Draft Scout Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20 Player News, College Football: Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

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
Share/Comment: Here

01/18/21 - Tyquan Thornton, Sr/2022, Baylor, 6-2, 183 (DS#21 WR) + More +

Junior wide receiver Tyquan Thornton announced Saturday that he's returning to Baylor. Thornton made 16 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown in 2020 after making 45 catches for 782 yards and five scores in 2019. He made 20 catches for 354 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2018. The 2020 season didn't count against player eligibility due to COVID-19. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#21 WR) Sr/2022

WR Tyquan Thornton, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
Share/Comment: Here

01/17/21 - James Sylvester, So/2024, Baylor, 6-3, 243 (DS#999 DE) + More +

Baylor freshman defensive end James Sylvester announced that he's entering the transfer portal. The 6-4, 243-pound Sylvester didn't record any defensive statistics in 2020. Sylvester played high school football at Newton, where he was a three-time all-district pick who collected 85 tackles and 15 sacks in 2019. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#999 DE) So/2024

DE James Sylvester, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
Share/Comment: Here

01/09/21 - Grant Miller, rSr/2023, Baylor, 6-3, 306 (DS#54 OG) + More +

Vanderbilt offensive lineman Grant Miller, the son of former Baylor star Fred Miller, is transferring to Baylor for his final season of college eligibility. Miller played four seasons at Vanderbilt and started the last two, including nine games at center in 2020. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season didn't count against player eligibility. Miller is coming to Baylor as a graduate transfer and will be immediately eligible in 2021. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#54 OG) rSr/2023

OG Grant Miller, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
Share/Comment: Here

12/29/20 - Luke Anthony, rSr/2024, Baylor, 6-1, 208 (DS#999 QB) + More +

2020 CONFERENCE USA NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (COACHES): The league's Newcomer of the Year went to Louisiana Tech QB Luke Anthony, a graduate transfer from Abilene Christian that became the seventh passer to win the award in the last eight seasons. He completed 64.2 % of his passes for 1,318 yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games. Anthony ranks fourth in C-USA in passing efficiency (138.0), sixth in passing average per game (164.3) and ninth in total offense (157.9). He was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after passing for a season-high 314 yards and five touchdowns, while adding a rushing TD in a win over Houston Baptist (Oct. 2). - Conference USA Football

(DS#999 QB) rSr/2024

QB Luke Anthony, Baylor
News Source: Conference USA Football
Share/Comment: Here

12/23/20 - Raleigh Texada, rSr/2022, Baylor, 5-10, 191 (DS#63 CB) + More +

Baylor senior cornerback Raleigh Texada announced Sunday that he's returning for the 2021 season. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season didn't count against players' eligibility. Texada, a three-year starter, was Baylor's best cornerback in 2020 and a second-team all-Big 12 choice by the Tribune-Herald. Though opposing quarterbacks rarely threw his way, Texada finished the season with 29 tackles with an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Texada started six games as a sophomore in 2018 before starting all 14 games last season and finishing with 45 tackles and five pass breakups. - Waco Tribune Herald

(DS#63 CB) rSr/2022

CB Raleigh Texada, Baylor
News Source: Waco Tribune Herald
Share/Comment: Here

12/23/20 - Xavier Newman-Johnson, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-2, 297 (DS#17 OG) + More +

Baylor's offense in general had a down year, but the O-line's slump stretches back four seasons. For the second consecutive year, the unit allowed the second-highest number of sacks in the Big 12 with 31. Fortunately for the Bears, Xavier Newman-Johnson will return for his final year of eligibility. While he's been one of their best and most reliable linemen, history has proven that his presence alone won't be enough to pull the Bears out of the hole. - Dallas Morning News

(DS#17 OG) rSr/2022

OG Xavier Newman-Johnson, Baylor
News Source: Dallas Morning News
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes

|Back to Page One|

Next 15 Notes

Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 56

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 57

Baylor Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

** Draft Scout Data **
(Everything Online PLUS)

Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

Draft Scout Archives

** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **
(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done

80% Innovated

45% Hidden

35% Built

2025 CFB/2025-2029 NFL Draft Scout

2024 CFB/2024-2028 NFL Draft Scout

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

NFL Draft Scout History

2022 Draft Scout

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

Baylor Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

Support Draft Scout

Draft Scout Archives

Draft Scout Future

Synergization

Did You Know?

Hidden Designs

Future Development