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Baylor had three interceptions, Abram Smith rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears defeated the Texas State Bobcats 29-20 on Saturday. Baylor played its first regular season game outside the Big 12 in 715 days after its 2020 non-conference games were canceled due to COVID-19-related issues. "For them to have something to feel good about, it's been a while," Bears coach Dave Aranda said. Baylor finished 2-7 last season, losing five straight after winning its season opener against Kansas on Sept. 26, 2020.

The Bears are unbeaten in eight games against the Bobcats dating back to 1909, but it was a stiffer test after having outscored Texas State 279-73 in their previous meetings. Trestan Ebner added 120 yards rushing on 20 carries, giving the Bears their first pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game since 2018. "(What) I am proud of is I thought our identity on offense, you got a feel for what we are trying to accomplish," Aranda said. The grit of the running game was matched by the team's intensity defensively. "That was one of the better defenses I've seen in a long time," Bobcats coach Jake Spavital said. Baylor returns 10 starters on defense and that unit responded by holding Texas State to 235 yards, including 79 yards rushing. The Bears' defense scored nine points, including a safety to end the game. - Baylor/AP College Football

(DS#8 RB) rSr/2022

RB Abram Smith, Baylor
News Source: Baylor/AP College Football
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08/22/21 - Jalen Pitre, rSr/2022, Baylor, 5-11, 195 (DS#1 SS) + More +

The lone first-team All-Big 12 player from last year's Baylor squad, Pitre is back for one more year as a fifth-year senior. Despite being a safety on paper, Pitre has the versatility and the freedom to play in the box, too, as a pseudo-linebacker. Those different roles give him the opportunity to impact the game in a number of different ways, and Pitre certainly made the most of those opportunities last fall. He was among the team's best in a number of statistical categories in 2020. Pitre led the team in tackles-for-loss and was third on the team in both sacks and interceptions. He was third in the Big 12 in tackles-for-loss per game (1.44). Pitre also became the first player in program history to have two interceptions returned for touchdown in the same season. - Dallas Morning News

(DS#1 SS) rSr/2022

SS Jalen Pitre, Baylor
News Source: Dallas Morning News
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08/22/21 - Terrel Bernard, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-1, 218 (DS#14 OLB) + More +

Midway through the 2020 season, Bernard appeared to be on the fast track to the NFL. He had amassed 55 tackles in just five games, with his 19-tackle showing against Texas in Baylor's third game of the season as the crown jewel of his 2020 slate. But after tearing his labrum and fracturing his shoulder against Iowa State in Baylor's fifth game of the season, everything changed for Bernard, who was leading the team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss at the time. Bernard had season-ending surgery, and the considerable rehab required to deal with those injuries ultimately led Bernard to decide a trip to the NFL would have to wait another year. He's now healthy and back for another season, and should be a leader on a Baylor defense that's Dave Aranda is trying to mold into his next dominant unit. - Dallas Morning News

(DS#14 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
News Source: Dallas Morning News
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08/21/21 - Michael Trigg, rSr/2026, Baylor, 6-4, 240 (DS#3 TE) + More +

Michael Trigg still has a lot to learn about USC's playbook and the particulars of his new position, but as a short pass to the flat began to sail over his head at Tuesday's practice, the freshman's instincts took over. A pass that should've soared incomplete above the tight end's head was instead miraculously snagged from midair with just one hand. As he pulled down Jaxson Dart's errant pass, Trigg dodged one tackle - then lowered his shoulder through another. It ultimately took a pack of Trojan defenders to pull the freshman down - and only after he'd dragged half the defense to a 20-yard gain. "I was just trying to get to the end zone doing whatever it takes," Trigg recalled, with a grin. "That's all I remember, for real."

The 10 practices preceding that stunning catch-and-run have been a blur to the wide-eyed freshman, who admits he's still a bit lost when it comes to understanding USC's offense. But to those watching Trigg closely over the past two weeks, it's been a memorable start anyway, one that's put him in position to contribute early this season. Ask anyone in attendance at USC's fall camp, and they'll each offer the same observation. USC defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher spoke to the media for the first time since transferring from Alabama about the current status of his injury. "He's a freak," said quarterback Kedon Slovis. "A freak," echoed tight end Jude Wolfe. "That's the best way to describe him," added tight ends coach Seth Doege. "He's an athletic freak." - Los Angeles Times

(DS#3 TE) rSr/2026

TE Michael Trigg, Baylor
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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08/21/21 - Ketron Jackson Jr., Sr/2025, Baylor, 6-1, 203 (DS#150 WR) + More +

Aside from running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, perhaps no freshman on Arkansas' offensive side of the ball has higher expectations than receiver Ketron Jackson. A consensus 4-star prospect out of Royse City, Texas, and the top-rated player in the Razorbacks' 2021 recruiting class, Jackson has lived up to the hype through the first half of preseason practices and has likely worked himself into the heart of Arkansas' receivers rotation. "Ketron's been really, really good," Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles said Friday. "If you look at the spring to right now, offensively, he's without a doubt the most improved football player on the offense."

Jackson had a drop in Friday's workout, but Briles said he made up for it with a "phenomenal" catch. He is high on the freshman's skillset and athletic ability, mentioning that Jackson led all Dallas-area athletes with a long jump of 24 feet, 11 inches in high school. An early enrollee, Jackson benefited from going through spring drills, when he was able to get a head start on learning the offense and grow more comfortable operating on a previously injured knee. "He was nagged when he got here with an injury. Now he's healthy and he's the Ketron we thought he was going to be," Briles said. "He's just got to continue to grow and progress, and you'll see him on Saturdays." - Northwest Arkansas Times

(DS#150 WR) Sr/2025

WR Ketron Jackson Jr., Baylor
News Source: Northwest Arkansas Times
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08/18/21 - Terrel Bernard, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-1, 218 (DS#14 OLB) + More +

The pain and numbness in Terrel Bernard's shoulder told him just how grim things were. Eventually, Bernard would learn that he had sustained a torn labrum and fractured shoulder on that play in a loss to Iowa State. "It hurt," Bernard said. "I knew it was pretty bad. I knew my season was probably going to be over. If I could, I wanted to go back in and do what I could - at least finish the game if not the season." He returned to the game for a while, essentially playing with one arm before exiting, his season over. Bernard was leading the Big 12 in tackles with 55 through five games, including 19 in an epic performance against Texas. Those season totals include 6.5 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks.

His decision to return is one reason why Baylor hopes to be improved after going 2-7 in Dave Aranda's first season. "Big fan of Terrel," Aranda said. "He's got a great heart. His care for others, there's a selflessness about him that our team sees and recognizes. He pushes people to be better by the way that he goes about his day. "I'm thankful for Terrel coming back. It was a choice that he made. We're all better for it. I'm a better coach because of it." A fifth-year senior, Bernard contemplated the NFL draft and fulfilling a lifelong dream in spite of the injury. "I was really thinking about it," Bernard said. "Having that opportunity was something I wanted to do since I was a kid." - Dallas Morning News

(DS#14 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
News Source: Dallas Morning News
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08/18/21 - Siaki Ika, rJr/2023, Baylor, 6-3, 347 (DS#8 DT) + More +

When Baylor reached the Big 12 championship game in the 2019 Sugar Bowl season, all-conference nose guard Bravvion Roy was a dominating force up front. Roy often occupied two blockers, allowing All-America defensive end James Lynch and the rest of the defenders free lanes to unload on quarterbacks. The Bears hope LSU transfer Siaki "Apu" Ika makes a similar impact this season. The 6-4, 350-pound Ika not only takes up a lot of space in the middle of Baylor's defense, his combination of strength and quickness is rare for a man that massive. "I expect him to have the biggest impact on the defense," said Baylor defensive lineman TJ Franklin. "Before we had a nose (guard), but we didn't have a nose that was able to go in there and eat up blocks, be able to pass rush, a nose that's able to do everything we need him to do."

Baylor coach Dave Aranda knew how important Ika could be to Baylor's defense because he coached him when he was defensive coordinator for LSU's 2019 national championship team. Ika was a key part of the Tigers' defensive line rotation as he recorded 17 tackles with 1.5 for loss. After playing in just four games last season, Ika decided to join Aranda at Baylor, and the transition has been smooth. "I know this defense like the back of my hand," Ika said. "The only different thing is the vocabulary, but it's pretty easy to get it down. That's a big part why I wanted to choose to make the transition because I knew if I made the move, I wouldn't be set back. I think it's kind of just pick up where I left off, kind of just get in and hit the ground running." - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#8 DT) rJr/2023

DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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07/17/21 - Terrel Bernard, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-1, 218 (DS#14 OLB) + More +

Not everyone can pull off a green suit, but Terrel Bernard is just that dude. Looking positively resplendent in a matching seaweed-colored ensemble, nobody looked happier to be in attendance at Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday than Bernard. That's because nobody is more eager to get back on the field. The Baylor linebacker played like a sure-fire first-team All-American for five games in 2020 before a shoulder injury halted everything. Bernard went from laying the boom to laboring over the labrum. The end hit harder than, well, one of his own jarring tackles. "Just being disconnected from the team," said Bernard, when asked to pinpoint the hardest part of his absence from the field. "You've got to go do your own thing for a little bit, and that's never fun. Being injured, that can take away from the mental side, too. I think that was the most difficult part for me. Just not being able to be out there and compete with my guys, it was a hard time."

Bernard didn't need an X-ray to reveal that his shoulder was wrecked. He knew it from the moment it happened in a 38-31 loss to Iowa State last November in Ames. His arm fell limp. It pulsed with pain. And yet he still went back in the game for a while - mostly because he knew it would be his last chance in 2020. "It hurt. I knew it was pretty bad, and I knew my season was probably going to be over," Bernard said. "So, if I could, I wanted to go back in and do what I could to at least finish the game if I wasn't going to be able to finish the season." - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#14 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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07/08/21 - Terrel Bernard, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-1, 218 (DS#14 OLB) + More +

Baylor was picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason football poll by the media that covers the league. Oklahoma was picked as the preseason favorite as it received 35 of 39 first-place votes. Iowa State was chosen second as it received the remaining four first-place votes. Texas was picked third followed in order by Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas. Baylor finished ninth in the Big 12 with a 2-7 record in 2020 in Dave Aranda's first season as head coach. The Big 12 football media days will be held Wednesday and Thursday at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#14 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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07/04/21 - Hal Presley, rSr/2025, Baylor, 6-2, 201 (DS#132 WR) + More +

Former Auburn receiver Hal Presley announced that he's transferring to Baylor on his Twitter account on Friday. Presley, who had previously been committed to Baylor, entered the transfer portal without playing for Auburn. As a senior last season at Mansfield Summit High School, Presley caught 43 passes for 1,073 yards and 16 touchdowns in 13 games. Presley had been recruited by schools like Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#132 WR) rSr/2025

WR Hal Presley, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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06/21/21 - Hal Presley, rSr/2025, Baylor, 6-2, 201 (DS#132 WR) + More +

One of Auburn's most glaring weaknesses entering the 2021 season took a considerable hit earlier this week. The Tigers' wide receiver corps lost a would-be summer addition in three-star signee Hal Presley, who entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Presley came to Auburn after a senior season at Mansfield Summit High in Arlington, Texas in which he posted 32 receptions for 755 yards and 13 touchdowns for an eight-win Jaguars team.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Presley was one of two receivers to sign with Auburn in the 2021 class, the other being three-star Tar'varish Dawson. Presley is the second 2021 signee to leave Auburn before the season, the other being junior college cornerback Kamal Hadden, an early enrollee who has since committed to Tennessee. Presley was by no means guaranteed a starting role at Auburn; his exit stands more as the loss of a piece in the team's unsettled puzzle out wide. - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#132 WR) rSr/2025

WR Hal Presley, Baylor
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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05/18/21 - Jacob Gall, rSr/2023, Baylor, 6-2, 296 (DS#16 C) + More +

Jacob Gall, an offensive lineman who played at UB the last four seasons, announced Tuesday that he will transfer to Baylor. Gall is a graduate transfer who will be immediately eligible. Gall played in 33 games in three seasons with the Bulls after he redshirted as a freshman in 2017. He started 20 games at both left guard and right guard in four seasons with the Bulls, including all seven of UB's games in 2020, at left guard. Gall is one of 12 players from UB's 2020 roster to enter the transfer portal after Leipold's departure, and is the first to announce his transfer destination. Quarterback Matt Myers and linebacker Tim Terry withdrew from the transfer portal earlier this month. - Buffalo News

(DS#16 C) rSr/2023

C Jacob Gall, Baylor
News Source: Buffalo News
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04/27/21 - Siaki Ika, rJr/2023, Baylor, 6-3, 347 (DS#8 DT) + More +

It's quite evident that Baylor's defense is significantly ahead of the offense since new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has just started installing the parts this spring. But Saturday's Green and Gold game at McLane Stadium showed that it isn't just a bevy of returning players who could make the defense one of the best in the Big 12 this fall. The Bears now have massive 6-4, 350-pound noseguard Siaki "Apu" Ika plugging the middle. The LSU sophomore transfer made his presence known in the intrasquad scrimmage as he burrowed through Baylor's offensive line to nail running back Qualan Jones for a safety while wreaking havoc on many other plays. "That's a force," said Baylor running back Abram Smith. "I ran into him today. He shot the A (gap) and hit me in the backfield. And I couldn't get away."

Ika began to show his talents on LSU's 2019 championship team in a backup noseguard role under then defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. After playing in only four games last season, Ika entered the transfer portal and decided to reunite with Aranda at Baylor. Joining a defense packed with veteran linebackers and defensive backs, Ika's presence in the middle will occupy blockers and free up Baylor's other defensive linemen to make plays. "I love Apu and his energy, I love his smile, I love his heart," Aranda said. "He knows the structure of the defense and the run fits. He knows protection and he's been able to tutor people on the sidelines. I know our guys respect him, not only how he plays, but he carries himself in such a way that they see where he's headed." - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#8 DT) rJr/2023

DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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04/23/21 - Kalon Barnes, Sr/2022, Baylor, 6-0, 183 (DS#20 CB) + More +

When Kevin Curtis joined Baylor's coaching staff in February, it didn't take him long to realize that he was inheriting an experienced, high-performing room of cornerbacks. Both Raleigh Texada and Zeke Brown are back for their sixth seasons while Kalon Barnes and Byron Hanspard Jr. return for their fourth years. They helped the Bears rank second in the Big 12 by allowing 203 yards passing per game with a league-low 12 touchdown passes. "It's been great," Curtis said. "They've taken my coaching and have done everything I've asked them to do. They come to work every single day. They're listening and you can see them try to do it. They're getting better, so I'm excited about the group." Along with a veteran group of safeties led by all-Big 12 hybrid safety-linebacker Jalen Pitre, Baylor's secondary has a chance to be even better in 2021. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#20 CB) Sr/2022

CB Kalon Barnes, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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04/14/21 - Trestan Ebner, rSr/2022, Baylor, 5-11, 209 (DS#42 RB) + More +

Trestan Ebner can't wait. Returning for his fifth season at Baylor, Ebner is looking forward to playing in new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes' balanced attack. Whether the Bears will be as explosive as BYU's Grimes-guided attack in 2020 remains to be seen. But there's a good chance the running backs will have more room to run in the new wide zone offense. "I feel like it opens up holes, and I can just use my speed to make plays," Ebner said. "It just allows me to make one cut and get up to the second level and make my moves off the safety." There's nowhere to go but up for the Bears' rushing attack after ranking last in the Big 12 and 123 out of 127 NCAA Division I teams with 90.3 yards rushing per game in last year's 2-7 season.

Due in large part to injuries, the Bears didn't have a runner surpass 200 yards, as Craig "Sqwirl" Williams led the Bears with 197 yards. The Bears averaged a paltry 2.7 yards per carry and scored just eight touchdowns on the ground. But Baylor running backs coach Justin "Juice" Johnson likes the progress he's seen in spring drills and believes his group will be much more productive in the fall. "Great energy, great edge," Johnson said. "We're constantly working on cleaning up execution, but everybody's mental space to get there I think is in the right place. We've got great competition there. Everybody's approaching it the right way." - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#42 RB) rSr/2022

RB Trestan Ebner, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
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