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.
Watkins: Baylor is in this
Dallas Bishop Dunne 2014 DB Nick Watkins, the four-star No. 160 recruit in the Rivals 250,finally had a little down time to update his recruiting status. Here are the need-to-know points:
>He doesn't have a Top 5
>His official visit to Notre Dame Oct. 18 likely will be his only one during the football season. He plans on scheduling the other four for after the season. At this time, it's likely that Baylor will not be one of those. But that doesn't appear to be a red flag. Watkins noted the proximity to the campus makes it a reality he can get there any time.
>Watkins said he spoke with Baylor coach Jim Gush on Wednesday just to catch up and has a standing invitation to come to any of the remaining five home games starting Oct. 5 against West Virginia.
"I just wanted to focus on film study on Saturdays and just be prepared for every game,'' Watkins said. "I'm a captain and I want to continue to be a leader for this team. Baylor's just close to home. Coach Gush is a great recruiter. I just like what they're doing. I'm definitely really considering them.''
By that, he's paid attention to how the Baylor defensive backs have performed in man-to-man coverage and "they really know how to play it. They seem to know where they have to be.''
Personally, Watkins is off to a quick start with five interceptions through his first three games.
-Kevin Lonnquist
President jumps into rehab
Modern medicine's approach to rehabbing torn ACL's has advanced dramatically over the years. On Tuesday, Baylor 2015 commit and Temple quarterback Chad President had surgery to repair his torn right ACL. On Wednesday, he began his rehab.
In today's world, patients don't lay around waiting for the healing process to begin. The work begins immediately.
"I'm pretty sore and the stitches hurt,'' said President who noted he had three incisions. "I'm just getting my range of motion back right now. I started it yesterday. Just trying not to rush it.''
President suffered the injury in the first play of Temple's game against Southlake Carroll on Sept. 13 in Floyd Casey Stadium. It was QB keeper where he made an awkward cut. That was rough because he was off to a good start accounting for nearly 800 rushing and passing yards.
Should the rehab go the way the plain is laid out, President should return to the field by March. Temple's spring football season likely will start in either late April or early May. But President said he's been in touch with Baylor since the surgery. Everything remains as good as it ever was.
"I talked to them since the surgery,'' he said. "Good stuff from them. They're still with me 100 percent. I wasn't concerned at all.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Timeout with Ian McCaw
Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw was one of about 100 faculty athletic representatives attending meetings earliet this week in Grapevine with embattled president Mark Emmert about making overhauls within the governing body's governance process.
There have been concerns regarding the NCAA's organizational structure in which it is too convoluted to understand. Plus, Emmert has caught heat for the NCAA's mishandling of the Miami (Fla.) and Penn State cases. A movement is starting to help take some of the workload off college presidents and have them serve in an oversight capacity and transfer a great deal of those assignments to conference commissioners and athletic directors.
"The current system doesn't work,'' McCaw said. "So the question is how do we get there.''
There has been some frustration among the BCS schools because the NCAA is making the process to become a Division I program too easy. Thus, that gives those schools equal voting power in issues where they can't make a move. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby touched on that football media days in July.
The NCAA is working with consultant Jean Frankel to map how the new governance can look. From there, the compliance and enforcement wings can be addressed.
"I think you'll see a preliminary plan by mid-January,'' McCaw said. "And hopefully, everything will start to be implemented by next August.''
Time will tell if Emmert will remain a part of the new NCAA.
-Kevin Lonnquist
As for Baylor/Big 12 matters
>McCaw said Baylor has locked in its non-conference schedules through the 2020 season and doesn't foresee any movement to get out of those existing agreements.
>Big 12 athletic directors are currently working on conference football schedules for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons. They could be released anytime between late October and the week before the Thanksgiving.
>Last year, Baylor and Texas Tech renewed their series for Cowboys Stadium in Arlington through 2014. McCaw said he and Tech AD Kirby Hocutt likely won't review the future of the series and its location until 2014.
>As for the new Baylor Stadium, McCaw confirmed that the season ticket cap likely will be around 27,000-28,000.
>Baylor and the City of Waco are still working on a plan for boat slips to be constructed in front of the new stadium. While no number of slips has been set, McCaw anticipates there will be well in excess of 100.
-Kevin Lonnquist
King's court
There's no question that the top two schools competing for 2015 five star point guard King McClure are Baylor and Kansas.
McClure took an unofficial visit to Baylor two weeks ago, and his father called the visit "Great.''
This appears to be a race that will take some time. The elder McClure said there are plans to visit Kansas in the future. But that future could be sometime after the 2013-14 season.
"King still has high interest in both schools,'' Mr. McClure said. "However, he is focusing on his junior year in high school which includes academics and basketball. Because of our hectic schedule, we will have to check out some future dates.''
-Kevin Lonnquist
Beard might be best practice player in Texas
Last week we caught up with Austin Westlake's Darren Allman, the head coach of 2014 OL prospect Stefan Beard. Unfortunately for Beard and the Westlake program, his petition to play this fall for the Chaps was denied, Allman confirmed Thursday.
"He will stay in the program as a practice player," Allman texted me.
This is tough news for a kid looking for a change of scenery, but Allman said he still expects Beard to get some FBS attention. Baylor, of course, has offered him, but sources have told us the offer is to greyshirt. With Beard unable to play this fall, a greyshirt is even more likely for Beard, wherever he lands.
- Jake Shaw
Rockwell makes debut; quick updates
Wylie coach Bill Howard said linebacker T'Kevian Rockwell will make his 2013 debut Friday when the Pirates open the district season on Friday against Frisco Lovejoy. Rockwell didn't play the first three games because of a high ankle sprain.
"He's practiced well,'' Howard said. "We could have played in the last game [against Mesquite Poteet], but we decided to hold him out to get him ready for district play.''
>As for senior athlete Kameron Kelly, Howard said Memphis, Oklahoma and other schools have started to come in hard for him as well. Baylor's interest re-surfaced within the last two weeks and it could be at either safety or wide receiver. And the Bears have his senior game films, Howard said.
"He's the best athlete to ever come through Wylie,'' Howard said. "We plan on him playing a lot of safety [Friday].''
The game will be shown locally in the DFW area on KTXA channel 21 on a tape delay beginning at 11:00 p.m.
>Meanwhile Mesquite Poteet defensive back Verkedric Vaughns (knee) said he plans on making his 2013 when the Pirates play at Highland Park on Oct. 11.
-Kevin Lonnquist
The early Roberts read
Nacogdoches is off to 2-1 start and the play of Baylor commit defensive end Greg Roberts has something to do it with it. Thus far, Roberts has forced five fumbles, collected two QB sacks and six QB hurries. The Dragons play Hallsville Friday.
We all know the story that Roberts is pretty thin at 6-4, 205 but a scout, who has watched Roberts early, filed this report on his play to this point of the season.
"High cut and angular athlete,'' the scout filed. "Good speed rusher. Doesn't anchor well against the run, but that should improve with better pad level and added bulk. He's very much a pass specialist right now but has the frame and genetics to develop into an all-around DE in the future.''
-SicEmSports
Big 12 Weekend
A look at Saturday's Big 12 action. All times are central.
SMU (1-2) at TCU (1-2, 0-1), 11:00 a.m., Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth (FOX Sports 1): This is the 93rd renewal of the Iron Skillett. Both teams come into this game reeling. The Mustangs are sloppy with penalties and have rarely performed well against BCS teams. TCU's problems start with its offense because of the lack of a consistent passing with Trevone Boykin. SMU RB Traylon Shead (knee) could return after missing the last two
games. TCU DE Devonte Fields (foot) is a game-time decision.
No. 11/11 Oklahoma State (3-0) at West Virginia (2-2, 0-1), 11:00 a.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, W VA, (ESPN): The Mountaineer offense is sputtering as quarterback Ford Childress directed no scoring drives and the offense collected last week against Maryland. Now Florida State transfer Clint Trickett gets the start. The Cowboys have settled in with a nice start behind quarterback J.W. Walsh. The Cowboys are converting third downs at a rate of 56 percent.
No. 12/14 Oklahoma (3-0, 1-0) at No. 22/22 Notre Dame (3-1), 2:30 p.m., Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN (NBC): The Sooners make the return trip of this home-and-home. Coming off the bye, coach Bob Stoops is hoping that it will give new starting quarterback Blake Bell more confidence running the offense. OU leads the Big 12 in total defense at 291.6 ypg. The Irish struggled but beat Michigan State last week, 17-13. However, quarterback Tommy Rees had a terrible day completing 41 percent of his attempts. Notre Dame won in Norman last year, 30-13, as it scored 17 points in the final 5:05 to break a 13-13 tie.
Iowa State 38, Tulsa 21: On Thursday, the Cyclones (1-2) notched their first win of the year as quarterback Sam B. Richardson threw for 255 yards and 2 TD in a road game in Tulsa. Tailback Aaron Wimberly rushed for 139 yards. Tulsa (1-3) struggled using two different quarterbacks and committed four turnovers. The Cyclones keep to the Thursday playing rotation as they open Big 12 play Oct. 3 in Ames, IA against Texas.
Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Kansas had their bye
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. These rankings are before the Iowa State-Tulsa game.
1. Baylor - Baylor is averaging 751 yards - 751 YARDS - of total offense
2. Oklahoma State - Pokes about to play their 6th road game in the last 7
3. Oklahoma - Sooners defense seems to be picking it up
4. Texas Tech - Will QB Michael Brewer enter the mix?
5. Texas - Mack Brown keeps the wolves at the door
6. TCU - This program misses former OC Justin Fuente
7. Kansas State - Look..another Big 12 team with quarterback problems
8. West Virginia - Saturday vs. Oklahoma State could show how far they've fallen
9. Kansas - When this team doesn't win at the LOS, whoops
10. Iowa State - Cyclones looking to get some momentum
-Kevin Lonnquist
Emptying the Notebook
>Baylor coach Art Briles told the media Thursday that tight end Jordan Najvar (back) should return for the Big 12 opener Oct. 5 against West Virginia. However, it's pretty unlikely whether defensive tackle Trevor Clemons-Valdez (knee) will play. Running back Glasco Martin (ankle) didn't play against Louisiana-Monroe but that was more precautionary. Everything points to him being ready against the Mountaineers.
>Just in case you were curious, former Katy and Baylor commit Kyle Fulks, who didn't enroll into Baylor because of a test score matter and is Blinn CC, has been moved to the offense. Last week, Fulks made his JUCO debut, scoring a TD on a 7-yard run. He also caught five passes for 72 yards including a long of 42. We do know that he remains interested in Baylor. So we'll see how this unfolds in the near future.
>Coppell TE Blake Mahon and state's No. 6 Cowboys have a big test Friday night as they visit No. 1 Allen. Remember, the Cowboys were the only team to defeat the Eagles in 2012, 27-24.
>Sachse 2016 DB Jared Mayden is expected to attend Baylor's Big 12 opener against West Virginia. Like we said last week, there should be a pretty good turnout for this one.
-SicEmSports
