By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>With the addition of Mineola running back Dawson Pendergrass to the 2023 class that in no way closes the door to Baylor's pursuit of another running back. For a while there seemed to be the thinking that Dave Aranda's coaching staff would only take one back. But this move signals more on the way.
>Of course the two big targets are College Station's Marquise Collins and Denton Ryan's Kalib Hicks. There's work to do on both of these. However, Baylor appears to have a little more momentum with Collins at this point. On May 2, Collins announced that he would be releasing his Top 6. That hasn't happened yet. However, everything points to the Bears being on this list. An official visit hasn't been finalized yet. Collins is taking one to Duke Jun 24-26.
>We can tell you that Frisco Lone Star 2023 DB Jaylon Braxton has finalized his official visit to Baylor for June 17-19. That's an important weekend because several high profile commits and other targets are expected to be there including quarterback and Rivals No. 247 Austin Novosad.
Hankering for Hankamer
It may be a few years before Andrew Marsh becomes the next "Wolf of Wall Street". But when the Katy Jordan 2025 wide receiver/safety took his first and only visit to Baylor earlier this year, he visited the Hankamer School of Business.
"I think the school is awesome. I really am fixated on the business school,'' he said. "I have only been there once but spent several hours on campus. When I toured the business building and saw the investment room I was impressed. Not to mention I have just started learning about sticks and trading.''
Obviously, the environment for the bulls and bears is chaotic right now. Time will pass before he really starts to get into what's behind a P/E ratio.
For now, Baylor and this talent are just starting things. Most of the attention he has been receiving between the Bears and other schools has been at receiver. Naturally, he's started building a relationship with new Baylor wide receivers coach Dallas Baker. The advantage is that the two should be getting to know each other better over time.
"Coach Foster and he is awesome sort of like interacting with a big brother,'' Marsh said. Coach Baker is another but I feel like I can’t let him down. I truly take this process serious.
"I use to tell my mom I always wanted to be the best at each sport. So I convinced her to let me train at the lab but I was only in the 3rd grade and then go privates with coaches.''
Marsh has picked up several D1 offers including Houston, Arizona and Michigan State. His burst and hands have the early attention of these schools. This coming summer will be important for him as he will be going to several camps. Baylor should be one of those. A date has not been selected.
"My ability to catch any balls. Meaning you better catch the hard ones,'' Marsh said. "I have a pretty good vertical and I position myself for the complicated ones. He like that.''
Last Friday night...
Ok so that's a title from a Katy Perry song. It was a shameless excuse to use a headline. But anyway, here's a few items about the Friday event on the Baylor campus - it begins about 1:00 p.m. - that will feature mostly 2024s and 2025s.
However, we also mentioned that there are some 2023s.
>Richland 2024 offensive line Daniel Cruz continues to build his relationship with the Bears. It's fair to call Baylor the leader for him.
Cruz said he plans on lifting for offensive line Eric Mateos. Cruz came to the spring game on April 23. Rate the chances of committing from this event at about 10 percent. However, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that something could happen later in the summer...if it does at all.
>While Baylor has it sights set on two running back targets in the aforementioned Collins and Hicks, watch how things develop with Midlothian 2023 ball carrier Deago Benson. This could get interesting.
Things are new between the staff and him. Really new. Like early May new. That's when the coaching staff and him started talking. In fact running backs coach Justin "Juice" Johnson came to see him twice during Midlothian's spring football season. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes also came to see him.
Baylor has not offered him. But Benson's recruiting is legit. He has several G5 offers including Tulsa, Navy, La Tech and Arkansas State. His first P5 offers is from Washington State. Is Baylor close?
"I mean I would love to go there it’s close to home and that’s what I wanna do so hopefully I get blessed with that,'' Benson said. "Yeah, all the time coach Johnson said he likes me a lot. Him and the OC because I’m a big back that can c atch out the backfield.'
Benson helped the Panthers reach the Class 5A Region I semifinals with an 8-5 record. He rushed for 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns. While it hasn't been said, there is a little Abram Smith in him.
"Coach Johnson really hasn't said much about that,'' Benson said. "But he’s a dawg I have watched him and everything he’s a dawg but I can see some of the same things and our game that are the same.''
>Schertz Clemens 2024 wide receiver and Rivals No. 159 Freddie Dubose is one of those Uber talented players on a team that really struggled. While Clemens stumbled to a 2-8 finish in 2021, Dubose held his own.
Baylor is one of eight offers he has fielded. The state of Texas has jumped on him with Texas, TCU, UTSA, Houston and Texas Tech among those who have offered.
The Bears have been building their relationship with the playmaker. He's also talented in track. His personal best in the 200 is at 22.47 which he ran in March of 2022.
He's been mainly talking with new safeties coach and special teams coordinator Ronnie Wheat.
"I know coach Wheat real well, but I'm just now getting to know the staff,'' Dubose said. "I just want to keep building relationships. Baylor is a top school trying to recruit me with Houston too. I personally think Baylor and Houston have shown me the most love.''
Publisher
The Topper
>With the addition of Mineola running back Dawson Pendergrass to the 2023 class that in no way closes the door to Baylor's pursuit of another running back. For a while there seemed to be the thinking that Dave Aranda's coaching staff would only take one back. But this move signals more on the way.
>Of course the two big targets are College Station's Marquise Collins and Denton Ryan's Kalib Hicks. There's work to do on both of these. However, Baylor appears to have a little more momentum with Collins at this point. On May 2, Collins announced that he would be releasing his Top 6. That hasn't happened yet. However, everything points to the Bears being on this list. An official visit hasn't been finalized yet. Collins is taking one to Duke Jun 24-26.
>We can tell you that Frisco Lone Star 2023 DB Jaylon Braxton has finalized his official visit to Baylor for June 17-19. That's an important weekend because several high profile commits and other targets are expected to be there including quarterback and Rivals No. 247 Austin Novosad.
Hankering for Hankamer
It may be a few years before Andrew Marsh becomes the next "Wolf of Wall Street". But when the Katy Jordan 2025 wide receiver/safety took his first and only visit to Baylor earlier this year, he visited the Hankamer School of Business.
"I think the school is awesome. I really am fixated on the business school,'' he said. "I have only been there once but spent several hours on campus. When I toured the business building and saw the investment room I was impressed. Not to mention I have just started learning about sticks and trading.''
Obviously, the environment for the bulls and bears is chaotic right now. Time will pass before he really starts to get into what's behind a P/E ratio.
For now, Baylor and this talent are just starting things. Most of the attention he has been receiving between the Bears and other schools has been at receiver. Naturally, he's started building a relationship with new Baylor wide receivers coach Dallas Baker. The advantage is that the two should be getting to know each other better over time.
"Coach Foster and he is awesome sort of like interacting with a big brother,'' Marsh said. Coach Baker is another but I feel like I can’t let him down. I truly take this process serious.
"I use to tell my mom I always wanted to be the best at each sport. So I convinced her to let me train at the lab but I was only in the 3rd grade and then go privates with coaches.''
Marsh has picked up several D1 offers including Houston, Arizona and Michigan State. His burst and hands have the early attention of these schools. This coming summer will be important for him as he will be going to several camps. Baylor should be one of those. A date has not been selected.
"My ability to catch any balls. Meaning you better catch the hard ones,'' Marsh said. "I have a pretty good vertical and I position myself for the complicated ones. He like that.''
Last Friday night...
Ok so that's a title from a Katy Perry song. It was a shameless excuse to use a headline. But anyway, here's a few items about the Friday event on the Baylor campus - it begins about 1:00 p.m. - that will feature mostly 2024s and 2025s.
However, we also mentioned that there are some 2023s.
>Richland 2024 offensive line Daniel Cruz continues to build his relationship with the Bears. It's fair to call Baylor the leader for him.
Cruz said he plans on lifting for offensive line Eric Mateos. Cruz came to the spring game on April 23. Rate the chances of committing from this event at about 10 percent. However, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that something could happen later in the summer...if it does at all.
>While Baylor has it sights set on two running back targets in the aforementioned Collins and Hicks, watch how things develop with Midlothian 2023 ball carrier Deago Benson. This could get interesting.
Things are new between the staff and him. Really new. Like early May new. That's when the coaching staff and him started talking. In fact running backs coach Justin "Juice" Johnson came to see him twice during Midlothian's spring football season. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes also came to see him.
Baylor has not offered him. But Benson's recruiting is legit. He has several G5 offers including Tulsa, Navy, La Tech and Arkansas State. His first P5 offers is from Washington State. Is Baylor close?
"I mean I would love to go there it’s close to home and that’s what I wanna do so hopefully I get blessed with that,'' Benson said. "Yeah, all the time coach Johnson said he likes me a lot. Him and the OC because I’m a big back that can c atch out the backfield.'
Benson helped the Panthers reach the Class 5A Region I semifinals with an 8-5 record. He rushed for 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns. While it hasn't been said, there is a little Abram Smith in him.
"Coach Johnson really hasn't said much about that,'' Benson said. "But he’s a dawg I have watched him and everything he’s a dawg but I can see some of the same things and our game that are the same.''
>Schertz Clemens 2024 wide receiver and Rivals No. 159 Freddie Dubose is one of those Uber talented players on a team that really struggled. While Clemens stumbled to a 2-8 finish in 2021, Dubose held his own.
Baylor is one of eight offers he has fielded. The state of Texas has jumped on him with Texas, TCU, UTSA, Houston and Texas Tech among those who have offered.
The Bears have been building their relationship with the playmaker. He's also talented in track. His personal best in the 200 is at 22.47 which he ran in March of 2022.
He's been mainly talking with new safeties coach and special teams coordinator Ronnie Wheat.
"I know coach Wheat real well, but I'm just now getting to know the staff,'' Dubose said. "I just want to keep building relationships. Baylor is a top school trying to recruit me with Houston too. I personally think Baylor and Houston have shown me the most love.''
