Editor’s note: This is one of a series of college football previews by The Dallas Express.
BAYLOR BEARS
2022 SEASON: 6-7 (4-5 in Big 12), lost to Air Force in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Baylor overcame a heartbreaking overtime loss involving sloppy special teams play against BYU in Week 2 by rattling off five wins in the next seven games but was unable to defend its conference title.
The Bears lost their final three games of the regular season and their bowl game as the offense struggled and quarterback play became shaky. They even had TCU on upset alert until the final minute but allowed the Horned Frogs to make an improbable comeback and win by a point to continue what was a perfect season at that point.
Running back Richard Reese was the standout for the Baylor offense as a freshman, winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year and breaking the program’s freshman rushing record.
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WHAT’S NEW
Much of Baylor’s offense remains intact, but the Bears lose running backs Qualan Jones and Craig Williams, who were great complements to Reese in the backfield, as well as tight end Ben Sims. Joens and Williams will be replaced by Oklahoma State transfer Dominic Richardson, who has over 1,000 career rushing yards, and former North Texas tight end Jake Roberts is in line to take over for Sims.
Defensively, Baylor will have to make up for the losses of several experienced players at all levels and will lean on defensive linemen TJ Franklin and Gabe Hall and linebackers Matt Jones and Mike Smith Jr to lead the way. The unit also loses most of its starting secondary and is thin at the corner position.
The media picked the Bears to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason Poll.
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2023 SCHEDULE
Sep 2 (Sat) 6 p.m. CT vs Texas State
Sep 9 (Sat) 11 a.m. CT vs Utah
Sep 16 (Sat) 11 a.m. CT vs Long Island
Sep 23 (Sat) TBD vs Texas
Sep 30 (Sat) TBD at UCF
Oct 7 (Sat) TBD vs Texas Tech
Oct 21 (Sat) TBD at Cincinnati
Oct 28 (Sat) TBD vs Iowa State
Nov 4 (Sat) TBD vs Houston
Nov 11 (Sat) TBD at Kansas State
Nov 18 (Sat) TBD at TCU
Nov 25 (Sat) TBD vs West Virginia
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PLAYER TO WATCH
RB Richard Reese
Reese took the conference by storm as a freshman last season and probably would have been a bigger story had TCU’s offense not caught fire. Reese has proven to be a feature back and has a chance to cement himself as one of the conference’s best. While the rest of the offense tries to find its way, Baylor fans know they can rely on Reese.
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FRESHMAN TO WATCH
CB LeVar Thornton Jr.
Thornton Jr enters the season as one of Baylor’s top recruits and plays a position that is thin — in terms of experience — on the roster. While he needs to add some weight to his frame, the freshman has the length and athleticism to make things difficult for opposing receivers. If he makes it into the rotation remains to be seen, but the door could be open if others struggle.
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BREAKOUT CANDIDATE
DE TJ Franklin
Franklin has been a mainstay on the Baylor defense but has yet to become a household name. The senior possesses great measurables for his position and has displayed flashes of great play in the past. If he can put up more production as a pass-rusher and play more consistently this season, it will only help Baylor’s defense and put him in a great spot in his career.
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WHY CAN THEY CONTEND?
Baylor is one of those teams that always has a good defense, and that can go a long way in the Big 12. The secondary is young and inexperienced, but the proper guidance from the upperclassmen throughout the rest of the defense may be able to help. The team only gets better if it can improve its offense beyond relying on Reese.
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OBSTACLES
Big 12 offenses like to attack down the field, and Baylor has a relatively inexperienced and unproven secondary that could be exposed. You also do not know what you will get from Blake Shapen in the passing game each week, and continued struggles to perform could put the offense at risk of becoming one-dimensional.
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2023 PREDICTION
Record: 7-5
Bowl: Guaranteed Rate Bowl
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Baylor is a polarizing team this season, although many areas of the team have improved. The schedule is not friendly as the Bears will have to play Texas and Texas Tech early and Kansas State and TCU on the back end. There are very winnable games in between, but the results will depend on if some players can be more consistent.