Nobody has really stepped forward yet and said, Im the guy, and this is my job,' Grimes said. Hes got new ideas and new ways to look at things that are going to improve all of us.. Will that be enough for the Cyclones to overcome the leagues lowest returning starter count? Here's a look at each Big 12 team's returning starters for the 2022 season. 247Sports writer Kevin Flaherty joined Athlon Sports 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. In run blocking in 2020, the Bears averaged 1.4 yards per rush before first contact, which was last in the Big 12 and 111th in the FBS. This 67 edge JACK Garmon Randolph leads them in sacks with 4.5 on the season. Those returning starters include seven on offense and seven on defense, and while the Bears will be looking to replace some fairly irreplaceable players, Baylor Each team's returning starter count comes from Athlon's look at the conference. Its another to go from being a strength to being leaders. One opposing coach sees the Bears as a force in the Big 12 again. Former Baylor standout linebacker and Sugar Bowl MVP Terrel Bernard is a Buffalo Bill, leaving Doyle to pick up the slack. The defense was stifling and the offense pounded the rock as the Bears worked their way through the Big 12 slate and took down ranked BYU. The tricky part will be actually defending the title with Oklahoma State still rolling, Oklahoma with their own defensive guru at the helm and Texas strengthening. 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. The Wildcats return 14 starters from last seasons 8-5 team, with 10 being All-Conference players. Baylor ranked 10th in the country and first in the Big 12 in rushing offense in 2021, averaging 219.3 yards per game, leading the way to a Big 12 Championship. The Buffs have just five returning starters on defense, and their offensive line still isnt ready to compete with the top programs in the Pac-12, let alone the entire country. Their star defensive ends will need to be replaced, but their five returning starters make the Wolverines worthy of a high ranking in the 2022 college football preseason top 25. On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media, Inc. It sets the tone for everything.. Texas safeties and linebackers cant get caught up in trash and must fit the cutback lanes. And while Nebraska quarterback transfer Adrian Martinez couldnt give it a go in the spring, hes certainly an experienced option and would seem to be the frontrunner to take over for the graduated Skylar Thompson at quarterback. Defensively, the Texas DL will match up just fine against Baylors experienced offensive line. This was a big component of their 38-35 win over OU in Norman, forcing Dillon Gabriel into 3 first half interceptions, even though OUs offense was otherwise humming along. Breakdown: Gabe Hall has come up in recent news as being one of college footballs top freak athletes, and its true. 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ESPN announced its returning production rankings for the 2023 season on Tuesday. Those returning starters include seven on offense and seven on defense, and while the Bears will be looking to replace some fairly irreplaceable players, Baylor should once again field tough lines on both sides of the ball and an armory of speed. Bohanon, who started the other 12 games, hit the transfer portal after the coaches gave Shapen the nod and landed at South Florida. 2021 stats: Started all 14 games at left tackle. Iowa State enters 2022 without OT Derek Schweiger (67.1 It resulted in nine 100-yard performances and 1,621 rushing yards, the most in Baylor history. 19 in the nation, good for second in the Big 12 Conference. He picked up All-Big-12 first-team honors and is now in pursuit of national recognition. before going out with a concussion. 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. Breakdown: Apu, one of Halls companions, is one of the best nose guards in the country. With belief no longer an obstacle, Aranda fights different beasts: the teams attitude and maturity. However, this years group will have some major absences to contend with, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Pitre and All-Big-12 first-team linebacker selection Terrel Bernard. A returning starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel is a good thing, and the Sooners have the No. Prod. I do stuff that I win, and I dont even make it look like Im trying that hard. Those are all things that have to die. Aranda stressed the need for reps among the candidates to get comfortable. Four of five starters return on the offensive line, and the entire defensive line two-deep is back. Many of them embodied the style and soul of what Aranda wants Baylor football to be. The Bears are returning a total of 13 starters from last season, but they lost nearly all of their offensive production from 2021 and almost all of their starting secondary. 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. Breakdown: McWilliams time on the turf was limited, as he played behind two NFL running backs in Trestan Ebner and Abram Smith. Related: College Football's Top Quarterbacks on the Rise for 2023 4. Some of those bounces are likely to go the Sooners way this season, which could mean improvement in the win column just by being less unlucky. With the Wildcats tied for the fourth-highest number of returning starters, and some of the players that Kansas State has back, are the Wildcats in position to become a dark horse Big 12 candidate in a year where there are few true frontrunners? At least the defense will be anchored by Siaki Ika and a defensive line that should be just as stout as last year, especially with the addition of Jaxon Player from Tulsa. We looked at not just the numbers for each team, but breakdowns on each side of the ball and whether teams return starters at the most important positions on the football field as well. 70 nationally), the players that the Cougars replace departures with are often older and more physically ready to step in than the traditional redshirt freshman or sophomore. The Bears enter the season ranked No. Tay McWilliams is the top returning player at running back and he had just 181 yards on 17 carries last year. So though some may expect a return to the Big 12 title game, Aranda is zeroing in on how his team acts in these summer months. Texas checks in at 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. The ranking takes a look at data on both sides of the football for all FBS teams in the country. A lot of Longhorn offensive success will rest on Sarks ability to scheme up run game solutions on a short week. This year it could be the playoff by avoiding another loss like that pesky one against TCU. Will receive lots of Vita Vea comps. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. Following that group is a young trio: redshirt freshman Cisco Caston, true freshman Devyn Bobby and third-year sophomore Mike Harris. Leading receiver Tyquan Thornton is off to the NFL and No. Blake Shapen rode an excellent performance in the Big 12 title game to the starting job this spring, unseating Gerry Bohanon, who has since transferred and is now the starter at USF. You just dont typically see that kind of shift within a season. Sneed (Colorado) entered after the 2021 season and Bohanon (USF) and Landry (Missouri) departed after spring football ended. Sophomore Blake Shapen leads the Bears offense and hes had an inconsistent season, playing pretty well up to the West Virginia game where he had over 300 yards passing at halftime! During a 12-0 regular season, the Horned Frogs went a perfect 5-0 in one-score games, meaning TCU wasnt far from a vastly different season. Pass protection improved immensely, too. Developing some receivers. Venables defensive bonafides will be put to the test with a talented, but young, group that brings back four defensive starters. 6 overall recruiting class, ranking in the top 10 both in incoming high school and junior college talent (fourth) and in 247Sports transfer class rankings (eighth). Another year in Venables defensive system couldnt hurt either, as Oklahoma struggled at times to be assignment sound on that side of the ball. 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. SHARE If BYU football players, coaches were stocks, who would you buy? At jack, Baylors edge rusher, Garmon Randolph returns. Point, blank period. That makes for a wide open race where it seems like the 12 teams that don't reach the Big 12 championship game are likely to finish somewhere between 8-4 and 4-8, decided by a bounce here or there. After losing eight players to the NFL over the summer, Baylor football will be forced to replace some big-time athletes from a 2021 Big 12 championship squad. Baylor Football: 2022 Bears Season Preview and Prediction Athlon Sports Jun 7, 2022 Blake Shapen and the Bears are ranked No. Both are expected to contribute immediately. Ben Sims is the teams returning leader in receptions (31), receiving yards (361) and touchdown catches (six). Itll be giving up a soft edge (pretty unlikely) or second level defenders overrunning or being paralyzed by backfield candy (more likely) allowing Baylor runners a crease in the alley. There are also five transfers combined from those two cycles still around. Few teams across the nation if any were as wrecked by the transfer portal as the Sooners, who didnt just lose multiple starters, but also a foundational quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate in Caleb Williams. Trademark of on3 Media, Inc it sets the tone for everything.. 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