offense
Quarterback: Almost tempted to give this an incomplete when the Bears were down to using multiple choice and playing with a direct snap to the likes of Johnny Jefferson, Terence Williams and Lynx Hawthorne. But I can’t. Through the first seven games, Seth Russell was pretty solid but occasionally hurt himself with the ridiculous interception. See Lamar. His fearlessness cost him the season when he went down with the broken neck Oct. 24 against Iowa State. I thought the best game he played was against Texas Tech. Jarrett Stidham’s introduction to college football had some positive moments. But he also had a lot to learn as well, especially against Oklahoma when the Sooners pretty much took Corey Coleman away from him. And then he was lost at Oklahoma State with an ankle fracture. Chris Johnson ultimately takes this grade down because you have to understand his limitations. Look at the Russell Athletic Bowl. This wasn’t the season the Baylor coaches were expecting in August. But they had to handle it as best they could.
Grade: B
Running back: This could arguably the best group of running backs Baylor has ever assembled. You couldn’t have asked for a better start for Shock Linwood who appeared to be on his way to breaking Walter Abercrombie’s all-time rushing record. He will have to wait until 2016. Linwood finished with 1,329 yards but when injuries popped up it really slowed him down. He only had 353 in the final five games. But if you want to know how dependable this group is, look at the Russell Athletic Bowl when the Bears set a school and FBS bowl record of 645 yards. Johnny Jefferson reached 1,000 yards. Devin Chafin and Terence Williams each surpassed 500 yards. Baylor rushed for a single-season school-record 4,247 yards. That was nearly 500 yards more than what the passing game delivered.
Grade: A+
Wide receivers: What more do you say about NFL-bound and Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman, who set the single season school record for TD receptions with 20 and the school record for TD receptions in a career with 30. Coleman complimented his speed and disciplined route running with a physical style that made him tough to match up against. His Baylor career ended a game early when he missed the postseason with a sports hernia. He finished with 1,363 yards. KD Cannon’s season was very up and down. He finished with 868 yards but 422 of those came in three games against SMU, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Cannon is a great talent but needs the maturity to match it. When you look at Jay Lee (758 yards), you’re left asking could there have been more in his career. Obviously, the QB play for the final four games impacted everything. But after Coleman, there were still some consistency concerns.
Grade: B
Offensive line/TE: Baylor’s offense finished with 8,011 yards. It averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt and 16.4 yards per completion. A senior laden group left by Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American tackle Spencer Drango led the way. There were other all-conference performers in senior left guard Blake Muir, senior right guard Jarell Broxton and junior center Kyle Fuller. Before he got hurt, senior right tackle Pat Colbert was solid as well. Now, there were times when this unit didn’t dominate like everyone expected including Oklahoma and parts of the Texas and Iowa State games (yes, Baylor jumped out to a 35-0 lead against the Cyclones). Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other guy for playing well too. However, to finish the season like it did against North Carolina was the ideal was beyond impressive. This group left its mark at Baylor. As for Gus Penning at the TE/H back, he handled the role pretty well before a shoulder injury disrupted his season. He was also pretty decent at receiver at 6-109. LaQuan McGowan was a fan favorite and he had touchdowns against Oklahoma and Kansas.
Grade: A
Defense
Defensive line: All-American and Co-Big 12 defensive player of the year and junior nose tackle Andrew Billings is the quintessential player for that position. Look beyond his stat line (15 TFL and 5.5 sacks). His presence consistently drew double teams. Everybody held their breath when he sprained his ankle against West Virginia. But he returned against Kansas State. The stats will show that defensive end Shawn Oakman had 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and it was just OK. He could be dominant when the spirit moved him. He would disappear too. Beau Blackshear’s knee injury against Oklahoma really hurt the depth. Sometimes, Blackshear would get pushed around. Undersized K.J. Smith was asked to move to the inside. Byron Bonds wasn’t healthy either. Jamal Palmer was steady (13.5 TFL, 4.5 SK) a year removed from his torn ACL. This was a solid defensive line. Baylor finished with 30 sacks.
Grade: B
Linebacker: It wasn’t the year most people were expecting from this group. Sure, Grant Campbell led the team with 93 tackles but he was just average moving laterally and as far as the speed of the college game is concerned, he had his issues there as well. Taylor Young’s season was not as consistent as you would hope he was going to have. Teams figured out how to make his lack of size work against him. But when he was on, he was very good. In Aiavion Edwards case, it wasn’t how he started but how he finished. From the November on, Edwards was arguably the best linebacker on the field. We could see him slide over to Campbell’s position in 2016.
Grade: C+
Secondary/NB: Travon Blanchard emerged as arguably the second best player on the defense with is ability to create turnovers (2 INT, 2 FR and 3 FF). He was also second on the team in tackles with 83. There were times when he over pursued plays and took himself out of position. But for the most part, he grew into the role at NB. The secondary had probably its best year under defensive coordinator with 12 interceptions (Xavien Howard and Ryan Reid combined for eight and overall had pretty solid seasons) and allowing just 233 passing yards per game. Given that Baylor plays a lot of man coverage, you just have to accept the fact that it will give up some plays. But this group was a major reason why the defense was the best unit of this team for final six games of 2015. The points and yards allowed late to Oklahoma State and North Carolina were misleading because Baylor had control of the game by the end of the third quarter. Texas’ passing game converted one big play the entire night. Chance Waz had some issues in pass coverage. The offseason move to watch is if Davion Hall will move to the secondary given the glut of receivers this program will have. It might Hall’s best chance to play at the next level.
Grade: B-
Special teams: Baylor is in the market for a new place-kicker because Chris Callahan is simply not a factor. He made all of 83 of PAT, but when you pull an 0-fer on the field goals (0-3) from 40+, that’s a problem. If a drive stalls at the opposing team’s 30, then means the Bears had to go for it more. Callahan’s confidence had to be an issue by the end of the season. He was 8-of-13 but 2-of-5 in the last five games. Kyle Peterson was respectable on kickoffs. Drew Galitz had a pretty strong debut season averaging 40.7 yards per effort. The Baylor return games were solid with either Chris Platt or Ishmael Zamora returning them. Baylor’s coverage teams had their moments where guys wouldn’t stay in their lanes and allow big returns. Baylor’s special teams didn’t hurt this team. But it also didn’t really become a major factor either.
Grade: C+
Notable numbers
>Baylor had a 0 turnover ratio. It committed 26 turnovers (13 INT, 13 fumbles) and created 26 turnovers (14 INT, 12 fumbles).
>The Bears averaged 80 yards per game in penalties (it is what it is with that). Baylor converted on 3rd down at 47 percent (91-194) and converted on 4th down at 70 percent (28-40).
>Baylor will likely end the season leading the nation in scoring for the third consecutive season at 48.1 ppg. The Bears averaged a nation’s best 616.2 yards per game. The defense permitted 396.5 ypg and 28.3 ppg.
>Baylor was 61-70 in the red zone with 53 touchdowns (76 percent on TDs). Opponents were 38-42 in the red zone with 30 touchdowns (71 percent)
In the coming weeks, we'll start looking forward to the offseason and positions and the major issues each will face.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Amani Bledsoe: The latest
Rivals 250 defensive end Amani Bledsoe of Lawrence, KS is at the Semper Fi All-American Game this weekend at Carson, CA. He took his official visit to Baylor the weekend of Dec. 5 when the Bears played Texas. Rated No. 154, Rivals West Coast analyst Blair Angulo visited with him on the latest.
Recruiting wrap: Bledsoe has a final five of Baylor, Kansas, N.C. State, Oklahoma and Oregon - all of which he has officially visited. He told Rivals.com he intends to make a decision soon and doesn't want to wait until National Signing Day.
Performance: The four-star was maybe the most physically imposing linemen on the West team. He drew rave reviews for his work in the one-on-one battles and later made a handful of plays during the live period. Bledsoe has the size and savvy to contribute early at the next level.
-Blair Angulo
Recruits react to Baylor’s Russell Athletic Bowl
Given the circumstances that Baylor faced going into Tuesday’s Russell Athletic Bowl and the manner in which the Bears won it, SicEmSports reached out to the 2016 class to get its impression.
>Kameron Martin, RB, Port Arthur Memorial: “A program that’s about business. Five years and 50 wins…that’s great.’’
>Chris Miller, S, Frisco Centennial: “That Art Briles and the team can find a way to win no matter what. When some big players are not with them, they find a way to step up.’’
>Kenan Ivy, S, Lancaster: “No matter what, the great coaching staff at Balor will work magic with what they have and do what they can to win.’’
>Bravvion Roy, NT, Spring: “That next season is about to be epic.’’
>Jared Atkinson, WR, Mesquite Horn: “Baylor is a team that doesn’t give up no matter what.’’
>Raleigh Texada, DB, Frisco Centennial: “We have a great coaching staff that can adjust to really any situation.’’
>Micheal Johnson, DE, Fort Bend Hightower: “It’s very resilient. The coaching staff and players know how to adjust and overcome obstacles.’’
>Zach Smith, QB, Grandview: “It showed the heart and resilience that these players and coaches have, to come out and perform like they did. Makes you think what they would’ve done if they had everyone healthy.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Ausbon thinking like Mond
On Tuesday, Baylor 2017 wide receiver commit Jhamon Ausbon of Houston St. Thomas announced he was transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl in January. That came a day after 2017 QB commit Kellen Mond announced his transfer.
Like Mond, Ausbon said he is considering enrolling early at Baylor in the spring semester for 2017. Ausbon said when he arrives at IMG he will look into his options and discuss what he can do with academic advisors and coaches.
Mond said Wednesday he still plans on becoming a mid-semester enrollee at Baylor in January 2017. Mond said he has already spoken with the IMG coaches about graduating early and was told there should not be any problems with that.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Position Grades
Now, that the 2015 season has concluded for No. 17 Baylor has finished 10-3, SicEmSports provides its grades for every position of this team. The grades are alphabetical.
Offense
Quarterback: Almost tempted to give this an incomplete when the Bears were down to using multiple choice and playing with a direct snap to the likes of Johnny Jefferson, Terence Williams and Lynx Hawthorne. But I can’t. Through the first seven games, Seth Russell was pretty solid but occasionally hurt himself with the ridiculous interception. See Lamar. His fearlessness cost him the season when he went down with the broken neck Oct. 24 against Iowa State. I thought the best game he played was against Texas Tech. Jarrett Stidham’s introduction to college football had some positive moments. But he also had a lot to learn as well, especially against Oklahoma when the Sooners pretty much took Corey Coleman away from him. And then he was lost at Oklahoma State with an ankle fracture. Chris Johnson ultimately takes this grade down because you have to understand his limitations. Look at the Russell Athletic Bowl. This wasn’t the season the Baylor coaches were expecting in August. But they had to handle it as best they could.
Grade: B
Running back: This could arguably the best group of running backs Baylor has ever assembled. You couldn’t have asked for a better start for Shock Linwood who appeared to be on his way to breaking Walter Abercrombie’s all-time rushing record. He will have to wait until 2016. Linwood finished with 1,329 yards but when injuries popped up it really slowed him down. He only had 353 in the final five games. But if you want to know how dependable this group is, look at the Russell Athletic Bowl when the Bears set a school and FBS bowl record of 645 yards. Johnny Jefferson reached 1,000 yards. Devin Chafin and Terence Williams each surpassed 500 yards. Baylor rushed for a single-season school-record 4,247 yards. That was nearly 500 yards more than what the passing game delivered.
Grade: A+
Wide receivers: What more do you say about NFL-bound and Biletnikoff Award winner Corey Coleman, who set the single season school record for TD receptions with 20 and the school record for TD receptions in a career with 30. Coleman complimented his speed and disciplined route running with a physical style that made him tough to match up against. His Baylor career ended a game early when he missed the postseason with a sports hernia. He finished with 1,363 yards. KD Cannon’s season was very up and down. He finished with 868 yards but 422 of those came in three games against SMU, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Cannon is a great talent but needs the maturity to match it. When you look at Jay Lee (758 yards), you’re left asking could there have been more in his career. Obviously, the QB play for the final four games impacted everything. But after Coleman, there were still some consistency concerns.
Grade: B
Offensive line/TE: Baylor’s offense finished with 8,011 yards. It averaged 5.9 yards per rushing attempt and 16.4 yards per completion. A senior laden group left by Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-American tackle Spencer Drango led the way. There were other all-conference performers in senior left guard Blake Muir, senior right guard Jarell Broxton and junior center Kyle Fuller. Before he got hurt, senior right tackle Pat Colbert was solid as well. Now, there were times when this unit didn’t dominate like everyone expected including Oklahoma and parts of the Texas and Iowa State games (yes, Baylor jumped out to a 35-0 lead against the Cyclones). Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other guy for playing well too. However, to finish the season like it did against North Carolina was the ideal was beyond impressive. This group left its mark at Baylor. As for Gus Penning at the TE/H back, he handled the role pretty well before a shoulder injury disrupted his season. He was also pretty decent at receiver at 6-109. LaQuan McGowan was a fan favorite and he had touchdowns against Oklahoma and Kansas.
Grade: A
Defense
Defensive line: All-American and Co-Big 12 defensive player of the year and junior nose tackle Andrew Billings is the quintessential player for that position. Look beyond his stat line (15 TFL and 5.5 sacks). His presence consistently drew double teams. Everybody held their breath when he sprained his ankle against West Virginia. But he returned against Kansas State. The stats will show that defensive end Shawn Oakman had 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and it was just OK. He could be dominant when the spirit moved him. He would disappear too. Beau Blackshear’s knee injury against Oklahoma really hurt the depth. Sometimes, Blackshear would get pushed around. Undersized K.J. Smith was asked to move to the inside. Byron Bonds wasn’t healthy either. Jamal Palmer was steady (13.5 TFL, 4.5 SK) a year removed from his torn ACL. This was a solid defensive line. Baylor finished with 30 sacks.
Grade: B
Linebacker: It wasn’t the year most people were expecting from this group. Sure, Grant Campbell led the team with 93 tackles but he was just average moving laterally and as far as the speed of the college game is concerned, he had his issues there as well. Taylor Young’s season was not as consistent as you would hope he was going to have. Teams figured out how to make his lack of size work against him. But when he was on, he was very good. In Aiavion Edwards case, it wasn’t how he started but how he finished. From the November on, Edwards was arguably the best linebacker on the field. We could see him slide over to Campbell’s position in 2016.
Grade: C+
Secondary/NB: Travon Blanchard emerged as arguably the second best player on the defense with is ability to create turnovers (2 INT, 2 FR and 3 FF). He was also second on the team in tackles with 83. There were times when he over pursued plays and took himself out of position. But for the most part, he grew into the role at NB. The secondary had probably its best year under defensive coordinator with 12 interceptions (Xavien Howard and Ryan Reid combined for eight and overall had pretty solid seasons) and allowing just 233 passing yards per game. Given that Baylor plays a lot of man coverage, you just have to accept the fact that it will give up some plays. But this group was a major reason why the defense was the best unit of this team for final six games of 2015. The points and yards allowed late to Oklahoma State and North Carolina were misleading because Baylor had control of the game by the end of the third quarter. Texas’ passing game converted one big play the entire night. Chance Waz had some issues in pass coverage. The offseason move to watch is if Davion Hall will move to the secondary given the glut of receivers this program will have. It might Hall’s best chance to play at the next level.
Grade: B-
Special teams: Baylor is in the market for a new place-kicker because Chris Callahan is simply not a factor. He made all of 83 of PAT, but when you pull an 0-fer on the field goals (0-3) from 40+, that’s a problem. If a drive stalls at the opposing team’s 30, then means the Bears had to go for it more. Callahan’s confidence had to be an issue by the end of the season. He was 8-of-13 but 2-of-5 in the last five games. Kyle Peterson was respectable on kickoffs. Drew Galitz had a pretty strong debut season averaging 40.7 yards per effort. The Baylor return games were solid with either Chris Platt or Ishmael Zamora returning them. Baylor’s coverage teams had their moments where guys wouldn’t stay in their lanes and allow big returns. Baylor’s special teams didn’t hurt this team. But it also didn’t really become a major factor either.
Grade: C+
Notable numbers
>Baylor had a 0 turnover ratio. It committed 26 turnovers (13 INT, 13 fumbles) and created 26 turnovers (14 INT, 12 fumbles).
>The Bears averaged 80 yards per game in penalties (it is what it is with that). Baylor converted on 3rd down at 47 percent (91-194) and converted on 4th down at 70 percent (28-40).
>Baylor will likely end the season leading the nation in scoring for the third consecutive season at 48.1 ppg. The Bears averaged a nation’s best 616.2 yards per game. The defense permitted 396.5 ypg and 28.3 ppg.
>Baylor was 61-70 in the red zone with 53 touchdowns (76 percent on TDs). Opponents were 38-42 in the red zone with 30 touchdowns (71 percent)
In the coming weeks, we'll start looking forward to the offseason and positions and the major issues each will face.
-Kevin Lonnquist
