The search for this week’s selection brought the RJB to a standstill. There really wasn’t time to think about where to go with it because so much was going on from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.
And during the preceding week, that was Thanksgiving and so everything was thrown off kilter. But we pulled out what we believe something that should give a little more spring in your step, a perfect way to start your week and an excuse to stand around the water cooler, talk shop and feel good about the green and gold because of what happened Saturday afternoon.
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The Baylor coaches started in earnest with recruiting on Sunday until the Dec. 19-21 early signing period. It's a signal that the regular season is really over. However, Baylor gets to play one more time somewhere around the Christmas Holiday break.
Your publisher reviews the prediction for the 2018 season: 5-7.
If you’ll recall I wavered back and forth between 6-6 and 5-7. I kept thinking 6-6. But when Matt Rhule announced a rash of suspensions along with the dismissal of defensive tackle Michael Johnson that would begin the season, I just believed that the locker room issues had not been settled and some things were not coming together in the manner I hoped they would. I then settled on 5-7.
I don’t regret the choice. Of course, it’s nice to be proven incorrect because that means Baylor’s season hasn’t finished. I was 30 minutes away from being right. This isn’t the first time that’s happened. It certainly won’t be the last.
Not knowing who Baylor will actually play until next Sunday – we could learn the bowl some time during the week – this is a good time to see what I said in late August made any sense for how it reads in late November. We had trimester reviews during the season. So consider this the last one.
QB – What was said in late August
The good: Charlie Brewer started the final four games of the 2017 and carried himself well throughout the highs and lows. He has been a part of this program for 20 months; NC State transfer Jalan McClendon should provide some help and experience because he’s been around the game for a while.
The bad: This position hasn’t experienced a whole lot of success. Brewer became the third different starting quarterback in 2017 when the coaching staff ran out of options because of injuries and ineffectiveness. The hope is that he has learned from all of that and can take a big step. McClendon came to Baylor with perhaps a chance to win the starting job. But he couldn’t win the job in Raleigh, N.C. and that’s one reason why he’s here. Freshman Gerry Bohanon should strategically see the field.
QB – What is said in late November
After a bizarre non-conference season in which Rhule wouldn’t verbally declare a starter, started Brewer but then used Jalan McClendon, it became pretty clear by late September at Oklahoma that Brewer was the guy. He had that savvy to rally the Bears in the fourth quarter in wins against Kansas State and Oklahoma State and played with poise (minus the Iowa State ejection). The team rallied around him. McClendon has a bigger arm. However, there was just a difference in the way offense worked around him than how it did with Brewer. Bohanon gets to keep his redshirt season.
RB – What was said in late August
The good: JaMycal Hasty gets the first crack at establishing himself as an every down back. John Lovett was actually this team’s leading rusher in 2017. What Baylor will do with the likes of Abram Smith (coming off his ACL injury) and freshman Craig Williams will depend on health and if Hasty and Lovett can handle the load.
The bad: Hasty has a history of injuries (back when he was at Longview and knee last year). Lovett could have a sophomore jinx and take a step back. There is also no big short-yardage running back. Baylor will have to turn to the fullback position to lead the push on those plays.
RB – What is said in late November
Clearly, this part of the offense never clicked. There were spot solid performance including the finale against Texas Tech. But Baylor could never depend on it game-to-game. Hasty didn’t emerge as the every down back. Lovett was good and bad. He’s the leading rusher at 546 yards. Trestan Ebner is not a featured back. There was no short-yardage back. You can be sure the focus of the offseason to get this thing to a better place.
OL/TE – What was said in late August
The good: Baylor may have the most under rated tackles in the Big 12 between Josh Malin on the left side and Patrick Lawrence on the right. Blake Blackmar is an institution at right guard. Sam Tecklenburg molded himself into a center.
The bad: With injuries at left guard between Jake Fruhmorgen and Johncarlo Valentin (not clear what position he would play anyway) and the fact that the depth is a little iffy at this position, Baylor can ill afford to lose any one of its starters for an extended period of time. Ironically, this position has been injury free for the previous two seasons. It doesn’t need the law of averages to catch up with it. It’s going to take some time for the tight end to become a serious part of this offense.
OL/TE – What is said in late November
Without a doubt, this was the worst unit on the team allowing a Big 12-worst 37 sacks. Malin’s knee injury in the season opener against ACU really hurt the balance of unit. Baylor went through three different left tackles before it settled on freshman Connor Galvin. That didn’t help protect QBs or get the running game going. Blackmar was solid. Lawrence struggled. Fruhmorgen turned into a major disappointment. Valentin appears to be serviceable at left guard. Tight end play went upside down when Jamie Jacobs had to retire because of back issues before the season started. Christoph Henle and Tyler Henderson had to learn trial by fire. But this unit can take some momentum into the bowl game based on the second half effort against Texas Tech.
WR – What was said in late August
The good: This is the best position on the team. Jalen Hurd, Chris Platt and Denzel Mims might be the third best group in the Big 12 behind West Virginia and Oklahoma. While Hurd hasn’t played a down at that position in his time, he’s a great athlete and should transition fine.
The bad: I don’t think there really is an issue here. The backups with Tony Nicholson, Tyquan Thornton, Marques Jones and Pooh Stricklin deserve to be in those roles. They’re solid players. They’re not game changers. They will help in a pinch.
WR – What is said in late November
It played out that way that this unit remained the best on the team. Hurd actually turned into a slash where the coaching staff lined him up in the backfield. Mims didn’t produce the season many expected because his November was a disappointment. However, he made up for it with the game-winning TD catch against Oklahoma State and two TD grabs against Tech. Platt just never got on track until the finale. Nicholson left the program. The others did exactly what was asked. The one issue that bothered this group was the number of drops.
DL – What was said in late August
The good: You have two pretty solid ends with James Lynch (he was moved from DT but remember a lot of the DL will move around) and Texas A&M transfer James Lockhart. Bravvion Roy went from being off the radar before fall camp to now the starter. He could have a major impact. Ira Lewis is a veteran.
The bad: Maybe it’s an injury or something else but not having Greg Roberts not on your initial 2-deep should be a cause for concern. You have two old-time redshirt freshmen (they had to sit out) in Chidi Ogbonnaya and Rob Saulin as the backups at tackles. Defensive lines live on a rotation. You’ve got to have about seven of them. We’ll all learn together what these young guys offer.
DL – What is said in late November
This turned out to be a decent to solid unit. It was never close to being a dominating unit. Roy settled into a credible defensive tackle. Lynch is probably one of the top five players on this roster. When Roberts was good, he was pretty good. The problem was he wasn’t good enough. The upside for B.J. Thompson continues. He could be the playmaker on the front this unit needs in the next two seasons.
LB – What was said in late August
The good: Henry Black has gracefully handled the transition from defensive back to outside linebacker very well. That began in 2017. While he’s not big, he has the perimeter speed to cut off plays to the edge and turn them inside. Jordan Williams was pretty under recruited when he came out of high school. All he’s done is work his tail off to win a starting job.
The bad: With Clay Johnston dealing with his knee injury and his availability unknown to this point, there are major questions with Baylor in the middle. Writing about Blake Lynch in this position is something I didn’t anticipate doing. I really believed that he was going to be an anchor at safety and drop down when the down and distance called for it. Now, I don’t what to think.
LB – What is being said in late November
Johnston’s injury didn’t keep him out for long. He wound up taking ownership in the middle and was reliable. Maybe the move of the season made by defensive coordinator Phil Snow was flipping Blake Lynch for Henry Black. Lynch handled the SLB spot very well and gave Baylor speed and size on the edge. Williams is just a lunch pail guy. A group that got off to a really ragged start played better toward the end.
DB/S – What was said in late August
The good: Grayland Arnold was an untold story for 2017. He came back from a broken arm and played his way into being a steady and reliable corner. Now, he’s a starter. Temple grad transfer Derrek Thomas knows what to expect with this coaching staff since he’s been around it for four years.
The bad: Thomas was really not a major factor in Temple defenses but was a good soldier. We’ll find out soon enough what kind of issue Harrison Hand is experiencing. He's been banged up but the extent is unknown. The safety position has the extreme scenario. Verkedric Vaughns is a veteran. Chris Miller is learning. And let’s be honest that the Baylor safety play has left a lot to be desired over the last several years.
DB/S – What is said in late November
Against some of the most explosive offenses in the country – Oklahoma, West Virginia and to an extent Oklahoma State – the Bears had rough days. However, this unit did a pretty good job overall. What it didn’t do overall was create turnovers. It only had five (remember two INTs were by linebackers). Arnold didn’t finish the season because of an ankle injury so he gets a redshirt year out of it. Safety play was better than in previous seasons. By moving Black back there, it improved the depth. Miller would follow horrible plays with good plays. Because he is a leader, Vaughns will be missed.
PK/P/Special Teams – What was said in late August
The good: Kickers are weird but if Conner Martin can almost duplicate what he did in 2017, then the Bears will be fine there. Drew Galitz appears to be OK from his knee injury. If he’s right, he’s a weapon. Jay Sedwick is a solid kickoff artist.
The bad: Do you really want Jalen Hurd fielding punts? Isn’t there anyone else who could handle that? If Ross Mastiscik is doing more than long snapping, that isn’t good for Baylor.
PK/P/Special Teams – What is said in late November
Martin had a rough year (14-22) with four missed field goals inside 39 yards. He also missed five extra points. You never know with kickers. Drew Galitz was his dependable self averaging 42.4 along with 18 inside the opponents 20 and 14 that exceeded 50 yards. The return teams didn’t do much to get you excited. But they fixed the problem of poor decisions on kick returns. The coverage teams didn’t allow a return for a score. What caught your attention was this group’s ability to block kicks. Baylor had seven of those, two on blocked punts – both by Christian Morgan – that were returned for TDs by Hasty and Trestan Ebner. A mixed bag but overall better.
Overall: This is what 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 teams look like. They are good in some areas. They are poor in others. The rest is somewhat of an in between. Even if the Bears finished 5-7 and didn’t make it to the postseason, I would call this program right on track. The bowl appearance puts it ahead of schedule from the standpoint of the extra practices and playing one more game. What this program is lacking is playmakers on both sides of the ball. There are some candidates like Thompson or Mims or Brewer. Once Baylor can find difference makers, this program can take the next step and move into the first division of the Big 12.
That’s a deeper discussion for the offseason and as we get closer to spring football. For now, all Baylor needs to do is worry about one more game to close out 2018.
Now a look at other Baylor sports…
It’s pretty light this time of year with just a couple of women’s sports still going.
>As you saw in another thread, the volleyball team is head back to the NCAA tournament and will open Thursday against Hawai’i in the Eugene Regional. If Baylor wins, it would play the winner of New Mexico State-Oregon on Friday.
Before that, No. 25 Baylor volleyball (19-8, 11-5 Big 12) closed out another impressive regular season with a 3-1 victory over West Virginia (11-18, 2-13 Big 12) Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center, 25-27, 25-16, 25-19, 25-16.
Baylor posted its second-straight season finishing in second place in the conference standings, posting an 11-5 record and a 7-1 record during the second half of league play.
> Juicy Landrum and NaLyssa Smith each scored 14 points, and No. 4 Baylor received scoring contributions from 10 players in its 67-46 win over Georgetown in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout on Saturday night.
Landrum made four 3-pointers and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds to lead the Lady Bears (6-0) to the wire-to-wire victory. On Friday, Baylor struggled with but had enough to pull away from South Dakota State, 72-66.
Baylor has the week off before it travels to Columbia, SC to play at South Carolina.
Let’s make it a great week!
And during the preceding week, that was Thanksgiving and so everything was thrown off kilter. But we pulled out what we believe something that should give a little more spring in your step, a perfect way to start your week and an excuse to stand around the water cooler, talk shop and feel good about the green and gold because of what happened Saturday afternoon.
****
The Baylor coaches started in earnest with recruiting on Sunday until the Dec. 19-21 early signing period. It's a signal that the regular season is really over. However, Baylor gets to play one more time somewhere around the Christmas Holiday break.
Your publisher reviews the prediction for the 2018 season: 5-7.
If you’ll recall I wavered back and forth between 6-6 and 5-7. I kept thinking 6-6. But when Matt Rhule announced a rash of suspensions along with the dismissal of defensive tackle Michael Johnson that would begin the season, I just believed that the locker room issues had not been settled and some things were not coming together in the manner I hoped they would. I then settled on 5-7.
I don’t regret the choice. Of course, it’s nice to be proven incorrect because that means Baylor’s season hasn’t finished. I was 30 minutes away from being right. This isn’t the first time that’s happened. It certainly won’t be the last.
Not knowing who Baylor will actually play until next Sunday – we could learn the bowl some time during the week – this is a good time to see what I said in late August made any sense for how it reads in late November. We had trimester reviews during the season. So consider this the last one.
QB – What was said in late August
The good: Charlie Brewer started the final four games of the 2017 and carried himself well throughout the highs and lows. He has been a part of this program for 20 months; NC State transfer Jalan McClendon should provide some help and experience because he’s been around the game for a while.
The bad: This position hasn’t experienced a whole lot of success. Brewer became the third different starting quarterback in 2017 when the coaching staff ran out of options because of injuries and ineffectiveness. The hope is that he has learned from all of that and can take a big step. McClendon came to Baylor with perhaps a chance to win the starting job. But he couldn’t win the job in Raleigh, N.C. and that’s one reason why he’s here. Freshman Gerry Bohanon should strategically see the field.
QB – What is said in late November
After a bizarre non-conference season in which Rhule wouldn’t verbally declare a starter, started Brewer but then used Jalan McClendon, it became pretty clear by late September at Oklahoma that Brewer was the guy. He had that savvy to rally the Bears in the fourth quarter in wins against Kansas State and Oklahoma State and played with poise (minus the Iowa State ejection). The team rallied around him. McClendon has a bigger arm. However, there was just a difference in the way offense worked around him than how it did with Brewer. Bohanon gets to keep his redshirt season.
RB – What was said in late August
The good: JaMycal Hasty gets the first crack at establishing himself as an every down back. John Lovett was actually this team’s leading rusher in 2017. What Baylor will do with the likes of Abram Smith (coming off his ACL injury) and freshman Craig Williams will depend on health and if Hasty and Lovett can handle the load.
The bad: Hasty has a history of injuries (back when he was at Longview and knee last year). Lovett could have a sophomore jinx and take a step back. There is also no big short-yardage running back. Baylor will have to turn to the fullback position to lead the push on those plays.
RB – What is said in late November
Clearly, this part of the offense never clicked. There were spot solid performance including the finale against Texas Tech. But Baylor could never depend on it game-to-game. Hasty didn’t emerge as the every down back. Lovett was good and bad. He’s the leading rusher at 546 yards. Trestan Ebner is not a featured back. There was no short-yardage back. You can be sure the focus of the offseason to get this thing to a better place.
OL/TE – What was said in late August
The good: Baylor may have the most under rated tackles in the Big 12 between Josh Malin on the left side and Patrick Lawrence on the right. Blake Blackmar is an institution at right guard. Sam Tecklenburg molded himself into a center.
The bad: With injuries at left guard between Jake Fruhmorgen and Johncarlo Valentin (not clear what position he would play anyway) and the fact that the depth is a little iffy at this position, Baylor can ill afford to lose any one of its starters for an extended period of time. Ironically, this position has been injury free for the previous two seasons. It doesn’t need the law of averages to catch up with it. It’s going to take some time for the tight end to become a serious part of this offense.
OL/TE – What is said in late November
Without a doubt, this was the worst unit on the team allowing a Big 12-worst 37 sacks. Malin’s knee injury in the season opener against ACU really hurt the balance of unit. Baylor went through three different left tackles before it settled on freshman Connor Galvin. That didn’t help protect QBs or get the running game going. Blackmar was solid. Lawrence struggled. Fruhmorgen turned into a major disappointment. Valentin appears to be serviceable at left guard. Tight end play went upside down when Jamie Jacobs had to retire because of back issues before the season started. Christoph Henle and Tyler Henderson had to learn trial by fire. But this unit can take some momentum into the bowl game based on the second half effort against Texas Tech.
WR – What was said in late August
The good: This is the best position on the team. Jalen Hurd, Chris Platt and Denzel Mims might be the third best group in the Big 12 behind West Virginia and Oklahoma. While Hurd hasn’t played a down at that position in his time, he’s a great athlete and should transition fine.
The bad: I don’t think there really is an issue here. The backups with Tony Nicholson, Tyquan Thornton, Marques Jones and Pooh Stricklin deserve to be in those roles. They’re solid players. They’re not game changers. They will help in a pinch.
WR – What is said in late November
It played out that way that this unit remained the best on the team. Hurd actually turned into a slash where the coaching staff lined him up in the backfield. Mims didn’t produce the season many expected because his November was a disappointment. However, he made up for it with the game-winning TD catch against Oklahoma State and two TD grabs against Tech. Platt just never got on track until the finale. Nicholson left the program. The others did exactly what was asked. The one issue that bothered this group was the number of drops.
DL – What was said in late August
The good: You have two pretty solid ends with James Lynch (he was moved from DT but remember a lot of the DL will move around) and Texas A&M transfer James Lockhart. Bravvion Roy went from being off the radar before fall camp to now the starter. He could have a major impact. Ira Lewis is a veteran.
The bad: Maybe it’s an injury or something else but not having Greg Roberts not on your initial 2-deep should be a cause for concern. You have two old-time redshirt freshmen (they had to sit out) in Chidi Ogbonnaya and Rob Saulin as the backups at tackles. Defensive lines live on a rotation. You’ve got to have about seven of them. We’ll all learn together what these young guys offer.
DL – What is said in late November
This turned out to be a decent to solid unit. It was never close to being a dominating unit. Roy settled into a credible defensive tackle. Lynch is probably one of the top five players on this roster. When Roberts was good, he was pretty good. The problem was he wasn’t good enough. The upside for B.J. Thompson continues. He could be the playmaker on the front this unit needs in the next two seasons.
LB – What was said in late August
The good: Henry Black has gracefully handled the transition from defensive back to outside linebacker very well. That began in 2017. While he’s not big, he has the perimeter speed to cut off plays to the edge and turn them inside. Jordan Williams was pretty under recruited when he came out of high school. All he’s done is work his tail off to win a starting job.
The bad: With Clay Johnston dealing with his knee injury and his availability unknown to this point, there are major questions with Baylor in the middle. Writing about Blake Lynch in this position is something I didn’t anticipate doing. I really believed that he was going to be an anchor at safety and drop down when the down and distance called for it. Now, I don’t what to think.
LB – What is being said in late November
Johnston’s injury didn’t keep him out for long. He wound up taking ownership in the middle and was reliable. Maybe the move of the season made by defensive coordinator Phil Snow was flipping Blake Lynch for Henry Black. Lynch handled the SLB spot very well and gave Baylor speed and size on the edge. Williams is just a lunch pail guy. A group that got off to a really ragged start played better toward the end.
DB/S – What was said in late August
The good: Grayland Arnold was an untold story for 2017. He came back from a broken arm and played his way into being a steady and reliable corner. Now, he’s a starter. Temple grad transfer Derrek Thomas knows what to expect with this coaching staff since he’s been around it for four years.
The bad: Thomas was really not a major factor in Temple defenses but was a good soldier. We’ll find out soon enough what kind of issue Harrison Hand is experiencing. He's been banged up but the extent is unknown. The safety position has the extreme scenario. Verkedric Vaughns is a veteran. Chris Miller is learning. And let’s be honest that the Baylor safety play has left a lot to be desired over the last several years.
DB/S – What is said in late November
Against some of the most explosive offenses in the country – Oklahoma, West Virginia and to an extent Oklahoma State – the Bears had rough days. However, this unit did a pretty good job overall. What it didn’t do overall was create turnovers. It only had five (remember two INTs were by linebackers). Arnold didn’t finish the season because of an ankle injury so he gets a redshirt year out of it. Safety play was better than in previous seasons. By moving Black back there, it improved the depth. Miller would follow horrible plays with good plays. Because he is a leader, Vaughns will be missed.
PK/P/Special Teams – What was said in late August
The good: Kickers are weird but if Conner Martin can almost duplicate what he did in 2017, then the Bears will be fine there. Drew Galitz appears to be OK from his knee injury. If he’s right, he’s a weapon. Jay Sedwick is a solid kickoff artist.
The bad: Do you really want Jalen Hurd fielding punts? Isn’t there anyone else who could handle that? If Ross Mastiscik is doing more than long snapping, that isn’t good for Baylor.
PK/P/Special Teams – What is said in late November
Martin had a rough year (14-22) with four missed field goals inside 39 yards. He also missed five extra points. You never know with kickers. Drew Galitz was his dependable self averaging 42.4 along with 18 inside the opponents 20 and 14 that exceeded 50 yards. The return teams didn’t do much to get you excited. But they fixed the problem of poor decisions on kick returns. The coverage teams didn’t allow a return for a score. What caught your attention was this group’s ability to block kicks. Baylor had seven of those, two on blocked punts – both by Christian Morgan – that were returned for TDs by Hasty and Trestan Ebner. A mixed bag but overall better.
Overall: This is what 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 teams look like. They are good in some areas. They are poor in others. The rest is somewhat of an in between. Even if the Bears finished 5-7 and didn’t make it to the postseason, I would call this program right on track. The bowl appearance puts it ahead of schedule from the standpoint of the extra practices and playing one more game. What this program is lacking is playmakers on both sides of the ball. There are some candidates like Thompson or Mims or Brewer. Once Baylor can find difference makers, this program can take the next step and move into the first division of the Big 12.
That’s a deeper discussion for the offseason and as we get closer to spring football. For now, all Baylor needs to do is worry about one more game to close out 2018.
Now a look at other Baylor sports…
It’s pretty light this time of year with just a couple of women’s sports still going.
>As you saw in another thread, the volleyball team is head back to the NCAA tournament and will open Thursday against Hawai’i in the Eugene Regional. If Baylor wins, it would play the winner of New Mexico State-Oregon on Friday.
Before that, No. 25 Baylor volleyball (19-8, 11-5 Big 12) closed out another impressive regular season with a 3-1 victory over West Virginia (11-18, 2-13 Big 12) Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center, 25-27, 25-16, 25-19, 25-16.
Baylor posted its second-straight season finishing in second place in the conference standings, posting an 11-5 record and a 7-1 record during the second half of league play.
> Juicy Landrum and NaLyssa Smith each scored 14 points, and No. 4 Baylor received scoring contributions from 10 players in its 67-46 win over Georgetown in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout on Saturday night.
Landrum made four 3-pointers and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds to lead the Lady Bears (6-0) to the wire-to-wire victory. On Friday, Baylor struggled with but had enough to pull away from South Dakota State, 72-66.
Baylor has the week off before it travels to Columbia, SC to play at South Carolina.
Let’s make it a great week!
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