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2021 BIG 12 CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (COACHES): Siaki Ika, Baylor, DL, So.,...In his first season at Baylor, Ika has been a stalwart on the defensive front, recording 15 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. He has totaled four quarterback hurries, deflected one pass and constantly freed up holes for the BU defense. Ika is Baylor's first Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year award recipient. - Baylor Football

(DS#8 DT) rJr/2023

DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
News Source: Baylor Football
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11/27/21 - Abram Smith, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-0, 213 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Blake Shapen threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for ninth-ranked Baylor, and the Bears held on for a 27-24 win over Texas Tech on Saturday that kept alive their hopes of making the Big 12 championship game for the second time in three seasons. Abram Smith ran for 117 yards and a touchdown for the Bears (10-2, 7-2 Big 12, CFP No. 8), who had to wait for the outcome of Saturday night’s game between No. 7 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Oklahoma. The Cowboys were already locked into their first Big 12 title game, and a win over the Sooners in Bedlam would put Baylor in next Saturday’s game with them.

Shapen hit Trestan Ebner in stride down near the 25 for a 61-yard catch-and-run score on the game’s opening drive that put Baylor ahead to stay. Shapen had a decisive 9-yard TD pass to tight end Ben Sims with 7 minutes left to immediately respond to a Tech score. The Red Raiders (6-6, 3-6) still had one more chance after stopping Baylor on fourth down on its 12 with 1:18 and no timeouts left. They got in position for a 53-yard field goal attempt by Jonathan Garibay, who had plenty of leg but pushed the kick wide left on the final play. Garibay had a game-ending 62-yarder to beat Iowa State two week earlier. Donovan Smith threw for 243 yards and had two TD passes for the Red Raiders, who a week earlier had only 108 total yards in a 23-0 loss to Oklahoma State in their home finale. That was the first time Tech was shut out in a 303-game span since 1997. - Baylor/AP College Football

(DS#8 RB) rSr/2022

RB Abram Smith, Baylor
News Source: Baylor/AP College Football
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11/15/21 - Terrel Bernard, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-1, 218 (DS#14 OLB) + More +

NOV 15 BIG 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Terrel Bernard, BU, LB, Sr.,...Bernard led Baylor with nine tackles, including a pair of sacks in its 27-14 win over No. 8 Oklahoma, the Bears' first over the Sooners since 2014. He spearheaded a dominant defensive performance holding OU to just 14 points, 26 below their season average and their fewest points since December of 2014. With his two sacks, Bernard became the sixth player in program history with 14+ career sacks. - Big 12 Football

(DS#14 OLB) rSr/2022

OLB Terrel Bernard, Baylor
News Source: Big 12 Football
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10/30/21 - Abram Smith, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-0, 213 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Baylor tight end Ben Sims had a 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter before Abram Smith spun away for a 32-yard scamper to the end zone in a 31-24 win Saturday, when the 16th-ranked Bears became the third team in a row to overcome a double-digit deficit to beat Texas. The handoff to the sweeping Sims for a score with 12:48 left put the Bears (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) back ahead for the first time since the first quarter. Texas then had a failed fake punt attempt, setting up Smith's nifty run three plays later when he took a quick pitch left, reversed field after spinning away from a defender and ran all the way to the end zone.

Texas (4-4, 2-3) was coming off its open date, which followed consecutive losses to No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 15 Oklahoma State in which the Longhorns led by at least two touchdowns before halftime both times. Big 12 rushing leader Bijan Robinson was limited to 43 yards on 17 carries, well below his 132 yards a game average with a 2.5 yard-per-carry that was the lowest in his career. But he did put the Longhorns up 21-10 with his 1-yard TD run on fourth down early in the second half when he followed a pair of blocking nose tackles with a combined weight of 643 yards into the end zone. Smith finished with 113 yards on 20 carries. Gerry Bohanon threw for 222 yards with two interceptions, after only one pick the first six games, and had a 6-yard TD run in the third quarter. - Baylor/AP College Football

(DS#8 RB) rSr/2022

RB Abram Smith, Baylor
News Source: Baylor/AP College Football
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10/17/21 - Dillon Doyle, rSr/2023, Baylor, 6-3, 238 (DS#19 ILB) + More +

Abram Smith and Dillon Doyle were quite a 1-2 running punch for Baylor, providing future Big 12 foe and 19th-ranked BYU a glimpse at what the Cougars could face in their new conference. Smith ran for 188 yards with three touchdowns, while linebacker and part-time fullback Doyle scored on both of his offensive touches in a 38-24 win Saturday. "Obviously not our best game," BYU coach Kilani Sitake said. "We just were out-physicaled today, so that was a difficult game to accept...Really got a good gut-check." Baylor (6-1) led by only three points midway through the third quarter before Doyle caught a 2-yard TD pass from Gerry Bohanon.

Smith ran for a 7-yard score about 3 1/2 minutes later to make it 31-14, after TJ Franklin's sack that forced a fumble by Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall. "This was a standard game...I think is a big thing for us, having it come from the inside, intrinsically being able to push yourself," second-year Bears coach Dave Aranda said. "That's a big step in the right direction." BYU (5-2) last month accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference starting in the 2023 season. The Cougars have lost back-to-back games for the first time since the end of 2019, after a 5-0 start that included three wins over Pac-12 teams and peaking at No. 10 in the AP Top 25. - Baylor/AP College Football

(DS#19 ILB) rSr/2023

ILB Dillon Doyle, Baylor
News Source: Baylor/AP College Football
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09/27/21 - Trestan Ebner, rSr/2022, Baylor, 5-11, 209 (DS#42 RB) + More +

SEPT 27 BIG 12 SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Trestan Ebner, Baylor, RB, Sr.,...Ebner contributed to Baylor's win over ISU with 168 return yards. His day was highlighted by a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter that helped BU wrestle momentum back from the Cyclones in a back-and-forth contest. In total, Ebner racked up 121 yards on three kickoff returns and 47 more return yards on a pair of punt returns, including a 41-yarder late in the fourth quarter. It set up a 34-yard field goal that proved to be the difference in the 31-29 win. - Big 12 Football

(DS#42 RB) rSr/2022

RB Trestan Ebner, Baylor
News Source: Big 12 Football
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09/27/21 - Garmon Randolph, rSr/2025, Baylor, 6-6, 265 (DS#44 DE) + More +

SEPT 27 BIG 12 CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Garmon Randolph, Baylor, LB, So.,...Randolph collected his first career interception to go along with six tackles, including one for loss in Baylor's 31-29 win over No. 14 Iowa State. With the Cyclones trailing by just five and driving in the fourth quarter, Randolph secured the interception at the BU 18-yard line to flip the field and thwart ISU's attempt at a go-ahead touchdown. Randolph was an integral part of Baylor's first win over a ranked opponent since 2015. - Big 12 Football

(DS#44 DE) rSr/2025

DE Garmon Randolph, Baylor
News Source: Big 12 Football
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09/13/21 - JT Woods, Sr/2022, Baylor, 6-2, 195 (DS#5 FS) + More +

SEPT 13 BIG 12 CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: JT Woods, Baylor, S, Sr.,...Woods had three tackles and a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown in Baylor's 66-7 win over Texas Southern. The senior safety's return was the longest fumble return in school history, and it was his second defensive touchdown in as many weeks. Woods helped this Baylor team become the first Bears squad since 2013 with defensive touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. - Big 12 Football

(DS#5 FS) Sr/2022

FS JT Woods, Baylor
News Source: Big 12 Football
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09/12/21 - Trestan Ebner, rSr/2022, Baylor, 5-11, 209 (DS#42 RB) + More +

Abram Smith and Tristan Ebner both rushed for more than 100 yards in the first half, and Baylor scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions in a 66-7 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday night. Gerry Bohanon was 16-for-21 passing for 240 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two scores for the Bears (2-0). Baylor outgained Texas Southern 458-52 in the first half and 714-283 overall in matching its win total from last season, when the Bears were 2-7. "I was impressed with the week that went into this," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said after his first nonconference home game with the Bears, who didn't play outside the Big 12 because of the pandemic in his 2020 debut. "I think some of that had to do with just the second week, knowing what's expected. The main piece was, "We're here, we can go there, we can do this. Look what we can become." Smith ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Ebner added 125 yards on 10 attempts, the second straight week both eclipsed the century mark. Taye McWilliams came on late and had 102 yards and a touchdown on six carries, giving the Bears three 100-yard rushers for the first time since Sept. 12, 2015, against Lamar.

The Bears' 419 yards rushing were the most they've had in a game since they put up 469 on Oct. 1, 2016, against Iowa State. Tyquan Thornton led Baylor with five catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and Ebner added 70 yards and a score on four catches. "Coach challenged me, Tyquan and some of the other receivers on the deep ball this game," Bohanon said. "We didn't connect well on it in the last game, so it was a big emphasis for us this week. We got the job done." - Baylor/AP College Football

(DS#42 RB) rSr/2022

RB Trestan Ebner, Baylor
News Source: Baylor/AP College Football
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09/05/21 - Abram Smith, rSr/2022, Baylor, 6-0, 213 (DS#8 RB) + More +

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, 246 (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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