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Baylor Football Recruiting Notes: January 2016

Start of a new year! Recruiting will be hot as the 2016 class comes to a close soon and the 2017 class begins to shape up.

By MattMcBeezy
Gunmetal Grey...One of my favorite helmets for Baylor
Gunmetal Grey...One of my favorite helmets for Baylor
Jeff Barlow

2016 Recruiting Class | National Rank: 14 (#1 in the Big 12) | Commits:21

Offense: QB: (1/1), RB: (1/1), WR: (4/4), OL: (3/4)

QB: Zach Smith (Enrolled)
RB: Kameron Martin
WR: Jared Atkinson
WR: Devin Duvernay
WR: Tren'Davian Dickson (Enrolled)
WR: Denzel Mims
OT: Patrick Hudson
OG: Branton Autry (JUCO)(Enrolled)
OT: JP Urquidez

Defense: DT: (3/3), DE: (2/2), LB: (1/2), NB: (0/0), CB: (4/4), S: (2/2)

DT: Bravvion Roy
DT: Dequinton Osborne (JUCO)
DT: Jeremy Faulk (JUCO)(Enrolled)
DE: Micheal Johnson
DE: Brandon Bowen
LB: Deonte Williams
CB: Grayland Arnold
CB: Donovan Duvernay
CB: Raleigh Texada
CB: Rajah Preciado
S: Chris Miller
S: Kenan Ivy

2016 Wishlist:

OL: Malcolm Pridgeon (JUCO): (75% Baylor, 25% Rutgers)

DT: Marcel Southall
LB: Clifton Lewis
LB: McKinley Mitchell
CB: Antonio Kanonu (JUCO)
CB: Charles Oliver (A&M commit)
CB: Jared Mayden
S: Brandon Jones

K: Quinn Nordin

ATH: Shyheim Carter

Players removed(who didn't commit to Baylor): DT Kendell Jones (Alabama), OL Robert Kraeling (Duke), ATH Tristen Wallace (Ohio State), DE/LB Alton Robinson(A&M), DE/LB Erick Fowler (LSU), S Eric Monroe(LSU), DT Michael Williams (Stanford), LB Dontavious Jackson (Baylor did not make his top 12), CB Parrish Cobb (OU), WDE Mat Boesen(TCU), WR Tyrie Cleveland(interest has waned), DE McTelvin Agim(Arkansas), CB Obi Eboh (Texas), DT Chris Daniels (did not make top 5), DE: Justin Madubuike (A&M), DE Isaiah Chambers (TCU), S Eric Cuffee (did not make top 5), OL Ashton Julious (Oklahoma), OL Kellen Diesch (A&M), DT Jordan Elliott (Michigan), DE Andrew Fitzgerald (Texas), LB Tyree Horton (TCU), CB Jamarcus King (South Carolina), DE Levi Onwuzurike (Washington), DE Amani Bledsoe (Oklahoma), OL Anthonie Thomas (He's not coming)

As always, this is not a complete list, just a list of players who have either expressed interest in Baylor or have been offered by Baylor.


2017 Recruiting Class | National Rank: 4 | Commits: 7

Offense: QB: (1/?), TE: (1/?), WR: (2/?)

Defense: LB: (1/?), NB: (1/?), S: (1/?)

2017 Wishlist:

RB: Toneil Carter
RB: Eno Benjamin (100% Texas Tech)
APB: Anthony McFarland Jr.
WR: Jaylon Jackson
WR: James Robinson
ATH: Jamyest Williams
ATH: Eyob Bekele
OC: Cesar Ruiz
OL: Austin Deculus (50% Baylor, 50% LSU)
OL: Tyrese Robinson
OL: Walker Little
OL:Grayson Reed

DT: Marvin Wilson (60% UT, 20% LSU,10% BU)
DT: Deiontae Watts
DE: K'Lavon Chaisson (son of former Baylor LB Kelvin Chaisson) (75% BU, 25% LSU)
DE: Robert Beal
LB: Anthony Hines (70% OU, 30% BU)
CB: Deangelo Gibbs
CB: Chevin Calloway
CB: Adam Beck (75% BU, 25% A&M)
S: Jeffrey Okudah (43% BU, 29% Ohio State, 14% Stanford)

I know this list looks like it's just a bunch of the top recruits who have shown interest in Baylor, and that's exactly what it is. This list will change through the recruiting cycle. It's the list of recruits who could commit to Baylor and not make me surprised.

2016 Updates:

Both Jeremy Faulk and Branton Autry signed FAAs (12/16). The two JUCO transfers will be solid in the trenches for Briles and Bennett.

QB: Zach Smith (12/16): Signed his FAA today as well. Along with Autry, Faulk and TD Dickson, Smith will be enrolling in the Spring.

DE: Levi Onwuzurike (12/18): Announced his top four. Baylor is in it along with Washington, Arizona State, and Michigan.

LB: Clifton Lewis (12/18): Decommited from TCU today. Baylor was in good standing wit him before he made his choice, and he plays a position of priority to round out Baylor's 2016 class. We'll see where Baylor goes from here...

DE: Brandon Bowen (1/1): Committed today! The 4-star DE out of Trophy Club, Texas (suburb of Dallas) will be solid in the trenches for Baylor.

QB: Preston Heard (1/4): Proving that there is no such thing as too many quarterbacks! Committed today. Sorry for the brief post, but there's not much info on his 247 Sports' profile. He goes to the same school as 2017 top target Marvin Wilson though. Not going to add him to the Committed list because he will be a Preferred Walk On and similar to Bennema this year, will be playing only if he is desperately needed.

CB: Jared Mayden (1/6): Decommitted from Oregon today. He's a big, physical cornerback a la Xavien Howard. Goes to the same high school as the Duvernay brothers. Baylor may have an "in" with him that way.

LB: McKinley Mitchell (1/7): Baylor leads for the 3-star LB out of Florida, formerly out of Plano West Senior High School. More info here

S: Brandon Jones (1/14): Big news today as TGCAB, CPB, and Coach Cris Dishman visited the 5* safety out of Nacogdoches. 247 Sports' CB predictions have him going to Texas A&M at 74% and UT at 26%. Can only mean good things that the staff visited him today. Hope for the best!


DE: Levi Onwuzurike (1/18): Article from Scout ($$$) details the Bears' chances at this stud. Read it at your perusal. CB says Washington is the favorite as of this moment.

DE: Levi Onwuzurike (1/20): Committed to Washington today. Not a huge surprise but it leaves Baylor looking for another DE who is immediately ready to contribute. JUCO, anyone?

DT: Dequinton Osborne (1/24): Baylor offered the JUCO All-American DT today. Originally from South Grand Prairie, like current defensive back Tony Nicholson, Osborne was a JUCO All-American at DT for Kilgore College. He's currently committed to UCF but expect some movement here.

S: Brandon Jones (1/24): Is announcing his top three schools soon. Baylor will get a visit from him 1/29.

DT: Dequinton Osborne (1/31): Committed to Baylor! Huge pickup. JUCO All-American Defensive Tackle. Read more about that here.

S: Brandon Jones (1/31): Seemed to enjoy his visit yesterday.

2017 Updates


Kellen Mond and Jhamon Ausbon both have transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. This doesn't affect either one of their commitments but it would be interesting to see Baylor start to get some players from outside of Texas, like Florida.

Changelog:

1/2: Created the January Recruiting Notes, Added Amani Bledsoe to the 2016 Wish List
1/4: Added Antonio Kanonu to the 2016 Wish List, Added Charles Oliver to the 2016 Wish List
1/6: Added Jared Mayden to the 2016 Wish List
1/7: Added McKinley Mitchell to the 2016 Wish List, added update on Mond and Ausbon for 2017 (tl;dr they transferred high schools)
1/14: Added update on Brandon Jones!
1/18: Added update on Levi Onwuzurike
1/20: Removed Levi Onwuzurike following his commitment to the University of Washington.
1/21: Removed Amani Bledsoe following his commitment to Oklahoma, Updated 2017 Class Rank (up one spot! Top Four Baby!), added Quinn Nordin to the 2016 Wish List
1/22: Updated status on Zach Smith, TD Dickson, Branton Autry, and Jeremy Faulk (All are officially enrolled)!!!!
1/24: Added Dequinton Osborne to the 2016 Wish List, update on Brandon Jones.
1/29: Removed Anthonie Thomas from 2016 Wish List
1/30: Added some of the new 2017 offers to the Wish List
1/31: Added commitment of Dequinton Osbourne! Added update on Brandon Jones following his visit.

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