/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49295873/usa-today-8941959.0.jpg)
We're jumping right to it today with the post-spring depth charts courtesy of Baylor (obviously) and our good friend Shehan Jeyarajah:
#Baylor football just released its official post-spring depth chart. pic.twitter.com/lwzyJnBwvN
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) April 12, 2016
Before we get started, there's a couple of things worthy of note: 1) because these are post-spring charts, they do not include players not already on campus, so no freshmen, transfers, or summer JUCOs, and 2) in a lot of cases, "OR"s mean both more and less than you'd think. I'll get to that where necessary. Let's dive right in with the formatting I love...
-- OFFENSE --
FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | |||
QB | 17 3 |
Seth Russell (SR) OR Jarrett Stidham (SO) |
-- |
None Listed |
RB | 2 32 |
Johnny Jefferson (JR) OR Rashodrick Linwood (SR) |
-- |
None Listed |
WR | 8 |
Ishmael Zamora (SO) |
11 | Pooh Stricklin (RS-FR) |
IR | 7 |
Lynx Hawthorne (SR) | 16 | Tren'Davian Dickson (FR) |
IR | 23 2 |
Chris Platt (SO) OR Blake Lynch (RS-FR) |
-- |
None Listed |
WR |
9 |
K.D. Cannon (JR) |
12 13 |
Quan Jones (JR) OR Chris Johnson (JR) |
TE | 85 88 |
Jordan Feuerbacher (JR) OR Sam Tecklenburg (RS-FR) |
-- |
None Listed |
LT | 64 | Dominic Desouza (JR) |
68 | Ishmael Wilson (JR) |
LG | 72 | Blake Blackmar (SO) |
79 |
B.J. Autry (JR) |
C | 55 |
Kyle Fuller (SR) |
72 |
Blake Blackmar (SO) |
RG | 52 |
Rami Hammad (JR) |
57 |
Tanner Thrift (JR) |
RT | 77 |
Patrick Lawrence (SO) |
76 |
Maurice Porter (JR) |
The big surprise here that probably shouldn't be one is the disjunctive listing of Seth and Stidham as co-starters at QB. Don't make it more than it is. Russell is still rehabbing from injury and has not had a chance to play at full-speed and full-contact, while Stidham led the team through spring drills. Of course they're going to be listed that way.
Other notes:
- We don't list a "UB" anymore, so you don't see Terence Williams on here. We should, just for him. You could even just list him at the TWill position and be done with it.
- Autry as the backup LG is not exactly what I recall seeing at the spring scrimmage. There, I thought Hammad and Blackmar spent most of the time fighting for RG, with Autry at LG.
- Blackmar will step in at C next year. Book it.
- KD Cannon's journey in the footsteps of Corey Coleman continues as he transitions to outside receiver on the depth chart. It's not THAT much of a transition, since he played there almost exclusive last season, anyway.
- Blake Lynch at IR? Some safety is going to get #wrekt.
-- DEFENSE --
FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | |||
RE | 15 |
Brian Nance (JR) |
52 | Greg Roberts (SO) |
DT | 96 |
Byron Bonds (SR) | 90 |
Tyrone Hunt (RS-FR) |
NG | 99 |
Jeremy Faulk (JR) |
97 91 |
Ira Lewis (SO) Andrew Morris (SO) |
LE | 56 |
K.J. Smith (JR) | 43 94 |
Jamie Jacobs (SO) OR Xavier Jones (SO) |
WLB | 11 |
Taylor Young (JR) |
44 38 |
Clay Johnston (RS-FR) OR Jordan Williams (RS-FR) |
MLB | 20 19 |
Aiavion Edwards (SR) |
-- |
None Listed |
NB | 48 |
Travon Blanchard (JR) |
21 |
Patrick Levels (SR) |
CB | 9 |
Ryan Reid (SR) |
3 | Tion Wright (SR) |
DS | 28 |
Orion Stewart (SR) |
2 6 |
Davion Hall (JR) OR Henry Black (RS-FR) |
CS | 18 | Chance Waz (JR) | 26 |
Taion Sells (SR) |
CB | 11 |
Jameson Houston (RS-FR) |
27 |
Verkedric Vaughns (SO) |
Turns out that when I said in February that "there [was] a lot of hand-waving here that I may or may not be able to substantiate," I was right! Whodathunkit.
Considering what we saw this spring, particularly in the scrimmage where we played almost exclusively a 3-4 defense, the listing here of a nominal 4-3 defense here may be a bit of misdirection. Or it may be legitimate, in that they wanted to work on the 3-4 but will be using the 4-3 as the base. Either way, you should know that the 3-4 defense has Nance-Faulk-Smith as the base DL backed by Young-Edwards-Davis-Blanchard at the LB. The secondary is the same.
There's not much more to be said here on the defense that I haven't already covered elsewhere. Jameson Houston's meteoric rise to starterdom has been fantastic to see, as has been Davion Hall settling in at safety like he always belonged. Keep in mind that Baylor will add another impact JUCO this summer in DT DeQuinton Osborne.
-- WHAT WE NEED --
At this point, I have Baylor a couple of scholarships shy of the 85-schollie limit, meaning we could potentially grab another JUCO, a late qualifier from the HS ranks, or maybe even a transfer from another D1 school. If I could choose, I would seek out someone with size to play DE in the 3-4 and DT (3-technique) in the 4-3, if such a person exists. That would go a long way toward solidifying the DL, and bridge the gap until guys like Lewis, Morris, and Hunt are ready for the spotlight.
Baylor is also reportedly in the hunt for another JUCO OT, so watch out for that, too.