/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53020267/usa_today_9789743.0.jpg)
On December 6, 2016, Baylor announced the hiring of Temple’s Matt Rhule as the next Head Football Coach. We had a whopping 1 commitment for the 2017 class when he took over, but within hours of his announcement, he made his first official offer to a LB from Seminole, Florida that was committed to Florida State. Today, that same LB became the 25th commitment of Baylor’s 2017 class when DeMarco Artis chose the Bears over the Oregon Ducks with the tweet below:
On to the Next Chapter #BaylorLit pic.twitter.com/fdHvmM5QI4
— (@DeMarcoArtis33) February 1, 2017
Artis joins a class that has far exceeded any reasonable expectations that Baylor fans may have had, giving us another defensive talent for Coaches Rhule and Snow to mold. Though learning what has been described as a pretty complex system for LBs will take time, Artis should have a chance to play immediately as a pure pass rusher off the edge. He also represents a significant recruiting victory for Baylor over schools like Oregon, and Florida State (where he was once committed).
Welcome to Baylor, DeMarco!
NOTE: Steve Wiltfong is the man at the Crystal Ball! Virtually everyone else had Artis going to Oregon, but Wiltfong nailed it.