By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
What a difference a year makes.
Baylor spring football 2022 was in the middle of the momentum from coming off a banner 2021 season: Big 12 title, Sugar Bowl win, Top 5 ranking.
With the number of players returning the only question was who was going to win the starting QB job to keep it going.
Baylor spring football 2023 is different: The season ended on a four-game losing streak including the bowl, three quarterbacks on the spring roster transferred out, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was fired and now many issues face Dave Aranda’s program starting on Tuesday.
However, hope and spring always find a way to match up with each other nicely. There’s a lot of work to be done with this 2023 team. The spring likely will include a mix of installing the offense and defense but mostly figuring out who will play where.
Everything culminates in the Green & Gold game on April 22 at McLane Stadium. SicEmSports identifities the Top 5 storylines going into the spring.
Aranda meets with the media at 5:45 pm on Tuesday.
1. Is there a battle for the starting QB job?
Aranda may address this with his opening presser. But given the finish starter Blake Shapen had – 12 turnovers in the last nine games and struggling to command the offense – it will be something to learn if Aranda will call this spring a battle between Shapen and Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson for the job.
Or Aranda may say it’s Shapen’s job unless he shows that the finish to 2022 was a signal things are really off. Then again, Aranda may give a coach speak answer to where the job may be up for grabs and could last into fall camp.
Obviously, it’s hoped that Shapen spent the offseason going through everything that caused the spiraled and worked through them to be better for it.
2. New offensive line
Yes, everybody from the 2022 unit is gone either through graduation or the portal.
As they say, jobs are open. Baylor hoped it addressed some of it by the additions of BYU transfers Clark and Campbell Barrington. One of them, likely Campbell, be the starting left tackle. The other, likely Clark, could be on the right side.
After that, it comes down to part-timers in Gavin Byers, George Maile among others to lock down other positions. More than just building a starting five, offensive line coach Eric Mateos needs to build some depth for a quality rotation.
3. Powledge returns as DC
With Roberts out, Baylor turned to a familiar face in Matthew Powledge to return from his one-year stint at Oregon as Co-Defensive Coordinator and run the defense.
To be sure, Powledge is a rising name in this industry. Should he do well in Waco, he’ll be a head coach candidate somewhere.
For now, Powledge will be tasked to address the secondary where Baylor really struggled stopping the opposing passing game. The tumultuous season and offseason led to the portal transfers of Al Walcott and Snaxx Johnson. Powledge has some options with Devin Lemear, Alfonzo Allen and Devyn Bobby.
The corners situation may be a mix of Miami transfer Isaiah Dunson, Tevin Williams along with January arrival Carl Williams IV.
4. Portal Impact
This is why Baylor signed eight in January. Along with the Barrington Brothers, Robertson and Dunson, there’s Liberty linebacker Mike Smith, Oklahoma State running back Dominic Richardson, Arkansas wide receiver Ketron Jackson and North Texas tight end Jake Roberts.
Baylor needs leadership in the running back and wide receiver rooms. Jackson and Richardson have that opportunity along with making big plays. Smith has to be someone who can shore up the middle tier of the defense.
Baylor was more aggressive in the portal this offseason because there were numerous holes to fill. The majority of these new additions aren’t one-year answers. Several will be here for beyond one.
5. Next man up
It’s no secret that Baylor’s skill positions didn’t have that alpha player emerge either at wide out or in the backfield. Beyond the impact Jackson and Richardson could offer, there’s a need for someone else to emerge.
For the wide receivers, the leading candidates could be Hal Presley and Armani Winfield. Presley is a physical receiver who showed some glimpses of excitement. Winfield arrived last January. However, he still needed some time to become acclimated to P5 football. Now that he’s seen it all and with no established receivers returning, he has his chance.
The running game had Richard Reese nearly hit the 1,000-yard plateau as a freshman. He slowed down at the end. But he appears to be one of the primary options. Qualan Jones is likely perfect for his spot role.
January arrival Bryson Washington just finished a 16-game 2022 season. Baylor coaches may want to navigate him through that, especially since he is coming from Class 3A Texas High School football to the Big 12.
Then there’s the matter of Taye McWilliams and Jordan Jenkins. McWilliams didn’t play after the BYU game because of a concussion. What is his future and is football part of it? Aranda may speak to that Tuesday.
This would be the time for Jenkins, who dazzled in 2020, to seize the opportunity and be part of the answer.
Publisher
What a difference a year makes.
Baylor spring football 2022 was in the middle of the momentum from coming off a banner 2021 season: Big 12 title, Sugar Bowl win, Top 5 ranking.
With the number of players returning the only question was who was going to win the starting QB job to keep it going.
Baylor spring football 2023 is different: The season ended on a four-game losing streak including the bowl, three quarterbacks on the spring roster transferred out, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was fired and now many issues face Dave Aranda’s program starting on Tuesday.
However, hope and spring always find a way to match up with each other nicely. There’s a lot of work to be done with this 2023 team. The spring likely will include a mix of installing the offense and defense but mostly figuring out who will play where.
Everything culminates in the Green & Gold game on April 22 at McLane Stadium. SicEmSports identifities the Top 5 storylines going into the spring.
Aranda meets with the media at 5:45 pm on Tuesday.
1. Is there a battle for the starting QB job?
Aranda may address this with his opening presser. But given the finish starter Blake Shapen had – 12 turnovers in the last nine games and struggling to command the offense – it will be something to learn if Aranda will call this spring a battle between Shapen and Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson for the job.
Or Aranda may say it’s Shapen’s job unless he shows that the finish to 2022 was a signal things are really off. Then again, Aranda may give a coach speak answer to where the job may be up for grabs and could last into fall camp.
Obviously, it’s hoped that Shapen spent the offseason going through everything that caused the spiraled and worked through them to be better for it.
2. New offensive line
Yes, everybody from the 2022 unit is gone either through graduation or the portal.
As they say, jobs are open. Baylor hoped it addressed some of it by the additions of BYU transfers Clark and Campbell Barrington. One of them, likely Campbell, be the starting left tackle. The other, likely Clark, could be on the right side.
After that, it comes down to part-timers in Gavin Byers, George Maile among others to lock down other positions. More than just building a starting five, offensive line coach Eric Mateos needs to build some depth for a quality rotation.
3. Powledge returns as DC
With Roberts out, Baylor turned to a familiar face in Matthew Powledge to return from his one-year stint at Oregon as Co-Defensive Coordinator and run the defense.
To be sure, Powledge is a rising name in this industry. Should he do well in Waco, he’ll be a head coach candidate somewhere.
For now, Powledge will be tasked to address the secondary where Baylor really struggled stopping the opposing passing game. The tumultuous season and offseason led to the portal transfers of Al Walcott and Snaxx Johnson. Powledge has some options with Devin Lemear, Alfonzo Allen and Devyn Bobby.
The corners situation may be a mix of Miami transfer Isaiah Dunson, Tevin Williams along with January arrival Carl Williams IV.
4. Portal Impact
This is why Baylor signed eight in January. Along with the Barrington Brothers, Robertson and Dunson, there’s Liberty linebacker Mike Smith, Oklahoma State running back Dominic Richardson, Arkansas wide receiver Ketron Jackson and North Texas tight end Jake Roberts.
Baylor needs leadership in the running back and wide receiver rooms. Jackson and Richardson have that opportunity along with making big plays. Smith has to be someone who can shore up the middle tier of the defense.
Baylor was more aggressive in the portal this offseason because there were numerous holes to fill. The majority of these new additions aren’t one-year answers. Several will be here for beyond one.
5. Next man up
It’s no secret that Baylor’s skill positions didn’t have that alpha player emerge either at wide out or in the backfield. Beyond the impact Jackson and Richardson could offer, there’s a need for someone else to emerge.
For the wide receivers, the leading candidates could be Hal Presley and Armani Winfield. Presley is a physical receiver who showed some glimpses of excitement. Winfield arrived last January. However, he still needed some time to become acclimated to P5 football. Now that he’s seen it all and with no established receivers returning, he has his chance.
The running game had Richard Reese nearly hit the 1,000-yard plateau as a freshman. He slowed down at the end. But he appears to be one of the primary options. Qualan Jones is likely perfect for his spot role.
January arrival Bryson Washington just finished a 16-game 2022 season. Baylor coaches may want to navigate him through that, especially since he is coming from Class 3A Texas High School football to the Big 12.
Then there’s the matter of Taye McWilliams and Jordan Jenkins. McWilliams didn’t play after the BYU game because of a concussion. What is his future and is football part of it? Aranda may speak to that Tuesday.
This would be the time for Jenkins, who dazzled in 2020, to seize the opportunity and be part of the answer.
