By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s coaching staff is on the road looking for the future. But it also needs to ensure what it presently has on its roster can help it bounce back in 2023.
Baylor’s offensive line is probably the great unknown for 2023. All five starters from the 2022 season left either through graduation or through the NCAA transfer portal.
All of Baylor’s offensive numbers dropped drastically between the running game and passing game. The unit yielded 22 sacks and 30 QB hurries. That’s really about the same from 2021 when it surrendered 18 sacks and 33 hurries.
Given the way this experienced group went through inconsistent play, it may not be a totally bad thing that there are wholesale changes. With any offensive line, it’s going to be a matter of time for the first five to gel. That has been offensive line coach Eric Mateos’ task since January when the offseason began.
In a new series, we break down how Baylor’s positions may play out this fall. On May 9, we started with the quarterbacks. We continue with the offensive line.
Projected starting five: If you want to look at the first series of the Green & Gold game on April 22, here is who Baylor had lined up left tackle to right tackle: LT Campbell Barrington, LG Gavin Byers, C Clark Barrington, RG Elijah Ellis, RT Timothy Dawn.
That’s probably a pretty good place to start. With the Barrington brothers who transferred from BYU, it has long been thought that Campbell would move in to take over the anchor (LT) spot of the offensive line. He made six starts in 2021 and play in nine games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending thumb injury. Although he was the starting left guard for BYU in 2022, Clark worked his way toward playing center. Baylor needs experience in the middle.
Byers has seen the most significant playing time of any of the returners. He made 15 career starts and played in 35 games going back to the 2020 season. That’s a natural move to have him in there.
The right side is wide open. Ellis only played in the 2022 season opener against Albany. Dawn also played against Albany. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if early in the season a healthy number of running plays run to the left side. Whether it’s Ellis and Dawn or others, that side will be viewed as the weaker one until it shows that it’s not.
Building depth: It wouldn’t hurt Baylor scan the portal to see if there is a grad transfer available just to have one. It can go into June if it wants should it find one. That candidate could arrive for the second summer session in July and be available for fall camp.
However, the depth candidates begin with George Maile, arguably the most decorated offensive lineman Baylor has secured since Spencer Drango and possibly could start the season opener against Texas State, along with Tate Williams, Alvin Ebosele and Ryan Lengyel. Williams appeared in all 13 games last fall. The others saw spot duty. Baylor needs a solid rotation of three to have eight quality offensive linemen.
From this, had Baylor not taken an aggressive approach with the portal and landed the Barringtons, this position group would have been shaky at best. Now that they are here, those fears have been quelled to some point.
The only time offensive lines are talked about when QBs are getting hit too much and running backs aren’t breaking through. This might take some time for the line to evolve. Just hope that what’s being seen in October will be far better than what’s being seen in September…for the right reasons.
Publisher
Baylor’s coaching staff is on the road looking for the future. But it also needs to ensure what it presently has on its roster can help it bounce back in 2023.
Baylor’s offensive line is probably the great unknown for 2023. All five starters from the 2022 season left either through graduation or through the NCAA transfer portal.
All of Baylor’s offensive numbers dropped drastically between the running game and passing game. The unit yielded 22 sacks and 30 QB hurries. That’s really about the same from 2021 when it surrendered 18 sacks and 33 hurries.
Given the way this experienced group went through inconsistent play, it may not be a totally bad thing that there are wholesale changes. With any offensive line, it’s going to be a matter of time for the first five to gel. That has been offensive line coach Eric Mateos’ task since January when the offseason began.
In a new series, we break down how Baylor’s positions may play out this fall. On May 9, we started with the quarterbacks. We continue with the offensive line.
Projected starting five: If you want to look at the first series of the Green & Gold game on April 22, here is who Baylor had lined up left tackle to right tackle: LT Campbell Barrington, LG Gavin Byers, C Clark Barrington, RG Elijah Ellis, RT Timothy Dawn.
That’s probably a pretty good place to start. With the Barrington brothers who transferred from BYU, it has long been thought that Campbell would move in to take over the anchor (LT) spot of the offensive line. He made six starts in 2021 and play in nine games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending thumb injury. Although he was the starting left guard for BYU in 2022, Clark worked his way toward playing center. Baylor needs experience in the middle.
Byers has seen the most significant playing time of any of the returners. He made 15 career starts and played in 35 games going back to the 2020 season. That’s a natural move to have him in there.
The right side is wide open. Ellis only played in the 2022 season opener against Albany. Dawn also played against Albany. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if early in the season a healthy number of running plays run to the left side. Whether it’s Ellis and Dawn or others, that side will be viewed as the weaker one until it shows that it’s not.
Building depth: It wouldn’t hurt Baylor scan the portal to see if there is a grad transfer available just to have one. It can go into June if it wants should it find one. That candidate could arrive for the second summer session in July and be available for fall camp.
However, the depth candidates begin with George Maile, arguably the most decorated offensive lineman Baylor has secured since Spencer Drango and possibly could start the season opener against Texas State, along with Tate Williams, Alvin Ebosele and Ryan Lengyel. Williams appeared in all 13 games last fall. The others saw spot duty. Baylor needs a solid rotation of three to have eight quality offensive linemen.
From this, had Baylor not taken an aggressive approach with the portal and landed the Barringtons, this position group would have been shaky at best. Now that they are here, those fears have been quelled to some point.
The only time offensive lines are talked about when QBs are getting hit too much and running backs aren’t breaking through. This might take some time for the line to evolve. Just hope that what’s being seen in October will be far better than what’s being seen in September…for the right reasons.
