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.
NOTE: We thought since the Floyd Casey Stadium, tarp is off to the great beyond, we would pay tribute to it as the home page picture for the Blitz. Baylor has averaged 43,875 for its first five home games of 2013. That's 2,507 more than the school-record of 41,638 set in 2011. With the Dec. 7 game against Texas already a sellout and a nearly-assured sellout coming for Oklahoma, Baylor will break both its per game and home total attendance records. The photo is courtesy of Baylor athletics.
-SicEmSports
What else is new?
This 2014 recruiting class will be remembered for the one where future Baylor teammates squared off against each other.
The latest matchup will be tonight in Houston when Houston Lamar (DT Ira Lewis) faces Houston Bellaire (OT Devonte Jones). And literally, this will be a one-on-one matchup. Lewis should be lining up across from Jones for some if not most of the game. The two have not spoken to each other at any point of the season. Lamar was actually going to play Alief Elsik (WR Ishmael Zamora) but bad weather wiped out the game.
"It hit me two weeks ago that this was going to happen,'' Lewis said. "It's definitely going to be weird. I know that when we started looking at Bellaire on film I was told I was going to be matched up against Devonte. Our coaches told me he's their best lineman.''
And it should be a grudge match. Lewis said he now is 6-4, 270. Jones is 6-3, 305. Lewis has been having a pretty solid season recording 9½ sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Jones is grading out at 85 percent and has 25 pancake blocks and 19 decleating blocks.
"But the way to try and beat him to make sure I have great technique,'' Lewis said. "I can't get high up. If I get stood up, I'm going to get driven back. I just need to come off the ball and get full extension.''
And there really hasn't been much of a push from other schools for Lewis. Lewis said he heard a little from Iowa State but that didn't last too long.
If you're wondering about the other Baylor commitment matchups:
>Davion Hall, Ath, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau vs. KD Cannon, WR, Mount Pleasant
>Verkedric Vaughns, DB, Mesquite Poteet vs. T'Kevian Rockwell, LB, Wylie (neither played - injuries)
>Chris Platt, WR, Willis vs. Xavier Jones, DE, Magnolia West
>Patrick Lawrence, OL, Waxahachie vs. Terence Williams, RB, Ennis (Nov. 8)
-Kevin Lonnquist
Harris healthy and ready
Fort Worth Southwest Ath Wesley Harris turned out to be the lone member of the 2013 signing class who took a grey shirt. That's proving to be pretty valuable.
Harris, who injured his right knee a year ago, is fully recovered and been working with a trainer three times a week for 90 minutes each session. About this time in 2012, he had surgery to fix a stretched (not torn) lateral collateral ligament and a stretched ACL.
"There really wasn't anything structurally wrong with the knee,'' Harris said. "They just had to do some cleaning up. Everything feels fine. I've been doing a lot of running and explosive work like jumping over boxes so I can get in condition.''
Given how part of the remaining needs of Baylor's class focuses on the secondary, Harris (6-1, 178) is arriving in January and will start working out at cornerback. He played quarterback at Southwest. Harris found time to get to the season opener against Wofford but isn't sure if he can make it any of the remaining games. Time will tell.
"[Grey shirting] has been a good experience,'' he said. "It's humbling and makes you focus. You want to get to school and have the right mindset the first day. I can't wait to get down there.''
Harris said he did not take any JUCO classes. Grey shirts can take a couple in the semester before they are supposed to arrive. And he said he doesn't too much about 2016 quarterback Devin Williams who has Baylor's attention.
Because he is grey shirting, Harris will count toward the 2014 class.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Hogg finally .well, not really
Turns out that when Plano West 2015 forward D.J. Hogg picked up his offer from Baylor last week, it really wasn't last week. He had one for some time but apparently didn't know about it.
"I talked to coach [Scott Drew] last week, and asked him if they were going to offer me,'' Hogg said. "He said, 'That's the easiest question you've asked me all day'. It's a great program and they have a great team.''
Hogg could erupt in his junior year. As a sophomore, the Rivals No. 49 prospect averaged 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 2012-13 as Plano West went 19-13 and went to the playoffs. The Wolves lost in the bi-district round.
If you didn't hear, the District 10-5A denied the eligibility of Hogg's fellow 2015 teammate and No. 20 prospect Tyler Davis, a player Baylor has offered and hosted on campus twice. Plano West is appealing.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Elite14 tournament in Wichita Falls
Several Baylor 2015 targets are scheduled to play in the Elite14 Showcase on Saturday in Wichita Falls. The tournament features 14 of the top teams from Oklahoma and Texas.
The one-day tournament is always a draw for Division I coaches.
Triple A Academy's a King McClure is expected to be there. Plano West will be there along with Hogg, Davis and Avery Johnson, Jr. But from what it sounds like Baylor will wait to and may never offer Johnson. Of course, the Bears already have commitments from Oakwood's Damiyne Durham and DeSoto's T.J. Maston. They are also waiting to see what comes of the commitment decisions of center Jahlil Okafor and guard Tyus Jones, the Nos. 1 and 5 players in the 2014 class.
Durham and Maston may be the only two who sign on Nov. 13. The spring signing period starts in May.
-Kevin Lonnquist
New recruiting changes
On Wednesday, the NCAA adopted five new recruiting rules for football regarding coaches' access to players. They were effective immediately.
>In the summer, players can now participate in eight monitored hours per week of required weight training and conditioning and two of those hours can be film review. In the past, players were going "voluntarily" to those summer workouts. Baylor has always made it a practice for its signing class to arrive on campus for the first summer session that begins in early June. Now, there can be more hands-on work with the players.
>Prohibiting school staff members from attending all-star game or associated activities with the games. Most of the players at these games have already committed and those who haven't will announce on TV.
>The extended dead period will now run from Dec. 16-Jan. 15. That's probably building that in when the 4-team playoff system begins in 2014.
>Establishing a 14-day dead period from late June and early July for FBS schools. With the advent of 7-on-7 tournaments and summer camps, look for those the tournaments and camps to be set prior to and after the period.
>Allowing schools to pay for meals for up to four family members who accompany a recruit on an official visit. Hard to believe the committee had to even do this.
>In other business, the board asked the Leadership Council to study whether heavy reliance on online courses is appropriate for student-athletes. If it were to rule these as unacceptable, then that could impact how many players could be mid-semester enrollees.
-SicEmSports/Associated Press
Big 12 Weekend
A look at Saturday's games. All times are central. Baylor and Oklahoma have the bye
Kansas (2-5, 0-4) at Texas (5-2, 4-0)
2:30 p.m. Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium (LHN)
The skinny: Texas has won its last four games and relied on strong defense in the process. Longhorns' defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat is among the conference leaders in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (11). The Jayhawks are trying to end a infamous 25-game conference losing streak. They are last or near last in just about every major conference offensive category.
Iowa State (1-6, 0-4) at Kansas State (3-4, 1-3)
2:30 p.m. Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS. (FOX Sports 1)
The skinny: While the Cyclones' season continues to disappear, the Wildcats are looking to take another step toward bowl eligibility. With WRs Tremaine Thompson and Tyler Lockett back from injuries, KSU's offense looks so much different. The Wildcats are second in the conference at passing efficiency (150.7). Iowa State is last in total defense (481.7).
West Virginia (3-5, 1-4) at TCU (3-5, 1-4)
2:30 p.m. Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth (ESPNU)
The skinny: A game that each team desperately has to have in order to get closer to bowl eligibility. It's pretty evident that they have to win three of their last four to do it. West Virginia has settled with Clint Trickett at quarterback but the offense has really scuffled. But then again, TCU's offense is pretty shoddy too with a poor passing game and inconsistent running game. Will the winner get to 20?
No. 18 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1) at No. 15 Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1)
6:00 p.m. AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (FOX)
The skinny: Revenge. Payback. Owing. Use the word something those first three and it fits what the Red Raiders think they feel about this game since Oklahoma State won the last two games by 60 and 38 points. Quarterback Davis Webb seems to have a feel for the offense. He just needs to have more production from the running game. Tech's offense is still imbalanced. Oklahoma State is just the latest Big 12 team with QB problems as there hasn't been good play from either J.W. Walsh or Clint Chelf.
-SicEmSports
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports ranks the Big 12 teams based on expectations and performance. Ratings always vary. Agree or disagree, there's nothing like finding out who is ranked where.
1. Baylor - RIP Tarp
2. Oklahoma State - Defense has 2TDs in a game (Iowa State) for the first time since 2006
3. Oklahoma - Sooners keep losing key players to season-ending injuries
4. Texas - Is this the Texas we thought we were going to see back in August?
5. Texas Tech - Jace Amaro leads all Big 12 receivers with 64 catches
6. Kansas State - Wildcats have favorable schedule to close the season; 3 of last 5 at home
7. TCU - An intriguing wide receiver corps really underachieving
8. West Virginia - AD Oliver Luck reportedly will take Texas AD job by end of November
9. Iowa State - Cyclones have surrendered 26 sacks, most in the Big 12
10. Kansas - This offense is really hard to watch
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>Aledo 2015 Ryan Newsome spoke with Baylor offensive coordinator Phi Montgomery on Wednesday and was told Montgomery may be in town to watch Aledo play Granbury Friday. Newsome is coming off a tough games week against Fort Worth Southwest where he lost three fumbles.
>Dallas Bishop Dunne 2014 DB Nick Watkins has been in touch with Baylor this week. So the dialogue with him continues to be positive. He said Baylor has been talking to him about trying to do an official visit. Watkins took his only official two weeks ago to Notre Dame. Watkins, though, maintains that Baylor is too close for him to take an official visit. However, he hasn't ruled out the possibility of taking an unofficial visit. Watkins still hasn't announced any other official visits. But those are looking like after the football season.
>Port Arthur Memorial 2016 RB Kameron Martin spoke with Baylor DB coach Carlton Buckels on Wednesday and said the visit went great. Martin said he hoped Buckels would watch him play Friday. Baylor was the first school to offer Martin.
>As the Baylor-Oklahoma game approaches and recruits have their plans more firm, we will provide a list of those recruits who plan on coming to the game. But it appears Rockwall 2015 RB Chris Warren is an early yes.
-SicEmSports
