Hakeem Vance

Holding for when I get homeDL is noticeably bigger with ApuGabe Hall is thereTJ Franklin has filled out furtherGrimes spent the first 15 minutes with OL Mateos driving themTB deliberate and purposeful in drillsPitre looks good. Kids look like the listed weightsWill Williams looks like a difference makerMade it homeIt was great to spend the day in Waco as I left at 5:30 or so and worked the real job from the studio. Had lunch with David Kaye, Dennis Polian, Max Calderone, Ashley, Colt, Smoaky, Huey, and Armstrong. It was good to talk with Baylor employees about the future and the new media access for football practices. We got 15 minutes to start and Jack and I filmed while Colt took a ton of pictures. Sqwirl was stretching and getting love from the staff.Only one player was out and it appears to be an ankle/foot with a boot and not deemed serious.Appears Hakeem Vance has medically retired following a couple surgeries the last two seasons. Joshua Landry ran out the doors before we went in and you could tell he had put on the weight he is listed at versus that weight in 2020 which was likely exaggerated with Covid causing losses from less weight work. Speaking of, Vic Villoria led the team in warmups. He's got the team motivated and then the coaches came in and amped it up a little. You'll hear it on the videos. The defensive line just looks different in a thicker and more defined manner than last year. Moved down to the linebackers and TB was leading from the front of drills and using his voice to motivate. Anthony Anyanwu is big. Offensive line looks legit in size, but didn't get a ton of time to watch them before the horn sounded. Grimes was there the entire 15 minutes and as the horn sounded he moved to QBs where I didn't see anything occur. Zeno was in front and then Gerry moved up next to him and we left. Drones is bigger than them all.Questions

First of all, I have to preface that the defense is still missing three of the best players in Terrel Bernard, TJ Franklin, and Gabe Hall. Tyrone Brown was also missing and looks great without pads. Defensive LineSiaki Ika is a difference maker. One I have never seen in a Baylor uniform at this size. We can talk Billings, Tayler, Dotson, etc and none were 360+ moving like this with no stop and able to change direction like him. Just truly fun to watchChidi Ogbonnaya is much bigger and healthy. He's going to be able to give valuable minutes beside or behind Apu.Rob Saulin looks like he's not battling Covid and has put on great weight. The 5th year Senior gets off the ball well and at DE in this 3-4, he'll occupy blockers and get some pressure upfield as he did today.Jackson Shupp is a walk-on getting time with two other DL out and he holds his own and made plays. You love to see a guy like this with a motor that doesn't stop and anyone in front of him can't take a break.Brayden Utley was a walk-on until last year and he started out with the 1st and rotated with the 2s as well. At 6-1 270, he's a guy that is going to muddy up the outside, which allows LBs to run free.Garmon Randolph is so full of potential and he flashes it more now than he did in 2020. At 265, he still looks lean and like he could be 290 and be a taller James Franis/Julius Denton athlete. As a sophomore, his NFL potential will be something to watch. Joshua Landry ran at NT and LDE during the practice and I didn't really notice him during the practice, besides running with 1s and 2s.I don't remember seeing Ryan Miller Cole Maxwell has grown and he made one play that made me smile by flushing Zeno out of the pocket and into the arms of a JACK. Overall the defensive line is loaded. LOADED and there is no true dropoff and they can challenge the 2019 line in dominance, which brings us to the next position...LinebackersAgain, missing TB and Tyrone Brown, but deep with talent and speedJACKAshton Logan is noticeably bigger and knows his position. He's getting pushed by Victor Obi who, like Randolph, doesn't look his weight, but he's active and long. He swoops like a condor outside with his wingspanBryson Jackson looks like he's shot out of a cannon on pass rushing and flat ran past Galvin on one play. He had other flashes where it was great to see the Senior putting his foot down and going upfield in pursuit of the ball carrier or QBAnthony Anyanwu looks like an NFL LB in size and his first step is still explosive. He's a little behind Logan, Obi, and Jackson, but he's not needed this second or season, but he'll be readyWill Garner also looks good physically, but I don't remember him outside of warmupsILBDillon Doyle is more decisive and in so, his speed to the ball has improved. He seems to be everywhere and teaming him with Bernard and Pitre is going to be fun to watchSpeaking of Abram Smith, he overwhelms with speed and physicality, but I turned to Gary and Smoaky during practice and said, "I'm not so sure he shouldn't be at RB, but he definitely should be going both ways at this point to get him on the field."Matt Jones is also more decisive and stronger. He's gotten after the ball carrier with bad intentions at each of the last practices I've attended. Will Williams missed a read on an Abram Smith TD run, but he's going to be someone to watch with his speed on the fieldI don't remember seeing Hakeem Vance Brooks Miller laid the wood on Abram Smith and he got up a little woosy, but continued on. Abram got another 2-3 yards after contact, but it was violent.Tyrone Brown from WOS was out there with the 2s and didn't look lost and made a play or twoSTAR or whatever it is called now and other SafetiesJalen Pitre is Pitre. Enough saidJT Woods got a solid lick in run support and on RJ Sneed as he broke free on the sideline. He looks bigger and more confident in the systemChristian Morgan is also bigger and not blowing assignments as he did against a couple of teams in 2020. Solid and physicalLorando Johnson, Jr. was a CB and is now a safety and his athleticism there is noticeable. His interception on Shapen against Fleeks in the end zone was beautiful. He also supported well on running plays.I was looking for Devin Neal and Mike Harris, but don't remember seeing either, which is good and bad, I guessDevin Lemear and Jairon McVea are two more safeties I didn't notice. Again, they didn't screw up or make a play I rememberCornersNobody with throw on Raleigh Texada, just weird, but he's pressing, redirecting WRs in routes, and looks greatKalon Barnes does have the QBs testing him and he looks more natural in his backpedal and mirroringLoving the move of Alfahiym Walcott to CB. He's physical and can run. Looked good.AJ McCarty is always around the ball. He's a year away, IMO.I don't remember seeing Chateau Reed or Brandon White or Byron Hanspard Zeke Brown was in with the 3s and he got his first INT and start against OSU last yearMark Milton has improved his technique and footwork. He's going to be a serviceable #2, but Walcott is going to push himI can't say more about how impressed I am with this unit. Being on the field level with them is like being next to some NFL sized teams. Several sources told us they had really seen improvement under the new weight staff, but damn, it is noticeable from the distance we are asked to be at from them.

A view of the players with new weight gains since the Fall of 2020 and a few losses