Blake Shapen is a sophomore quarterback from Shreveport, Louisiana. Baylor’s website has him listed at 6-foot-0, 200 pounds, and he should have two years of eligibility remaining past this season. While at BU, he is majoring in health, kinesiology, and leisure studies and has made the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll an impressive four times.
After dazzling in his performances last season and throughout the spring, Coach Aranda decided to name Shapen the starting quarterback shortly after the 2022 Green and Gold game. It’s been widely recognized that with Shapen at the helm, Baylor’s offense has a much higher ceiling. Our own Travis Roeder wrote a detailed article on what to expect from this year’s offense, as opposed to last year’s led by Gerry Bohannon: quick tempo, isolation shots, and a lot of deep throws.
On November 20th, Shapen entered into the Kansas State game for an injured Gerry Bohannon. He went on to lead the Bears to victory and completed 16 of 21 passes for 137 yards and rushed for 44 yards on five carries. Shapen went on to start his first career game the following week against Texas Tech and set career-highs in completions (20-of-34) and yards (254). After securing a win over the Red Raiders, Baylor was scheduled to play Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship. Shapen shined, completing his first 17 passes to break a Big 12 Championship record. The star redshirt freshman injured his shoulder, which limited his second-half performance, but finished the game, completing 23-28 passes for 180 yards, three touchdowns, and most importantly, a win.
At Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, Shapen threw for 2,049 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 324 yards and five TDs as a senior. He was the No. 33 player in Lousiana, the No. 31 pro-style quarterback in the country, and a three-star recruit, according to 247. Shapen was also a talented baseball player and came to Baylor with the intention of playing both sports. He was the No. 4 player and the No. 1 shortstop in the state of Louisiana. The dual-sport athlete chose Baylor over USC, UCLA, and Arizona State and redshirted the 2020 season after arriving on campus.
Alfonzo Allen is a true freshman safety from Miami, Florida. He should have three or four years of eligibility remaining, depending on if he redshirts this season, and Baylor’s website has him listed at 5-foot-11, 183 pounds.
Our own Travis Roeder thinks Allen is worth keeping an eye on this fall, noting, “he’s a very versatile athlete who I think could play STAR, field safety, or boundary safety. The most likely scenario this Fall is that he redshirted, and we never hear his name called. However, due to his versatility, I think he is just an injury or two away from being in the rotation at multiple positions. He’s a natural playmaker, physically ready to play, and has the experience from enrolling early.”
At Miami Central High School, Allen helped lead the Rockets to a 5A State Championship with a 12-2 record as a senior. He played on a defense that only allowed 13 points per game. 247 rated Allen as the No. 19 safety in the country, the No. 34 player in Florida, and a three-star recruit. In a massive recruiting win, Allen chose Baylor over Alabama, Clemson, and Florida.
Preseason NFL fan fights are on a whole different level pic.twitter.com/1Y5M64D5OD
— Joe Kinsey (@JoeKinseyexp) August 21, 2022
