By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes provided his assessment of where the battle for the starting QB stands between incumbent Blake Shapen and Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson.
Jeff Grimes
(Offensive progress) I think we’ve made a lot of progress this spring. Shift from coachspeak, but I’m pleased with the fact that we have made progress and we’re not content with where we are. We’re at that point in spring ball where all the players are ready for it to be over, and all the coaches like me wish we had four more weeks of it. I love spring ball, just working with the kids. When you have new guys, which we have a lot of them, you’re really enjoying the progress and seeing guys get better every day. So you just wish you could do it longer, but there will be a time to wrap it up and let them do it on their own for the summer.
(QB competition) They’re doing great. I think all of them are doing well. I think Blake’s made a lot of improvement and I think he’s at that point in his career where I’ve seen a lot of guys make rapid improvement. Going from that first year as a full-time starter, sometimes a guy comes in as a rookie, a young guy who does something, and then the next year for whatever reason things don’t go as well as we thought they would as a coaching staff, as an entire offense. Then for him obviously he says he wants to play better this year and I’m seeing every sign in the world that he’s going to. He’s in position to make that jump that a lot of guys make going from that first full year as a full-time starter. The other thing I respect about him is just the way he’s handling coaching, the way he has stepped up as a leader, really stepping outside of himself. It’s not always easy for guys to do.
Sawyer’s doing a great job too, he’s got a great personality. It’s coming along. The challenge for Sawyer is that he wasn’t just in an Air Raid offense at Mississippi State, he played that in high school as well. So just taking a snap from under center and doing a lot of the footwork things and play-action stuff that we’re doing, it’s not just a different offense, it’s almost like a different sport to perform. RJ is doing great. I’m really impressed with his ability to throw it. Brayson has gotten a whole lot better, so really impressed with the room as a whole.
(Why sign Sawyer) There were a lot of people we knew from Texas who had connections to him in high school and worked with him in camp, had coached him in high school, had seen him in various competitive settings and just really believed in him as a player. That combined with what we saw on film told us he had the ability. Then the next thing was he’s an even better kid than he is as a player, and as we got to know him we found that to be true. Great family, great kid, great leader, real upbeat optimistic personality, and it’s just hard not to fall in love with him.
(Do you have to coach the Air Raid out of him) When you talk about the Air Raid now, there are versions of the Air Raid just like there are versions of the spread offense and the NFL style of offense is how you would kind of describe us. So many different versions of it and there are different versions of the Air Raid as well. But there are pieces of it that we run as well. I’ve been part of an Air Raid offense myself, so there are parts of that in our passing game. Those parts he’s a little more comfortable with right now. But I’ve seen him making progress in the other pieces as well. I wouldn’t say there are parts of it that we would add to the offense. If he was to play in a game tomorrow, I would lean on the things he’s most comfortable with which would include some of those elements for sure.
(Ketron Jackson) He’s got a great ability to separate at the line of scrimmage. I think it’s really helped our other receivers with how to do that. I think that’s something we struggled with last year, getting off press coverage, and he has the natural ability to stick his foot in the ground and get past someone when they’re playing press on him. That one thing alone is something that adds a dimension to the offense that we were missing last year. On top of that, I would say him kind of being an example of showing the other guys how to do it has helped him. On top of that, a lot of those receivers that last year were in their first or second year of playing, and maybe ready to play some but maybe not quite ready for the role they had, I see them stepping in those roles right now. I’m really impressed with the group as a whole. I would say that group has probably improved as much as any this spring. Another thing I would like to say about Ketron is he has all that physical skill, but what a great personality and a great worker too. Sometimes you find that guy who has all the athletic ability and he’s just looking for as many balls as he can catch. But this is a guy who even back in recruiting wasn’t talking about how many balls are you going to throw to me and how much money can I make and all that. He said he just wanted to be at a place where it’s the right fit and he’s shown to be that. After a practice the other day, I felt like I didn’t do a good enough job creating spots for him to make plays, and I apologized. He just smiled and said ‘Coach don’t worry about that.’ I just love him as a kid and his willingness to work, his willingness to block, and do all the things we want him to do.
(Why is Jake Roberts a fit) The same things I said about Sawyer in terms of falling in love with a guy in terms of his positive energy, that was something that came across in recruiting and it’s come true here as well. He just really brings an upbeat vibe to practice every day and the weight room and all that stuff. From an energy and leadership standpoint, I just love what he brings. From a playing standpoint, you know we’re a little bit different than a lot of teams. We look for tight ends who can do kind of everything, run block, pass block, play in his face, play attached to the box, run routes from the box, run routes when they’re split out. He’s just a great all-purpose player. I’m really impressed with his ability to kind of be a jack of all trades, a guy who can really do about anything we ask in our offense.
(with Ben Sims gone, how have you seen other guys step up off the field) That’s a great question (good job, Kurtis). I think probably as much as anything, just really impressed with the group as a whole. The thing I say to them all the time is, ‘Look, I can’t expect this of the offense if the guys that I coach every day don’t do it the way it’s supposed to be done. So, off-the-field stuff, going to class, being on time for workouts, meeting with their tutors, showing up with integrity to everything they do. That’s something I just never have to worry about with this group. And then, from Drake (Dabney) to Jake (Roberts), that we’ve already talked about, Kelsey (Johnson), Gavin (Yates), those guys who have some experience, they’re really leading the way. And then, on top of that, on the field they’re showing guys how to work. And they come to work every day, and just really impressed with the group as a whole and seeing more guys being willing to step outside themselves and try to be an influence on other people.
(looks like you’re going to be deep in the running back room again) Deep again? I think that’s another room where we’re trying to build up, just kind of like we talked about the tight end room. And I think the addition of the two guys who had come in and are new guys, Dominic (Richardson) and Bryson (Washington), just really impressed with those two guys as well. I was talking to Sam about this earlier, just really impressed, I feel like we kind of hit on all of our targets this year, and that includes the high school guys. I think it’s really unusual to hit on all your transfers. But really impressed with Dominic, his ability. Again, a guy that comes in with experience and a lot of potential, but just a real solid, blue-collar worker’s attitude every day. And Bryson is the same way. And then you add that on top of Richard (Reese) and what he did last year, and Qualan (Jones), who I think is improving, I think we’re building that room to where we’ll have the kind of depth that we need if we’re going to be the kind of team that we’d like to be. We’re a team that’s going to ask the backs to run in a physical manner, and it takes three or four guys to be able to do that and sustain that energy and that toughness for a whole season.
(you talked about Blake’s leadership improving, how do you feel like the guys view Blake this spring) Well, I think that’d be a great question for these guys (Kelsey, Jake and Gavin) when they come up, if you want to know how they feel. What I see is just a greater level of interaction with him and the offensive line hanging out together, talking about protection. Him and the tight ends or receivers staying after practice and working on an individual route. As a whole, I just see our offense coming together in ways that we maybe haven’t quite had to the level that I think we can have. And I think that starts with Blake and other quarterbacks as well. But if you don’t have that at that position, I think there’s always going to be something that’s a little bit off. So, I think the guys respect him a ton and they see how hard he’s worked this offseason. He’s earned the right to go out and play well and have the respect.
(what would you like to see the offense get out of Saturday’s spring game) Spring games are kind of funny. I enjoy real . . . I shouldn’t say real scrimmages. I enjoy just regular scrimmages as opposed to the spring game even a little bit more I think as a coach just because the nature of it. There’s a little bit more competitive vibe, it’s offense against defense, it’s good on good, you’ve got to go. And you can do anything. Like, I can call anything. Coach (Matt) Powledge can call anything on defense. In the spring game, we hold a little bit back. However, I think I just want to see guys go out there and just play with confidence. I think that’s something that’s grown a lot this spring. But I still think there are moments where we’re not quite where we can be. I want to see a group take the field and play in such a way that they feel like they can go line up against anybody and score.
(Full room of tight ends) My vision when I took this job was to build that room up to the point where we could have a lot of competition there and play a lot of tight ends. It’s been a work in progress. I think as we’ve continued to add to the group each year, we got it to where we want it now. We’ve got some young guys who are really talented too that aren’t as far along as some of the older guys. But they’re really talented and may contribute some this fall as well. Last year that was a challenge for us with the way we were limited and facing some injuries that probably kept me from being able to play the way I’d like to some. But really pleased with the room as a whole.
Jake Roberts - Don't have a transcript for this one but it's only 2:37
Gavin Yates
(how do you see the tight end room developing) Fast, and it’s growing. Incredible numbers. We have nine tight ends, which is crazy. But yeah, I think it’s developing really fast. It’s great for our team and great for the tight ends. It’s always competition. Competition brings out the best in people.
(what excites you most about this team) The growth that we can take from last season. I came in and Big 12 champs, Sugar Bowl champs (in 2021). And then we as a team, we were in the pit last year. And we’re climbing out of the pit. And I’m excited to see what we can do with the young leaders that are stepping up on the team and the growth that we can do and all the things that we can achieve.
(what’s different in that tight end room this spring than you were this past fall) I would say it’s led by committee. Ben was established as a leader, and I love Ben (Sims) to death. Ben is one of my best friends, still talk to him every day. But it’s led by committee. Drake, Kelsey, Jake and myself, we lead. We see something, and Jake can lean on me one day if he’s having a rough day or going through something. Same with me to Kelsey. And I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been as a room. And I think the numbers have really done that to us. We had two early enrollees. It was the first weekend, and I invited everyone to my house to have a barbecue and really get to know everyone because there’s a lot of different people, a lot of different faces and a lot intricacies in our tight end room.
(did you have enough food) Yeah, it was an expensive grocery bill. I had to ask my mom to help me pay for that.
(talked about being in the pit last year, were you able to pinpoint what went wrong) You can’t really pinpoint one thing. It was a lot of different things and it was a lot of things individuals were going through, myself included with a knee injury. So, it’s a lot of different things that on the surface you can’t really see, but it’s different individuals, different leaders kind of going through this and going through hard times that people might not think affects the whole team, but it does. People can say that I was a really positive person my freshman year, and I was kind of in the pit last year and I didn’t really feel like I was as positive going through injury, really finding myself. So, I think it’s a bunch of individual things that kind of ended up in that pit.
(Sawyer ease his way in, or pretty vocal from the start) Vocal, which I love. He went guns blazing into it. But I was a fan of that. I love Sawyer to death. He’s really helped me grow in my faith this spring, and he’s been an awesome person to me on the field, off the field. He went in there guns blazing. I’m a fan of it.
(he’s a big Bible study guy) Yeah, he is. I’ve started going to church more and doing a small group with Sawyer, and we get a whole bunch of people going to church on Sunday. And he’s kind of leading that, him and Coach Grimes’ son, Garrison.
(do you have a different niche in the tight end room) Yeah, I think I’m a little different than everyone else in the tight end room. I always get called short, and I have little arms. But I’m 6-2, I’m really not that short. But yeah, I think I do. I’m kind of more a fullback H-back style, but I’m not letting that limit me. This spring, I’m really working on my all-around game and blocking to play side, which I haven’t done a lot in wide zone. So, I think I do, and I get used in that way, which is perfectly okay with me. Whatever Coach says, I’m up for it, but I’m trying to develop myself to be a more well-rounded tight end.
(like to be the back in 13 personnel) That would be awesome, but whatever Coach says, I say Yes, sir! I don’t really tell him what to do. I’m a player, so I can’t really say much. And if he puts me in there, then I’ll go in there like Sawyer, with guns blazing.
(focused on confidence this spring with tight ends) I do. I think with Jake coming in, being a new guy, and myself kind of being a junior now and Kelsey, we’re kind of young. And we have to play with confidence because we’re the position that the offensive coordinator coaches. So, I think when things are going down in a scrimmage or in a practice, all the different positions look to us to provide confidence and show that everything’s going to be okay. If we get a sack, we’re going to respond right back with our confidence in the huddle and our body language on the field.
Publisher
Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes provided his assessment of where the battle for the starting QB stands between incumbent Blake Shapen and Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson.
Jeff Grimes
(Offensive progress) I think we’ve made a lot of progress this spring. Shift from coachspeak, but I’m pleased with the fact that we have made progress and we’re not content with where we are. We’re at that point in spring ball where all the players are ready for it to be over, and all the coaches like me wish we had four more weeks of it. I love spring ball, just working with the kids. When you have new guys, which we have a lot of them, you’re really enjoying the progress and seeing guys get better every day. So you just wish you could do it longer, but there will be a time to wrap it up and let them do it on their own for the summer.
(QB competition) They’re doing great. I think all of them are doing well. I think Blake’s made a lot of improvement and I think he’s at that point in his career where I’ve seen a lot of guys make rapid improvement. Going from that first year as a full-time starter, sometimes a guy comes in as a rookie, a young guy who does something, and then the next year for whatever reason things don’t go as well as we thought they would as a coaching staff, as an entire offense. Then for him obviously he says he wants to play better this year and I’m seeing every sign in the world that he’s going to. He’s in position to make that jump that a lot of guys make going from that first full year as a full-time starter. The other thing I respect about him is just the way he’s handling coaching, the way he has stepped up as a leader, really stepping outside of himself. It’s not always easy for guys to do.
Sawyer’s doing a great job too, he’s got a great personality. It’s coming along. The challenge for Sawyer is that he wasn’t just in an Air Raid offense at Mississippi State, he played that in high school as well. So just taking a snap from under center and doing a lot of the footwork things and play-action stuff that we’re doing, it’s not just a different offense, it’s almost like a different sport to perform. RJ is doing great. I’m really impressed with his ability to throw it. Brayson has gotten a whole lot better, so really impressed with the room as a whole.
(Why sign Sawyer) There were a lot of people we knew from Texas who had connections to him in high school and worked with him in camp, had coached him in high school, had seen him in various competitive settings and just really believed in him as a player. That combined with what we saw on film told us he had the ability. Then the next thing was he’s an even better kid than he is as a player, and as we got to know him we found that to be true. Great family, great kid, great leader, real upbeat optimistic personality, and it’s just hard not to fall in love with him.
(Do you have to coach the Air Raid out of him) When you talk about the Air Raid now, there are versions of the Air Raid just like there are versions of the spread offense and the NFL style of offense is how you would kind of describe us. So many different versions of it and there are different versions of the Air Raid as well. But there are pieces of it that we run as well. I’ve been part of an Air Raid offense myself, so there are parts of that in our passing game. Those parts he’s a little more comfortable with right now. But I’ve seen him making progress in the other pieces as well. I wouldn’t say there are parts of it that we would add to the offense. If he was to play in a game tomorrow, I would lean on the things he’s most comfortable with which would include some of those elements for sure.
(Ketron Jackson) He’s got a great ability to separate at the line of scrimmage. I think it’s really helped our other receivers with how to do that. I think that’s something we struggled with last year, getting off press coverage, and he has the natural ability to stick his foot in the ground and get past someone when they’re playing press on him. That one thing alone is something that adds a dimension to the offense that we were missing last year. On top of that, I would say him kind of being an example of showing the other guys how to do it has helped him. On top of that, a lot of those receivers that last year were in their first or second year of playing, and maybe ready to play some but maybe not quite ready for the role they had, I see them stepping in those roles right now. I’m really impressed with the group as a whole. I would say that group has probably improved as much as any this spring. Another thing I would like to say about Ketron is he has all that physical skill, but what a great personality and a great worker too. Sometimes you find that guy who has all the athletic ability and he’s just looking for as many balls as he can catch. But this is a guy who even back in recruiting wasn’t talking about how many balls are you going to throw to me and how much money can I make and all that. He said he just wanted to be at a place where it’s the right fit and he’s shown to be that. After a practice the other day, I felt like I didn’t do a good enough job creating spots for him to make plays, and I apologized. He just smiled and said ‘Coach don’t worry about that.’ I just love him as a kid and his willingness to work, his willingness to block, and do all the things we want him to do.
(Why is Jake Roberts a fit) The same things I said about Sawyer in terms of falling in love with a guy in terms of his positive energy, that was something that came across in recruiting and it’s come true here as well. He just really brings an upbeat vibe to practice every day and the weight room and all that stuff. From an energy and leadership standpoint, I just love what he brings. From a playing standpoint, you know we’re a little bit different than a lot of teams. We look for tight ends who can do kind of everything, run block, pass block, play in his face, play attached to the box, run routes from the box, run routes when they’re split out. He’s just a great all-purpose player. I’m really impressed with his ability to kind of be a jack of all trades, a guy who can really do about anything we ask in our offense.
(with Ben Sims gone, how have you seen other guys step up off the field) That’s a great question (good job, Kurtis). I think probably as much as anything, just really impressed with the group as a whole. The thing I say to them all the time is, ‘Look, I can’t expect this of the offense if the guys that I coach every day don’t do it the way it’s supposed to be done. So, off-the-field stuff, going to class, being on time for workouts, meeting with their tutors, showing up with integrity to everything they do. That’s something I just never have to worry about with this group. And then, from Drake (Dabney) to Jake (Roberts), that we’ve already talked about, Kelsey (Johnson), Gavin (Yates), those guys who have some experience, they’re really leading the way. And then, on top of that, on the field they’re showing guys how to work. And they come to work every day, and just really impressed with the group as a whole and seeing more guys being willing to step outside themselves and try to be an influence on other people.
(looks like you’re going to be deep in the running back room again) Deep again? I think that’s another room where we’re trying to build up, just kind of like we talked about the tight end room. And I think the addition of the two guys who had come in and are new guys, Dominic (Richardson) and Bryson (Washington), just really impressed with those two guys as well. I was talking to Sam about this earlier, just really impressed, I feel like we kind of hit on all of our targets this year, and that includes the high school guys. I think it’s really unusual to hit on all your transfers. But really impressed with Dominic, his ability. Again, a guy that comes in with experience and a lot of potential, but just a real solid, blue-collar worker’s attitude every day. And Bryson is the same way. And then you add that on top of Richard (Reese) and what he did last year, and Qualan (Jones), who I think is improving, I think we’re building that room to where we’ll have the kind of depth that we need if we’re going to be the kind of team that we’d like to be. We’re a team that’s going to ask the backs to run in a physical manner, and it takes three or four guys to be able to do that and sustain that energy and that toughness for a whole season.
(you talked about Blake’s leadership improving, how do you feel like the guys view Blake this spring) Well, I think that’d be a great question for these guys (Kelsey, Jake and Gavin) when they come up, if you want to know how they feel. What I see is just a greater level of interaction with him and the offensive line hanging out together, talking about protection. Him and the tight ends or receivers staying after practice and working on an individual route. As a whole, I just see our offense coming together in ways that we maybe haven’t quite had to the level that I think we can have. And I think that starts with Blake and other quarterbacks as well. But if you don’t have that at that position, I think there’s always going to be something that’s a little bit off. So, I think the guys respect him a ton and they see how hard he’s worked this offseason. He’s earned the right to go out and play well and have the respect.
(what would you like to see the offense get out of Saturday’s spring game) Spring games are kind of funny. I enjoy real . . . I shouldn’t say real scrimmages. I enjoy just regular scrimmages as opposed to the spring game even a little bit more I think as a coach just because the nature of it. There’s a little bit more competitive vibe, it’s offense against defense, it’s good on good, you’ve got to go. And you can do anything. Like, I can call anything. Coach (Matt) Powledge can call anything on defense. In the spring game, we hold a little bit back. However, I think I just want to see guys go out there and just play with confidence. I think that’s something that’s grown a lot this spring. But I still think there are moments where we’re not quite where we can be. I want to see a group take the field and play in such a way that they feel like they can go line up against anybody and score.
(Full room of tight ends) My vision when I took this job was to build that room up to the point where we could have a lot of competition there and play a lot of tight ends. It’s been a work in progress. I think as we’ve continued to add to the group each year, we got it to where we want it now. We’ve got some young guys who are really talented too that aren’t as far along as some of the older guys. But they’re really talented and may contribute some this fall as well. Last year that was a challenge for us with the way we were limited and facing some injuries that probably kept me from being able to play the way I’d like to some. But really pleased with the room as a whole.
Jake Roberts - Don't have a transcript for this one but it's only 2:37
Gavin Yates
(how do you see the tight end room developing) Fast, and it’s growing. Incredible numbers. We have nine tight ends, which is crazy. But yeah, I think it’s developing really fast. It’s great for our team and great for the tight ends. It’s always competition. Competition brings out the best in people.
(what excites you most about this team) The growth that we can take from last season. I came in and Big 12 champs, Sugar Bowl champs (in 2021). And then we as a team, we were in the pit last year. And we’re climbing out of the pit. And I’m excited to see what we can do with the young leaders that are stepping up on the team and the growth that we can do and all the things that we can achieve.
(what’s different in that tight end room this spring than you were this past fall) I would say it’s led by committee. Ben was established as a leader, and I love Ben (Sims) to death. Ben is one of my best friends, still talk to him every day. But it’s led by committee. Drake, Kelsey, Jake and myself, we lead. We see something, and Jake can lean on me one day if he’s having a rough day or going through something. Same with me to Kelsey. And I think we’re closer than we’ve ever been as a room. And I think the numbers have really done that to us. We had two early enrollees. It was the first weekend, and I invited everyone to my house to have a barbecue and really get to know everyone because there’s a lot of different people, a lot of different faces and a lot intricacies in our tight end room.
(did you have enough food) Yeah, it was an expensive grocery bill. I had to ask my mom to help me pay for that.
(talked about being in the pit last year, were you able to pinpoint what went wrong) You can’t really pinpoint one thing. It was a lot of different things and it was a lot of things individuals were going through, myself included with a knee injury. So, it’s a lot of different things that on the surface you can’t really see, but it’s different individuals, different leaders kind of going through this and going through hard times that people might not think affects the whole team, but it does. People can say that I was a really positive person my freshman year, and I was kind of in the pit last year and I didn’t really feel like I was as positive going through injury, really finding myself. So, I think it’s a bunch of individual things that kind of ended up in that pit.
(Sawyer ease his way in, or pretty vocal from the start) Vocal, which I love. He went guns blazing into it. But I was a fan of that. I love Sawyer to death. He’s really helped me grow in my faith this spring, and he’s been an awesome person to me on the field, off the field. He went in there guns blazing. I’m a fan of it.
(he’s a big Bible study guy) Yeah, he is. I’ve started going to church more and doing a small group with Sawyer, and we get a whole bunch of people going to church on Sunday. And he’s kind of leading that, him and Coach Grimes’ son, Garrison.
(do you have a different niche in the tight end room) Yeah, I think I’m a little different than everyone else in the tight end room. I always get called short, and I have little arms. But I’m 6-2, I’m really not that short. But yeah, I think I do. I’m kind of more a fullback H-back style, but I’m not letting that limit me. This spring, I’m really working on my all-around game and blocking to play side, which I haven’t done a lot in wide zone. So, I think I do, and I get used in that way, which is perfectly okay with me. Whatever Coach says, I’m up for it, but I’m trying to develop myself to be a more well-rounded tight end.
(like to be the back in 13 personnel) That would be awesome, but whatever Coach says, I say Yes, sir! I don’t really tell him what to do. I’m a player, so I can’t really say much. And if he puts me in there, then I’ll go in there like Sawyer, with guns blazing.
(focused on confidence this spring with tight ends) I do. I think with Jake coming in, being a new guy, and myself kind of being a junior now and Kelsey, we’re kind of young. And we have to play with confidence because we’re the position that the offensive coordinator coaches. So, I think when things are going down in a scrimmage or in a practice, all the different positions look to us to provide confidence and show that everything’s going to be okay. If we get a sack, we’re going to respond right back with our confidence in the huddle and our body language on the field.
