1 and in charge of moving the Bears forward on offense. The Cyclones starter count includes five on offense and three on defense, with the former group including a new starter at quarterback. Things could take a turn for the worst early if the defense isnt quite up to their 2021 form in the first half of the season. The Bears won the league last year, return their starting quarterback from a season ago in Gerry Bohanon and top all other projected contenders and rank second in the Big 12 in returning starters. For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages. Michael Haag is a Journalism student at Baylor University in Waco, TX. It must replace the single-season school rushing record holder and both starting wide receivers. Remember, too: Texas regular season losses last year came by a total of 18 points. Here's a look at each Big 12 team's returning starters for the 2022 season. Aranda said Baker has done wonders with the receiving corps and called it probably the most improved group of the spring. With a solid crop of returning players, the question will be whether that talent can start delivering results on the field. In a classic good news, bad news situation, Houston ranks 24th nationally in returning offensive production, but 119th in returning defensive production. Prod. But perhaps the single biggest reason to believe in Oklahoma: When we looked at how teams fared in one-score games, the Sooners went 0-5 (0-4 in the article, then lost a one-score bowl game). Galvin was an All-Big-12 first-teamer with All-American mentions to his name last season. #Baylor OL @grantmiller55 spoke highly of RB @TayeMcwilliams Thursday:I think hes like a little bit of a combination of both Abram and Trestan. The Bears have some athletes and plenty of raw speed, but theyre inconsistent. UW, of course, finished an 11-2 season with a No. If youre talking about which team is the Big 12 favorite, Im going with Baylor because of what they have up front, the coach said. Defensively, adding Player and having the entire two-deep back up front is viewed as a strength. Brennan Armstrong entered the 2022 season as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the ACC but had the lowest completion percentage of his career as a starter. If he can win the job and take advantage of both of those returning offensive starters and some potential transfer upgrades, things may be all right. Now that hes gotten to the top, he needs to figure out to how keep Baylor there. 240 pound interior linebacker Dillon Doyle leads them in tackles and is also solid dropping into zone coverages (2 interceptions). The returning starters are listed in every preseason magazine and cited in nearly any preview. This article was first published in the Cougar The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs will be replacing a lot of experience on both sides of the ball especially on defense. Will receive lots of Vita Vea comps. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 4. Texas has to press their advantages here and not concede confidence building throws to Shapen. Its one thing to go from being a weakness to a strength, Grimes said. Aranda recruited the 2020 four-star prospect while with the Tigers but left for Baylor before getting a chance to coach him. Newman-Johnson will play in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl in February and should have his name called at the 2022 NFL Draft in April. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Doyle was second on the Bears defense with 90 tackles, adding 8.5 tackles for loss. Hunter Dekkers is the likely Brock Purdy replacement, and he has some interesting traits to build around. Despite the change, theres a sense of stability. Baylor struggles to get an honest pass rush at times and they rely heavily on deceptive coverages on the back end to confound QBs and force sucker throws. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Kansas State Athletics Media Relations). Texas and Oklahoma are both in the middle of their respective builds: Steve Sarkisian heading into year three, Brent Venables in year two. Offensively, John Rhys Plumlee headlines a group that ranks 78th in returning offensive production, but may be more ready to hit the ground running with a strong group of wide receivers and Plumlees ability to impact games with his legs as well. The Longhorns werent far off. Follow Sam on Twitter @skhanjr, Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen set an AT&T Stadium collegiate record with 17 straight completions en route to going 23-of-28 for 180 yards and a career-best three touchdowns against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. But he questions the quarterback depth. Another key defensive position to fill is the star, Baylors hybrid nickelback/outside linebacker role, previously occupied by 2021 Big 12 defensive player of the year and second-round pick Pitre. There was a point in spring where you say, Hes one of the top guys on our team, just based on production, Aranda said. At safety, the Bears will be inexperienced but talented. Key stat to know: Baylors stout defense forced the second-most third downs (200) in the Big 12 and 11th most in the Power 5 last season, a result of good early down defense. I see glimpses of speed from him where I feel like he can outrun guys, but hes also not afraid to put his shoulder down#SicEm, 2021 stats: 31 receptions (third on team), 361 receiving yards (fourth on team), six receiving TDs (second on team), recorded one rushing TD. Thats the bad. Breakdown: In the middle, all eyes are on Dillon Doyle for the 2022 season. The slinger has proven he has an elite arm, and if the cards fall right, he is a legitimate contender for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Theres a lot to like about what the Golden Knights are building defensively for the future, and the good news is that with UCF ranking 43rd in returning defensive production, those younger players wont be needed immediately. While talent and certainly coaching are major indicators, perhaps nothing is quite as important as having good players who have already seen the field. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. But Texas Tech also just couldnt get healthy quarterback play with some downright awful injury luck at the position. Texas safeties and linebackers cant get caught up in trash and must fit the cutback lanes. Here are our predictions for the Big 12's order of finish in 2023. Daniel Green has been among the Big 12s best linebackers when healthy, and hell try to shore up a defense that ranks 94th in returning production, but was sprinkling through some of the younger players over the course of the season. Only two of Baylors 18 sacks allowed last season came within three seconds of the snap, the fewest in the country, per PFF. "We got married in Katy, Texas, about a mile from the high school stadium," he said. The Wolfpack will be competing in the ACC during the 2022 season. The 6-5 Baylor Bears represent one of the most physical teams that Texas has seen this season, but meeting the other teams physicality hasnt been a problem for the Longhorns. Ronnies smart, he cares a lot, hes a tireless worker, Aranda said. Shapen can be very sharp in the play action game, but he tends to fixate on his first read and defenses that deny him quick decisions can turn him over and get to him in the pocket. 2022 College Football Returning Production Rankings Team Ret. The corners are unremarkable but have some size and are well schooled. The lowest-ranked class in that span, unsurprisingly, came in 2020 (49th), the transition class from former coach Matt Rhule to Aranda. Alan Bowman transferred in to potentially take over the quarterback spot after Spencer Sanders departure, but Bowman struggled to stay healthy at Texas Tech and he attempted all of 11 passes over the last two years at Michigan combined. Doyle and Jones are plenty physical, but Jones can miss assignments and both can be exploited in space by Bijan or Keilan. Aranda likes how Blake Shapen is developing leadership skills: "The thing Im most proud of is his leadership and the art of when to say something and how to say it and being authentic with everything youve got. Qualan Jones, a fourth-year junior, hasnt seen many carries but is among the options. The Cyclones were one of the nations most experienced teams last year the reason for Iowa States lofty preseason expectations and now need to start over in a major way after a number of those players moved on. A year ago, Grimes found his running back by moving linebacker Abram Smith, a former running back recruit, back to the position. Miller returns after a solid year, Byers could play guard or tackle and Jeffery and Mazzccua will also compete for those spots. The Mountaineers will be leaning fairly heavily on the transfer portal after bringing back six offensive starters and three defensive starters from last years team. One opposing coach sees the Bears as a force in the Big 12 again. "I thought football had to be part of it, somehow." I dont say it in an ugly way, I say it as thats probably where it is right now. If that offense can jell and the defense can take a step forward, the Red Raiders could surprise. ", 2021 stats: Four sacks (T-third most), six TFLs (T-sixth most), played 13 games with 12 starts. But there are no proven backs with Smith and Trestan Ebner gone. A more consistent downfield and intermediate passing game will be the big difference., Added Aranda: (Shapens) ability as a thrower to read coverages, to anticipate looks his arm is strong, his delivery can be unique. The 6-5 Baylor Bears represent one of the most physical teams that Texas has seen this season, but meeting the other teams Nobody has really stepped forward yet and said, Im the guy, and this is my job,' Grimes said. LT Connor Galvin, RG Grant Miller, RT Kahlil Keith, and C Jacob Gall are all seniors who were eligible to return for another season in 2022. This year the Bears are out to prove they can retain their crown by reloading instead of rebuilding. The Cowboys came within inches of the Big 12 championship last year, and are tied with two other schools with 12 returning starters. Defense drove the Bears to the Big 12 title and if theres one thing Aranda can be counted on having, its a good defense. The top three tight ends on the 2021 depth chart return. A number of transfers doesnt hurt either. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. Josh Cameron, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship, gives the group some size (6-2, 210 pounds). The defense could improve, and the cupboard is far from bare in Fort Worth, where Sonny Dykes will get back his original starting quarterback in Chandler Morris, who should sling the ball to Alabama transfer JoJo Earle, among others. Devin Neal, who played 13 games last year, is also in the hunt. To fill the void, Aranda hired former Nevada assistant Ronnie Wheat. SHARE If BYU football players, coaches were stocks, who would you buy? If Johnson is at star, then Walcott will play corner and vice versa. On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media, Inc. Already an A+ run defender and also shows flashes of having passing down value to melt the pocket. The second coach expects Baylors running game will again be solid but noted how little production returns at receiver. It sets the tone for everything.. While they lost to Oklahoma State and suffered a two-point defeat at TCU, they punched a ticket to the conference title game where they avenged their loss to the Cowboys for the crown. Sims is a staple of the Baylor offense and saw his production soar in 2021. Enter Sonny Dykes, who took the short jaunt from Dallas, and SMU, to Fort Worth. Joey McGuires first team will be fascinating to watch with an offense that returns four starters but also adds Zach Kittley, the architect of last years explosive Western Kentucky group. If he can avoid making mistakes, the Cougars should be physical enough a trait BYU has shown in recent matchups with Big 12 teams to at least compete. Defensively, Kansas brings back most of its pieces on the back end, but will need to hope a transfer class of defensive linemen can hit the ground running if the Jayhawks are to make major (and much-needed) improvements on that side of the ball. Jahdae Barron and Ryan Watts have the potential to shut down Baylors receivers if Dshawn Jamison or Terrance Brooks can bring it on the other side. The offense will have to start over at quarterback Texas Tech transfer Donovan Smith could be the pick there and must replace Tunes favorite target in Tank Dell. [Get a FREE 7-day trial of Inside Texas Plus!]. Baylor has added two more super-seniors to the list of returning players, as defensive linemen Cole Maxwell and Chidi Ogbonnaya have announced that they will be back in 2022. Remaining steady in the trenches should be a big help to the offense. Over their last 7 games, the Bears have given up 13 turnovers. The Red Raiders rank 31st in returning offensive production but could also stand to get a full season from Tyler Shough, which would likely lead to improvement on that end. The Bears should be one of the top three teams in the Big 12, and it shouldnt surprise anyone if theyre back in the conference title game in December. 19 in the nation, good for second in the Big 12 Conference. The Bears are allowing offenses to convert a healthy 45.4% of their 3rd downs this season and that simply doesnt marry well to Arandas larger philosophy. The 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year eats up two-to-three blocks and plugs up running lanes, giving the rest of the Baylor defense lots of flexibility and reduced stress. Note: Baylor OC Jeff Grimes loves trick plays. 2020-21 Season-Ending Roster (bold denotes returning for 2021-22): F Flo Thamba (6-foot-10), G LJ Cryer (6-1), G/F Jordan Turner (6-8), G Adam Flagler (6-3), G/F Mark Vital (6-5), G Jared Butler (6-3), G/F Jackson Moffatt (6-7), F Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (6-8), G/F Matthew Mayer (6-9), G MaCio Teague (6-4), F Zach Loveday (7 The transfer portal will help the Sooners make up for some of the losses, and if Dillon Gabriel can join the five returning offensive starters and hit the ground running, the Sooners could take off. Safety Christian Morgan is an experienced starter (leads them in INTs with 3) and physical SPARQ freak and smallish safety Devin Lemear has traits, but hes too inexperienced. Hes got new ideas and new ways to look at things that are going to improve all of us.. We did some decent things last year at times, but we were just inconsistent, Grimes said. Gavin Byers, a sophomore who started the first eight games of the year at right tackle, also returns in 2022 and will provide depth for an already deep unit. The buildup to the 2021 season was full of change. Expect more transfer help at running back (UNLVs Aidan Robbins) and on both lines. Hes a graduate of BGSU and works as an auditor for Google content curation products. Now hes the uncontested No. 17 Baylor Bears football team kicks off week four with a Big 12 Conference showdown against the undefeated Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, 2022 Talent hasnt been and will continue to not be the issue in Austin. Monaray Baldwin is their best deep threat, but the young 165 pounder can struggle to get off of physical corners. Note: the 3 Bear runners have combined for a healthy 41 total catches, but they average just over 7 yards per reception. Grimes said Sims has improved as a blocker and Drake Dabney as a receiver. Five different pass catchers have been 21-30 receptions and they dont have a true #1. Will the Bears scratch and claw for progress the way the 2021 team did? Baylor Bear Insider One of seven returning starters from a 31-20 Baylor team, sophomore infielder Tre Richardson didn't like that aching feeling last May when Heres the thing on the Red Raiders: Like TCU, the Red Raiders were undefeated in one-score games in the regular season. Oklahoma State actually topped our Big 12 power rankings at one point, then by years end, the Cowboys might have legitimately been the Big 12s worst team. It finished fourth in the Big 12 in total D and tenth in the nation in scoring defense, but the it was really, really good at was taking the ball away. Breakdown: Another grizzled veteran, Morgan is stepping into a bigger role after playing alongside former Bear and current Los Angeles Charger JT Woods. Although Baylor lost four key defenders via the NFL Draft and five starters total, theres a lot to like about the unit, starting with the defensive line. Returning starters on offense: 7 Quarterback Spencer Sanders returns and brings 35 career starts with him. A veteran leader on the back end, Baylor will rely on Morgan to make an impact in 2022. Texas checks in at No. Seven months removed from winning the national championship, Baylor could be good enough to reach the final game again this season. His physical talent has always been there, but his improved maturity and preparation have readied him this season for the No. Finding another Terrel Bernard or Jalen Pitre on defense is a tall task. Aranda had to replace three departures from his on-field staff. Baylor will contend for the Big 12 again this year. 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