NOTE: The content on the Baylor Blitz is solely meant for the subscribers of SicEmSports. Let's all please make sure that whatever is written here stays here. We appreciate you all helping us with this. Now, let's all take a look at Baylor recruiting and what else is going on involving the Bears.
The Topper
We've learned that Baylor is interested in recently dismissed Duke junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon. While it's too early to know where exactly this is going, it would make sense for Baylor to become involved since the Bears were involved in the Houston native's recruitment before he went to the Blue Devils.
In 20 games for Duke, he averaged 7.5 points per game but made history by becoming the first player in coach Mike Krzyzewski's tenure to be dismissed. Sulaimon's playing time was impacted with the additions of talented freshmen guard Tyus Jones and forward Justise Winslow.
No. 20 Baylor (15-5, 3-4) plays host to No. 19 Texas (14-6, 3-4) at 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Both teams are coming off road losses. Baylor lost at Oklahoma State on Tuesday, 64-53. Texas lost at Iowa State on Monday, 89-86.
-SicEmSports
Junior day list
Baylor holds its first junior day on Saturday afternoon. Recruits are expected to arrive about noon and spend about three hours touring all of the athletic facilities and getting to know more about Baylor's football program.
The following is a list of known 2016 and 2017 invitees. It's not a guarantee that all will attend.
>Patrick Hudson, Silsbee, OL (2016 - Baylor commit)
>Tren'Davian Dickson, Navasota, WR (2016 - Baylor commit)
>Zach Smith, Grandview, QB (2016 - Baylor commit)
>Kameron Martin, Port Arthur Memorial, RB (2016 - Baylor commit)
>Grayland Arnold, Kountze, Ath (2016 - Baylor commit)
>Obi Eboh, SL Carroll, S (2016 - Baylor interest)
>John Brannon, Prosper, LB (2017 - Baylor interest)
>Hezekiah Jones, Houston Stafford, WR (2017 - Baylor offer)
>Will Farrar, Richmond Travis, WR (2017 - Baylor interest)
>Mike Williams, FW All Saints, DT (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Isaiah Harris, FW All Saints, DB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Josh Drayden, Dallas Bishop Dunne, DB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Kellen Diesch, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, OL (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Brandon Bowen, Trophy Club Byron Nelson, Ath (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Benjie Franklin, Alief Taylor, DB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>McTelvin Agim, Hope (AR), DE (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Levi Onwuzurike, Allen, DE (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Baron Browning, Kennedale, LB (2017 - Baylor offer)
>Jordan Carmouche, Manvel, LB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Brandon Bell, Manvel, DB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Austin Meyer, Manvel, OL (2016 - Baylor interest)
>McKenzie Nwroh, Manvel, OL (2016 - Baylor interest)
>J.P. Urquidez, Copperas Cove, OL (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Donell Dunn, Cy Springs, WR (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Sidney Murray, Richmond Foster, DE (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Courtney Lark, Houston Bellaire, WR (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Isaiah Chambers, Houston MacArthur, DE (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Tope Imade, Arlington Bowie, OL (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Chris Daniels, Euless Trinity, DE (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Tyler Natee, Euless Trinity, Ath (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Ja'Ron Wilson, Euless Trinity, RB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Mark Jackson, Cibolo Steele, DE (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Anthony Hines, Plano East, LB (2017 - Baylor offer)
>Clifton Lewis, Fort Bend Marshall, LB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Da'Leon Ward, Dallas Skyline, RB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Clarence Henderson, Dallas Skyline, OL (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Greg Little, Allen, OL (2016 - Baylor offer; Texas A&M commit)
>Jaylon Jones, Allen, DB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Brandon Jones, Nacogdoches, DB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Devin Duvernay, Sachse, WR (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Greg Eisworth, South Grand Prairie, S (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Jordan Elliott, Houston Westside, DT (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Deonte Williams, Plano Prestonwood, LB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Travis Bruffy, Fort Bend Ridge Point, OL (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Dontavious Jackson, Alief Elsik, LB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Erick Fowler, Manor, LB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Tristen Wallace, DeSoto, Ath (2016 - Baylor offer; Texas Tech commit)
>Kyle Porter, Katy, RB (2016 - Baylor offer)
>Jeffrey Okudah, South Grand Prairie, Ath (2017 - Baylor interest)
>Tyrell Alexander, Lancaster, Ath (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Alex Gregory, Nacogdoches, WR (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Kenan Ivy, Lancaster DB (2016 - Baylor interest; Wisconsin commit)
>Demarkus Acy, Wilmer Hutchins, DB (2016 - Baylor interest)
>Jeremy Smith[/B], Fort BEnd Marshall, ATH (2016 - Baylor interest)
Note: Sachse 2016 DB Jared Mayden cannot attend the junior day because he is playing in the U18 International Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday...if there is a chance at a commitment, that could be FW All Saints DT Mike Williams. But there are some very big names on this list. Provided they attend, it would seem highly unlikely they would commit.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Las Vegas meets Waco
Tate Martell wanted to expand his horizons. His national reputation goes back to 7th grade when he was then living in greater San Diego and had committed to Washington.
But he felt like he was selling himself short. Martell (5-11, 185), who had just led Las Vegas Bishop Gorman to the 2014 Nevada State Championship, wanted to see more. However, he said Washington coaches weren't so sure. Martell de-committed three weeks ago.
With that, the 2017 highly decorated dual-threat quarterback starts his due diligence with a trip to Texas this weekend. He'll be at Baylor Friday and then TCU Saturday before returning home.
"With Baylor all I know is that I love their offense, and I watched them pretty frequently,'' Martell said. "The way Bryce Petty ran the offense was unbelievable. As a passer, his deep ball accuracy is really incredible.''
Martell already has offers from USC, Washington, Arizona State and Texas Tech. And he's keeping an open mind to anything. Aside from watching the Bears, that's about all he knows. Friday's tour should fill in the rest of the blanks. Martell is the second quarterback from Gorman where Baylor has had a connection. At one point, the Bears were looking at Randall Cunningham Jr. for 2014. However, that recruitment dissolved.
Martell's 2014 season went from lost on the depth chart to holding a trophy. He said he started fall workouts as third string before working his way up to the backup. When Gorman's starting quarterback was struggling in the second quarter of the second game, then-head coach Tony Sanchez made the switch to Martell. And 2,537 yards and 40 touchdowns later and a 15-0 record, that appeared to be the right move.
"I think I do pretty well with my deep ball and comeback routes,'' he said. "I feel pretty good about the way I can extend plays. But I still need to work on my release.''
A story like Martell is just another example of how the Baylor brand continues to spread throughout the country.
"When I talked to the coaches, they were really cool,'' he said. "I'm looking forward to everything.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Scouting report: Tyrone Hunt
At the time of his commitment to UT-San Antonio in August, Rivals UTSA affiliate publisher Mike Craven did a scouting report of this weekend's Baylor official visitor, Arp defensive end Tyrone Hunt.
Skill Set: The buzz-word surrounding Hunt is potential. He is a relatively raw football player that hasn't yet tapped into his upside, but the people we talked to that have watched him play or coached against him feel like he is in store for a big senior season. Hunt is a big, strong kid that is still learning how to play the position of defensive end and still spends half of his practice time working on the offensive line.
The consensus is that he is better against the run at the present moment but has the athleticism to become a solid pass-rusher once he is able to improve his craft at the next level. Raw was a word used to describe him. His size allows him to physically dominate most of the players he goes up against at this moment, but he'll have to work on his hand placement and hip-bend to become a threat as a pass rusher at the next level.
He also still appears to be growing, so he could be a guy that ends up at around 260 pounds by the time UTSA asks him to contribute at the college level. He's a solid overall player that will improve greatly when he can focus on just one position, which he will as soon as he steps on campus.
-Special to SicEmSports
Waiting on an offer(s)
The family of 2016 Arlington Bowie OL Tope Imade already likes Baylor. Now he'll get a chance to find out if he does as well. Imade will be among the huge list of 2016 and '17 prospects visiting Waco on Saturday for the first junior day or 2015.
"My dad is religious," Imade said, "so he wants me to go to Baylor."
Imade is very open to Baylor himself. But as of now, the Bears haven't offered. Neither has any other program except Tulane, which offered on Jan. 22. Imade's hearing from the likes of TCU, OU, Oklahoma State, Arizona State and others.
"I feel like I should be getting more offers," he said. "I really want Texas and Baylor -- the Big 12 schools -- to offer. It's going slow. Coaches are telling me they'll come back in the spring, 'We're about to offer,' but I'm tired of hearing that."
His goal this weekend is to get a feel for the facilities and talk to coaches, especially OL coach Randy Clements. Right now, RBs coach Jeff Lebby is his main recruiter.
This is a kid to keep an eye on. Even though the decision "is mine alone," he said, a family's preference can't be overlooked either. We'll have more from Imade after his visit.
-Jake Shaw
Urquidez back home; sets commitment timeline
The first thing Copperas Cove offensive tackle J.P. Urquidez said was, "It's great to be back in the great state of Texas.''
His father's job change led him out East where he starred on DeMatha Catholic's (MD) state championship team. His father's job led him back to Central Texas last week. So that makes Urquidez (6-6, 300) and his trip to Saturday's junior day at Baylor pretty convenient.
"I'm really comfortable with Baylor,'' the Rivals No. 126 2016 prospect said. "They were the first ones to believe in me with an offer. It's a great place. I really like coach [Art] Briles. It's going to be great to see who potential teammates could be.''
That's not a signal that a commitment is coming but it does appear Urquidez is a Baylor lean. He said that the addition of Patrick Hudson could help in his decision. Urquidez reiterated that he wants to continue the process. He plans to attend TCU's junior day on Sunday and then Oklahoma's in March.
He said he plans to re-configure his Top 8 schools (Baylor will be on it). He will then announce a commitment decision before Copperas Cove starts spring football begins.
"I really want to enjoy my last and spring ball and not have to worry about this,'' he said. "The big thing is making sure I'm comfortable with everything.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Wallace likes Baylor; staying with Texas Tech?
Time will tell if Baylor was too late in offering DeSoto quarterback/athlete Tristen Wallace. The 2016 prospect committed to Texas Tech earlier in January. He's expected to be a quarterback but also be viewed as an athlete.
That's how Baylor also sees him. The Bears had Wallace on their campus a couple of times during the 2014 spring football season. While there was interest, the coaching staff apparently wanted to wait.
Wallace was debating whether he will attend junior day on Saturday in Waco.
But 2014 became a difficult season. Wallace broke his left ankle in the second game of the year against Eastern Christian Academy out of Maryland and missed the rest of the regular season. He played in the Eagles two Class 6A Division I playoff games against Coppell and Allen.
Of course, there's been some Baylor-Texas Tech friction in recruiting in recent weeks. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham flipped to the Bears in December and the Bears won out over the Red Raiders for Oklahoma offensive lineman Riley Daniel. There's also a pretty good chance they'll beat Tech for Louisiana DB Henry Black.
"There's really no strategy,'' Wallace said. "I like Baylor a lot. And get along with the coaches. But obviously, I'm committed to Texas Tech. I'm just trying to get better and working on having a better offseason. That's my focus. My No. 1 priority is helping DeSoto.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
About Javonte Magee
Baylor sophomore defensive end/defensive tackle Javonte Magee did not return to the school campus when the spring semester began on Jan. 12.
This is the second time Magee has left Baylor. Magee, who graduated from San Antonio Sam Houston, missed the entire 2013 season as he left at the beginning of fall workouts. He wound up redshirted. Family issues were reportedly at the source of his departure. But Baylor coaches were able to lure Magee back to school for the 2014 spring semester.
Magee had a solid spring and fall camp and was on the two-deep throughout the season. He was listed on the two-deep chart - second at nose tackle behind Andrew Billings - and saw time in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State but did not record any tackles or other defensive plays.
For the season, Magee played in all 13 of Baylor's games but recorded a total of nine tackles and only one sack. Rivals rated him the No. 65 player in the country for the 2012 class. He played 10 games as a true freshman in 2012.
Baylor has not released a statement regarding Magee's status. It's unclear if one will be forthcoming.
-SicEmSports
Emptying the Notebook
>It appears that it will be Art Briles, Phil Bennett and Cris Dishman visiting with Waco Midway safety and Oklahoma commit Kahlil Haughton Friday at the school. When asked if this was making an impact, Haughton said, "I mean a little, but I'm pretty content with my decision.''
>South Grand Prairie 2017 athlete Jeffrey Okudah's reaction to his Baylor Junior Day invite: "It means a lot. I have BU high on my list.''
>We asked Waco DB Eric Cuffee if he and his cousin Waco La Vega DB Parrish Cobb were going to Baylor's junior day. Cuffee said no.
>With Prime Prep in Dallas officially losing its charter - all that's left is paperwork - it's not certain what that will mean for Baylor 2016 basketball commit Mark Vital's future. For now, Vital remains at the South Dallas County school. The school could be closing in weeks if not months.
-SicEmSports
This post was edited on 1/31 8:35 AM by jake shaw
