Baylor held its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
“Today was really productive,” Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said. “I thought it was good energy on both sides. That was something that’s been consistent throughout these practices. The energy has been there from the beginning, and that’s just really cool to see.”
The Bears will have one more scrimmage ahead of the Green & Gold spring game on April 20.
The quarterback competition is raging
Aranda indicated that the battle for the starting quarterback job is really down to two guys: Sawyer Robertson and Dequan Finn.
He said Robinson has been excelling in hitting on intermediate routes and timing and has shown his ability to run the ball with designed runs. Having been in Waco for a full season, Aranda also said his leadership is a positive.
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For Finn, his ability to extend plays and make something happen when it doesn’t seem obvious has stood out to Aranda.
“What’s interesting about this particular instance is (that) it’s a new offense,” Aranda said. “Every day, it’s a new install. To juggle all of that, and then have success on the other end of it is something we’re still trying to find a balance with.”
Robertson transferred to Baylor from Mississippi State ahead of last season and appeared in five games with four starts for the Bears, throwing for 864 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions.
Finn spent the last four years at Toledo, where he was the MAC Most Valuable Player last season after throwing for 2,657 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushing for 563 yards and seven touchdowns to lead the Rockets to the conference title game.
At the beginning of spring practice, he said he’d like to have a starting quarterback named before the summer. That deadline might be extended.
“I don’t think there is a right time until a guy (has) really won it,” Aranda said. “Our job is to try to prepare and then get those positions set up so that a guy can go out there and win the job.
“We’re not really close to that right now.”
Defensive linemen ready to step up
The Baylor defensive line has seemingly been in a state of flux since the end of the season.
Gabe Hall and TJ Franklin, two of the most experienced players on the team last year, graduated, and are gearing up for the NFL Draft.
Dennis Johnson took his own NFL path after two seasons in Waco and was hired to coach the defensive line with the Baltimore Ravens.
Earlier this spring, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Tre Emory and redshirt junior Jerrell Boykins both had to medically retire.
“It’s been tough losing two noses the same week, big bodies, we always need those,” redshirt junior Cooper Lanz said. “A lot more has been asked of me. I was (at nose) last year, but I’ve been getting more snaps in the spring especially.”
Additionally, former Washington defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield was hired to replace Johnson.
“He was Aaron Donald’s coach, and (that’s) arguably the best defensive lineman there is,” redshirt senior Treven Ma’ae said. “So having that expertise in the room helps. And also, (us) both being from Hawaii, there’s a connection there, so it’s been good.”
Lanz is the most productive returning defensive lineman after finishing with 34 tackles, one sack, a team-high two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal last season.
Ma’ae played in all 12 games last in his first season after transferring in from Oregon, recording nine tackles and two QB hurries.
“It was a new position for me last year playing more inside, and now I have a year under my belt,” he said. “So, I feel more comfortable playing my techniques and stuff.”
Baylor is expecting to get Jackie Marshall back after he tore his ACL ahead of last year’s spring game. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Marshall played in 12 of 13 games primarily in the JACK position, and made 22 tackles, two for loss, with a fumble recovery and a couple of quarterback hurries.
The Bears allowed the most points (33.3) and third most yards (421.3) per game in the conference and had the second-worst rushing defense (184.9 ypg) with the second-fewest sacks (18).
“We’re feeling really good,” Lanz said. “We’re playing faster, more physical. Every day we practice, learn the playbook more and more, and get a bunch of new plays in. The more reps we get, the more confident (and) comfortable we get.”
Kurt Danneker remains sidelined
The offensive line was a rough spot for the Bears last season, and they brought in some massive reinforcements in the offseason, none bigger than Ohio transfer Kurt Danneker.
However, Aranda said the seventh-year senior tweaked his knee at the start of the spring drills and he figures to be day-to-day for the rest of the spring.
“We’re hopeful that here sooner than later we get him back.,” Aranda said. “There is a chance that it could be later. And so we’re still waiting to see if we can get him prior to the end of spring.”
With a big brace on his right knee, Danneker was running sprints away from the rest of the offensive line group.
He made 25 starts and played in 36 games during his time at Ohio, and was ranked the 19th highest-rated guard in the group of five in pass blocking and the 10th best in run-block, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Bears allowed 34 sacks, nearly three per game, which was the most in the Big 12 and tied for 23rd most in the country.
The rest of the offensive line group has continued to progress.
Aranda said center Colton Price and Alvin Ebosele continue to take a step forward, while redshirt junior Ryan Lengyel, who saw limited time in five games last season, has turned some heads.
“There is a violence to them,” Aranda said. “I think, for sure on this team, there is a chip on the shoulder, and it’s probably the biggest with that particular group, and they play that way.”