By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>The latest Baylor offer is for this 3-star tight end out of Arizona.
>A couple of highlights from Baylor 2022 MBB signee Keyonte George in the Metro Classic Thursday in Toms River, N.J. IMG Academy lost in double overtime to La Lumiere out of La Porte, IN, 93-91.
Gifford is a playmaker
Maybe all it took was a little nudge from Baylor. But for all the right reasons, when Pflugerville Weiss 2023 wide receiver Micah Gifford came to Baylor’s junior day last week, it solidified what he thought.
On Wednesday, the physically imposing receiver committed to Baylor. He’s the ninth commit to the class. At 6-3, he’s going to be a hard matchup for opposing corners. Length on the outside for vertical shots downfield is something that this Baylor offense needs in future seasons.
“I’ve always in the back of my mind wanted to go to Baylor,’’ Gifford said. “And after talking with Coach [Dallas] Baker and Coach [Shawn] Bell for a while I just felt a good connection and at home. So it made me want to lock it in with them.’’
Gifford enjoyed a very productive season for the Wolves who went 10-2 before losing in the area round of the Class 5A Division I Region III playoffs.
He caught 44 passes for 893 yards and 13 scores. His scores were second on the team, while his yards per catch topped all pass catchers.
Obviously, this was a bit of a crash course session between Gifford and Baker. Baker just arrived after spending the 2021 season at Buffalo. Baker just arrived last week.
“[Baker] seems like a genuine person,’’ Gifford said, “and just being able to talk about things other than football helped us click a lot.’’
Gifford had other offers from Mississippi State, Pitt and Indiana. Rivals has not rated him as of yet.
A good feel with Baylor
Bridgeland 2023 tight end Reid Mikeska was one of those who came away from Baylor’s junior day with a feeling about a program that validated what he was thinking.
“It was great, man. I loved it.’’ Mikeska said. “I’ve gotten to know [Offensive Coordinator Jeff] Grimes really well and we’ve formed a great relationship.”
The 4-star tight end has drawn 19 offers to this point of his recruitment. Baylor is included in a list that includes Michigan State, Tennessee and Iowa State. All of those programs have had a history of producing solid tight ends.
But Baylor is developing its own reputation. See Ben Sims and Drake Dabney. Mikeska is part of a diversified passing attack Bridgeland. He was one of seven pass catchers who had double digit reception numbers. While he was on the lower end of that group with 24 receptions. However, he averaged 17.6 yards per catch. In some respects, he is a carbon copy of Sims.
“[Grimes] wants tight ends who can do it all,’’ Mikeska said. “The fact that I can do all aspects of a tight end well such as blocking and running routes. Those are things he likes about my game.’’
He prides himself in his flexibility. Mikeska has the length to be an edge blocker or pass catcher at 6-6. While he is 230, that’s probably the ideal frame to come to college and get into a Division I strength program.
“A big athletic tight end that can play all positions a modern tight end would need to play,’’ he said.
It does appear that Baylor is in a good position at this point. What that will mean down the line is another question.
I mean I think I know all I need to know and have a great relationship with coach Grimes,’’ he said.
Rivals rates Mikeska is the No. 20 rated tight end and the No. 57 player rated in Texas.
Harrison-Pilot’s clarity
Rivals No. 80 Mikal Harrison-Pilot is listed as an athlete. Baylor likes him at wide receiver.
That was an important element the Temple 2023 standout learned last weekend at Baylor’s junior day. While he thinks he would be a wide receiver at the next level, Harrison-Pilot said he is open, and it won’t matter as much wherever he decides to go. Some like him in the secondary. Others just want to keep him as an athlete and then decide where to place him should he pick whoever that school is that feels that way.
But having some clarity with the program closest to Harrison-Pilot does carry some weight.
“Now that I know they are recruiting me as a WR, I’m going to keep building a relationship with Coach [Dallas] Baker and go from there,’’ Harrison-Pilot said. “Baylor will be in the mix but I’m just taking my time and not rushing anything.’’
Like many other wide receiver prospects, this was his first time to meet Baylor’s new wide receivers coach. There was some time for everybody to break the ice. After all, this was Baker being thrown into the recruiting circles and prospects trying to find out his story. Baker just joined the Baylor staff last week.
But Harrison-Pilot and Baker found something in common. Baker and Harrison-Pilot’s personal receivers coach Margin Hooks are similar in their styles.
“He knew coach Hooks who trains me so we started off talking about that and how he teaches the same techniques,’’ Harrison-Pilot said. “We played some Connect 4 and just got a chance to really get to know him and vice versa.’’
This is what Harrison-Pilot meant by that similarity: [Hooks] just teaches the same releases and how to sell routes a certain way to stress the DB.”
Harrison-Pilot was the Swiss Army Knife for Temple in 2021. As a receiver he averaged nearly 17 yards per catch and six scores. He also had an interception in the secondary for a team that finished 9-3. District coaches named him a first-team member at wide receiver.
Baylor hopes to see more and more of him especially when spring ball starts. At this point, Waco being so close is not an issue.
“No Baylor was my first offer so that’s big itself,’’ he said. “But location near or far will not be a major factor in where I choose. But Baylor is in a good place right now.’’
Now, it’s on to the track season where he will run the 200 as well as a leg in the 4x100 and 4x200. He’s also playing baseball again.
Along with his national rating, Rivals rates Harrison-Pilot as the No. 4 athlete and the No. 18 player in Texas.
Thomas reviews Baylor
Tulsa (OK) Union 3-star 2023 defensive tackle De’Marion Thomas has four really solid offers to his growing recruiting popularity.
Baylor is in the group along with Iowa State, Texas Tech and Arkansas. He attended Baylor’s junior day and got a chance to really get a sense for where he and the staff are currently.
“Baylor was amazing,’’ he said. “Loved the campus and environment, and yessir I can truly tell that Baylor stands out from the others The hospitality stands out the most. The staff wants to get to know me and my family, and Head Coach Dave Aranda is a great guy.”
Where it could matter is where he stands with a future position coach. In Baylor’s case, that’s going to be Dennis Johnson. Of course, Baylor’s defensive line got off to a slow start in 2021 before it became a true asset toward the latter half of the Big 12 Championship season.
He’s a great coach and also a great people person too,’’ Thomas said. “His approach was different from others, he was very passionate, and I can tell that he wanted me there. It just made me and my family feel at home.
Thomas has been a part of two teams with a state power making consecutive deep runs. In 2020, Union played in the Oklahoma Class 6A Division I state semifinals. In 2021, Union went 11-2.
There’s a little ways to go here. And the Arkansas offer is his most recent. Thomas just received it on Monday.
Rivals rates Thomas as the No. 24 defensive tackle and the No. 7 player in Oklahoma.
Publisher
The Topper
>The latest Baylor offer is for this 3-star tight end out of Arizona.
>A couple of highlights from Baylor 2022 MBB signee Keyonte George in the Metro Classic Thursday in Toms River, N.J. IMG Academy lost in double overtime to La Lumiere out of La Porte, IN, 93-91.
Gifford is a playmaker
Maybe all it took was a little nudge from Baylor. But for all the right reasons, when Pflugerville Weiss 2023 wide receiver Micah Gifford came to Baylor’s junior day last week, it solidified what he thought.
On Wednesday, the physically imposing receiver committed to Baylor. He’s the ninth commit to the class. At 6-3, he’s going to be a hard matchup for opposing corners. Length on the outside for vertical shots downfield is something that this Baylor offense needs in future seasons.
“I’ve always in the back of my mind wanted to go to Baylor,’’ Gifford said. “And after talking with Coach [Dallas] Baker and Coach [Shawn] Bell for a while I just felt a good connection and at home. So it made me want to lock it in with them.’’
Gifford enjoyed a very productive season for the Wolves who went 10-2 before losing in the area round of the Class 5A Division I Region III playoffs.
He caught 44 passes for 893 yards and 13 scores. His scores were second on the team, while his yards per catch topped all pass catchers.
Obviously, this was a bit of a crash course session between Gifford and Baker. Baker just arrived after spending the 2021 season at Buffalo. Baker just arrived last week.
“[Baker] seems like a genuine person,’’ Gifford said, “and just being able to talk about things other than football helped us click a lot.’’
Gifford had other offers from Mississippi State, Pitt and Indiana. Rivals has not rated him as of yet.
A good feel with Baylor
Bridgeland 2023 tight end Reid Mikeska was one of those who came away from Baylor’s junior day with a feeling about a program that validated what he was thinking.
“It was great, man. I loved it.’’ Mikeska said. “I’ve gotten to know [Offensive Coordinator Jeff] Grimes really well and we’ve formed a great relationship.”
The 4-star tight end has drawn 19 offers to this point of his recruitment. Baylor is included in a list that includes Michigan State, Tennessee and Iowa State. All of those programs have had a history of producing solid tight ends.
But Baylor is developing its own reputation. See Ben Sims and Drake Dabney. Mikeska is part of a diversified passing attack Bridgeland. He was one of seven pass catchers who had double digit reception numbers. While he was on the lower end of that group with 24 receptions. However, he averaged 17.6 yards per catch. In some respects, he is a carbon copy of Sims.
“[Grimes] wants tight ends who can do it all,’’ Mikeska said. “The fact that I can do all aspects of a tight end well such as blocking and running routes. Those are things he likes about my game.’’
He prides himself in his flexibility. Mikeska has the length to be an edge blocker or pass catcher at 6-6. While he is 230, that’s probably the ideal frame to come to college and get into a Division I strength program.
“A big athletic tight end that can play all positions a modern tight end would need to play,’’ he said.
It does appear that Baylor is in a good position at this point. What that will mean down the line is another question.
I mean I think I know all I need to know and have a great relationship with coach Grimes,’’ he said.
Rivals rates Mikeska is the No. 20 rated tight end and the No. 57 player rated in Texas.
Harrison-Pilot’s clarity
Rivals No. 80 Mikal Harrison-Pilot is listed as an athlete. Baylor likes him at wide receiver.
That was an important element the Temple 2023 standout learned last weekend at Baylor’s junior day. While he thinks he would be a wide receiver at the next level, Harrison-Pilot said he is open, and it won’t matter as much wherever he decides to go. Some like him in the secondary. Others just want to keep him as an athlete and then decide where to place him should he pick whoever that school is that feels that way.
But having some clarity with the program closest to Harrison-Pilot does carry some weight.
“Now that I know they are recruiting me as a WR, I’m going to keep building a relationship with Coach [Dallas] Baker and go from there,’’ Harrison-Pilot said. “Baylor will be in the mix but I’m just taking my time and not rushing anything.’’
Like many other wide receiver prospects, this was his first time to meet Baylor’s new wide receivers coach. There was some time for everybody to break the ice. After all, this was Baker being thrown into the recruiting circles and prospects trying to find out his story. Baker just joined the Baylor staff last week.
But Harrison-Pilot and Baker found something in common. Baker and Harrison-Pilot’s personal receivers coach Margin Hooks are similar in their styles.
“He knew coach Hooks who trains me so we started off talking about that and how he teaches the same techniques,’’ Harrison-Pilot said. “We played some Connect 4 and just got a chance to really get to know him and vice versa.’’
This is what Harrison-Pilot meant by that similarity: [Hooks] just teaches the same releases and how to sell routes a certain way to stress the DB.”
Harrison-Pilot was the Swiss Army Knife for Temple in 2021. As a receiver he averaged nearly 17 yards per catch and six scores. He also had an interception in the secondary for a team that finished 9-3. District coaches named him a first-team member at wide receiver.
Baylor hopes to see more and more of him especially when spring ball starts. At this point, Waco being so close is not an issue.
“No Baylor was my first offer so that’s big itself,’’ he said. “But location near or far will not be a major factor in where I choose. But Baylor is in a good place right now.’’
Now, it’s on to the track season where he will run the 200 as well as a leg in the 4x100 and 4x200. He’s also playing baseball again.
Along with his national rating, Rivals rates Harrison-Pilot as the No. 4 athlete and the No. 18 player in Texas.
Thomas reviews Baylor
Tulsa (OK) Union 3-star 2023 defensive tackle De’Marion Thomas has four really solid offers to his growing recruiting popularity.
Baylor is in the group along with Iowa State, Texas Tech and Arkansas. He attended Baylor’s junior day and got a chance to really get a sense for where he and the staff are currently.
“Baylor was amazing,’’ he said. “Loved the campus and environment, and yessir I can truly tell that Baylor stands out from the others The hospitality stands out the most. The staff wants to get to know me and my family, and Head Coach Dave Aranda is a great guy.”
Where it could matter is where he stands with a future position coach. In Baylor’s case, that’s going to be Dennis Johnson. Of course, Baylor’s defensive line got off to a slow start in 2021 before it became a true asset toward the latter half of the Big 12 Championship season.
He’s a great coach and also a great people person too,’’ Thomas said. “His approach was different from others, he was very passionate, and I can tell that he wanted me there. It just made me and my family feel at home.
Thomas has been a part of two teams with a state power making consecutive deep runs. In 2020, Union played in the Oklahoma Class 6A Division I state semifinals. In 2021, Union went 11-2.
There’s a little ways to go here. And the Arkansas offer is his most recent. Thomas just received it on Monday.
Rivals rates Thomas as the No. 24 defensive tackle and the No. 7 player in Oklahoma.
