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 Briles timeline
Now that Baylor head coach Art Briles has signed 10-year contract extension, this might be the best time to review his tenure in Waco to see where the program was and how it has evolved from fledgling to contender.
>2007 - Nov. 28, Briles accepts Baylor head coaching position.
>2007 - Dec. 7, Copperas Cove QB Robert Griffin III switches his verbal commitment from Houston to Baylor.
>2008 - Baylor goes 4-8 but has three losses by a touchdown or less.
>2009 - Griffin is lost for the season with a torn ACL; backup QB Nick Florence leads Baylor to a victory at Missouri on Nov. 7. Baylor finishes the season at 4-8.
>2010 - Oct. 23, Baylor defeats Kansas State, 47-42, to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.
>2010 - Oct. 30, Baylor wins at Texas, 30-22, for its first win in Austin since 1991.
>2010 - Dec. 29, Baylor plays Illinois in the Texas Bowl, its first bowl game since 1994, but falls, 38-14. Bears finish the season at 7-6.
>2011 - Feb, 2, Baylor signs the No. 46 class in the country including Cedar Park OL Rivals 250 prospect Spencer Drango. Bears hold off a late charge from Texas to hang on to Drango.
>2011 - Sept. 2, Baylor shocks then-No. 14 TCU, 50-48, on Aaron Jones' 37-yard field goal with 1:04 to play. Mike Hicks' interception in the closing seconds closes out the first Baylor win over a ranked opponent since 2004.
>2011 - Nov. 12, Baylor rallies from 24-3 deficit at Kansas in the fourth quarter to tie the game, send it into overtime and denies the Jayhawks 2-point attempt. Baylor wins, 31-30.
>2011 - Nov. 19, Griffin's 34-yard touchdown pass to Terence Williams gives the Bears a 45-38 upset over Oklahoma and the program's first-ever win over the Sooners.
>2011 - Dec. 3, Baylor hammers Texas, 48-24, for consecutive wins over the Longhorns.
>2011 - Dec. 10, Griffin becomes the first Baylor player to win the Heisman Trophy
>2011 - Dec. 29, Baylor wins shootout over Washington, 67-56, in the Alamo Bowl. Baylor (10-3) clinches first 10- win season since 1980.
>2012 - Jan. 11, Baylor finishes ranked No. 12/13 in the nation, its highest ranking since 1986.
>2012 - Feb. 1, Baylor signs the No. 45 recruiting class in the country including Rivals 250 standout, Richardson Pearce WR Corey Coleman
>2012 - Nov. 17, 4-5 Baylor shocks No. 1 Kansas State, 52-24.
>2012 - Dec. 27, Baylor defeats UCLA, 49-26, in the Holiday Bowl to finish 8-5 having won five of its last six.
>2013 - Feb. 6, Baylor signs the No. 31 recruiting class in the country that features Rivals No. 69 player WR Robbie Rhodes and No. 168 player DT Andrew Billings.
>2013 - Aug. 10, Baylor secures the commitment of Rivals No. 27 player KD Cannon
>2013 - Nov. 7, Baylor defeats Oklahoma, 41-12, to enjoy first 8-0 start in school history. Baylor climbs to No. 5 in the BCS and No. 4 in both the AP and USA Today coaches polls.
>2013 - Nov. 13, Briles signs 10-year extension
-SicEmSports
Baylor-Texas Tech visitors
Baylor will be the home team in Saturday's 6:00 p.m. against Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Bears get to have visitors for the game. This list is subject to change, but here is a list of recruits who have told SicEmSports they plan on attending the game.
>Soso Jamabo, RB, Plano West (2015 Baylor offer)
>Jarrett Stidham, QB, Stephenville (2015 Baylor offer)
>Verkedric Vaughns, DB, Mesquite Poteet (2014 Baylor commit)
>James Lockhart, DL, Ennis (2015 Baylor offer)
>Terence Williams, RB, Ennis (2014 Baylor commit)
>Jaylen Veasley, OL, Rockwall-Heath (2015 Baylor recruit)
>Malik Jefferson, LB, Mesquite Poteet (2015 Baylor offer)
>Charles West, RB, Coppell (2015 Baylor recruit)
>Solomon Thomas, DL, Coppell (2014 Baylor offer)
>Blake Mahon, TE, Coppell (2014 Baylor commit)
>Keaton Sutherland, OL, FM Marcus (2015 Baylor offer)
>Anthony Wheeler, LB, Dallas Skyline (2015 Baylor offer)
>Jourdan Blake, Ath, Princeton (2014 Baylor commit)
>Kameron Kelly, Ath, Wylie (2014 Baylor recruit)
>T'Kevian Rockwell, LB, Wylie (2014 Baylor commit)
>Jourdan Blake, Ath, Troup (2015 Baylor commit)
>Ryan Newsome, Ath, Aledo (2015 Baylor offer)
-SicEmSports
Maston relieved, excited
DeSoto 2014 PF T.J. Maston was relieved and thankful to have his NLI signed and faxed back to Baylor Thursday.
The Rivals 3-star recruit, who chose Baylor over seven other schools including Miami (Fla.) and Kansas State, said he wanted to sign early so he could enjoy focus on the 2013-14 basketball season. DeSoto opened its season Monday with a 72-59 victory over Fort Worth Dunbar. Maston (6-8, 225) had his way against a smaller lineup and scored 19 points.
"I enjoyed the recruiting process, but I'm glad to get it over with too,'' Maston said. "I just want to have a good season and keep working on my game. I know Baylor works well with their big men.
"But I also have to keep working hard in school because Baylor is a great school academically. I want to get my GPA up.''
Of course, Maston's uncle is former Texas Tech standout Tony Battie. The two continuously work on moves facing the basket. Maston is definitely trying to improve his all-around offensive game so he's not branded as a one-dimensional player.
"I have to have better touch around the basket and keep moving my feet,'' he said.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Okafor/Jones decision Friday
At 3:00 p.m. Friday both Rivals No. 1 player Jhalil Okafor and No. 5 Tyus Jones will announce their commitment decisions and then are expected to sign the National Letters Intent. They are expected to be a package deal wherever they go.
This is a 3-team race between Duke, Kansas and Baylor. Both have said those three are their finalists. However, the conventional wisdom is that national recruiting experts believe the two will choose either Duke or Kansas.
There's no question that they enjoyed their visit to Baylor over the Labor Day weekend. Each sent out tweets expressing their thanks for welcome the Baylor community gave them.
If Baylor has a chance in this, it would be that because the talk has centered on the other two, the Bears would like to be the program that comes from behind the pack to collect these commitments. If they did, it would arguably be one of the biggest commitment coups in the history of college basketball recruiting.
In an unrelated item, No. 7 prospect Rashad Vaughn is taking his official visit to Iowa State this weekend. No word when a visit will be set with Baylor but the Henderson (NV) Findlay Prep star still is evaluating Baylor.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Newsome talks offer
Aledo's 2015 athlete Ryan Newsome worked hard since the summer to gain Baylor's attention. Now, he has a Baylor offer to show for it.
He got a message from Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery - remember Montgomery went to see him two weeks ago - to call the Baylor coaches offices after school Thursday. That's when he got the news.
"I've been waiting and hoping for this one,'' Newsome said. "They love that I am an electric athlete.''
Here's why he's electric. Newsome, who also picked up an offer from Colorado State earlier this week, has been used in a variety of ways for the Bearcats. He's accounted for 1,032 total offensive yards (468 rushing, 389 receiving, and 175 passing) and 11 touchdowns. On returns, he has 203 yards on kickoffs (40.6 per) including a 90-yard touchdown. Newsome also has 369 yards in punt returns and six returns for TDs. The oddity is that his six have come in pairs. He had two against Fort Worth Western Hills, two against Granbury and two against Fort Worth Trimble Tech.
"[Montgomery] said [Baylor coach Art] Briles loved my game and that they love my character,'' Newsome said.
But then here was the kicker. There's definitely been some talk about Stephenville QB Jarrett Stidham and Newsome being a top pitch and catch combination for the 2015 class. Who knows if it will happen but it was an interesting take. They both came together to Baylor's game against Oklahoma last week.
And it didn't hurt that Newsome's offer came the day after Briles was extended.
"It plays a significant role in my consideration of possibly committing when it's time,'' he said.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Lockhart thinking hard
Ennis 2015 DL James Lockhart has not been a stranger coming to Baylor football games. He's been to at least four of them and plans on attending Saturday's game against Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium.
Lockhart has been one of the most coveted defensive line prospects since the spring and didn't disappoint this year as the Lions went 10-0 and won the District 15-4A championship. Ennis opens the Class 4A Division II Region II playoffs Friday against Lindale.
But he's also been to Baylor during the spring and summer camps, so he has a pretty good feel for Baylor. When asked if Baylor has his attention a lot, Lockhart said, "It does. They're a fast offense. Defense looks sharp too.''
Lockhart was non-committal about a commitment decision timeframe, but it definitely sounds like Baylor is in the thick of this race.
-Kevin Lonnquist
JUCO defensive end books trip to Waco
Baylor couldn't create a better setting for a first impression on Demetrius Hill.
That's because Hill, who Baylor only offered three weeks ago, will take his official visit to Waco the weekend Baylor hosts Texas. That, of course, is a game that's already sold out and will be the finale for Floyd Casey Stadium. It should be an electric weekend in Waco. All of this was news to Hill.
"I haven't heard about the atmosphere," Hill told me this week. "I'm just looking forward to checking it out and having a good time."
Baylor has been in touch with the Fort Scott (Kansas) defensive end for a while. But the Bears, led by coach Jim Gush, didn't decide to offer Hill until they were certain he'd qualify. He's scheduled to graduate in December so he can enroll in January wherever he decides to play.
"No, it didn't surprise me that they offered," he said. "They had all been talking to me since I got here at Fort Scott. Coach Gush has been keeping up with me, and I've been focusing on my grades."
Hill visited Minnesota last weekend and will head to South Florida this weekend. After going to Waco, he'll use his final visit to check out Cal. He's looking for the same thing from all his suitors.
"I'm really wanting to see how I fit in with the coaches and the players," he said. "Can I see myself living there for the next two years? I just want to see how I fit in."
Hill said he's excited about the visit. He's kept tabs on how the Bears have performed. So even though he had a good relationship with Gush, he felt honored to finally get the offer.
"I was kinda excited when they did offer," he said. "Baylor's been pretty good this year. I was kinda surprised to find out when offered me because they were doing so good, but I was doing good too. I wasn't surprised, because I've been talking to them for years -- but I also was surprised, if you know what I mean."
-Jake Shaw
All quiet on Baylor's end
The rivals.com lists a Baylor offer, but that's probably no longer the case. Or at least that's how Arizona Western ATH Serge Trezy feels.
"I haven't been talking to coach (Brian) Norwood in a while," Trezy told me earlier this week. "I don't know what Baylor's doing."
It could be a question of his ability to qualify. Trezy left school this semester and returned home to Florida to work on his grades. Before leaving, he played linebacker but was also viewed as a potential running back. He still has offers from some major programs -- and will visit schools like Wisconsin and Utah -- but it doesn't look like Baylor will factor into his decision.
-Jake Shaw
Big 12 Weekend
A look at Saturday's games. All times are central. All rankings are BCS.
West Virginia (4-6, 2-7) at Kansas (2-7. 0-6)
11:00 a.m. Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS (FSN)
The skinny: The Mountaineers need a win here to keep bowl eligibility hopes alive. The defense has been reeling and a fourth quarter meltdown against Texas, a 47-40 loss in overtime, accelerated those frustrations. West Virginia has played in overtime in the last two weeks. Expect RB Charles Sims to carry the load. The Jayhawks are now at 27 consecutive conference losses.
Iowa State (1-8, 0-6) at No. 18 Oklahoma (7-2, 4-2)
11:00 a.m. Owen Field, Norman, OK (FS1)
The skinny: OU coach Bob Stoops maintains that Blake Bell will remain his starting quarterback. But it's clear the Sooner offense has some problems. The passing game is a problem. Fortunately, Oklahoma should get well against the Cyclones who are last in the Big 12 in total defense at 465.2 yards per game.
TCU (4-6, 2-5) at Kansas State (5-4, 3-3)
2:30 p.m. Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS (FSN)
The skinny: This is homecoming for TCU coach Gary Patterson who is going against his alma mater. Each team is striving for bowl eligibility. The Horned Frogs have to win their last two to make it. KSU needs one more win in its last three to capture it. Expect TCU's Trevone Boykin to be used in any which way possible on offense. The Wildcats seem to have found a rhythm between rotating QBs Jake Waters and Daniel Sams.
No. 12 Oklahoma State (8-1, 5-1) at No. 24 Texas (7-2, 6-0)
2:30 p.m. Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin (FOX)
The skinny: Well, if Texas is good or lucky during this run of six consecutive wins, it's about to find out a lot more about itself against the Cowboys. OSU has seen its offense get some stability behind senior QB Clint Chelf. But the defense is exceptional ranking first in turnover ratio at plus 11. The Cowboys have also allowed the fewest sacks in the Big 12 at 11. Texas needs QB Case McCoy to stay away from turnovers.
Texas Tech (7-3, 4-3) at No. 5 Baylor (8-0, 5-0)
6:00 p.m. AT&T Stadium, Arlington (FOX)
The skinny: Baylor has won the last two meetings. Tech leads the series, 36-34-1. Quarterback issues appear to be resurfacing for the Red Raiders who are flip flopping between Davis Webb or Baker Mayfield. The Bears still have to be mindful of their penalties. They are averaging the most penalty yards per game in the conference at 74.0.
-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 - A 10-year extension for Briles keeps the faithful happy and relieved
2. Oklahoma State - A telling 2-game stretch against Texas and Baylor coming up
3. Texas - Longhorns have lost six starters to season-ending injuries
4. Oklahoma - Running game has to get back on track
5. Texas Tech - Kingsbury playing gunslinger with his quarterbacks; quick trigger
6. Kansas State - Have won three straight and again commit the fewest penalties in the league
7. West Virginia - Is Clint Trickett the QB? Is it Paul Millard? Is it forget it.
8. TCU - Hard to believe a stable of running backs is down to Aaron Green
9. Kansas - Andrew Wiggins had a great debut against Duke whoops wrong sport
10. Iowa State - Cyclones missing a bowl because they have no continuity on the OL
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>Baylor is looking at 2015 Kilgore College DB/LB Joe Lynch (5-11, 205). The staff hasn't offered the former West Orange-Stark product primarily because he still has another year of JUCO ball to play. He carries a 4.5 40 and collected 90 tackles and 16 tackles for loss in his first year.
>Wylie LB T'Kevian Rockwell has been bothered a high ankle sprain all year, but he's going to tough it out and play. Rockwell said he plans to play in the Pirate's Class 4A bi-district playoff against Marshall Friday in Midlothian. "It's sore,'' he said. "But this is my last year of high school football, and I want to play with my team.''
>Apparently former Baylor 2013 signee Kyle Fulks and the football haven't given up on each other. Fulks said he maintains contact with the Baylor coaching staff. Fulks is currently at Blinn College in Brenham and had to go to a JUCO because his ACT score was flagged. The possibility remains of Fulks needing only one year at Blinn before he could enroll at a Division I school.
>Baylor JUCO OL commit Jarell Broxton was named to the Northeast Conference first-team as a guard. He's expected to sign his letter of intent in December.
>We're hearing Oklahoma State OL commit Lem Galea'i from Euless Trinity has some interest in Baylor. But with five offensive line commits, it's going to be hard to see where there would be any room.
-Kevin Lonnquist
