Richard Reese Looking to Bounce Back after Tough Sophomore Season

While capturing attention for donning a green and gold suit on Wednesday, junior running back Richard Reese’s presence at Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas spoke just as much to his character as his style.

In 2022, Reese had a breakout rookie campaign, running for over 1,000 yards and collecting 14 rushing touchdowns. He earned Freshman All-America honors and won the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award.

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In 2022, running back Richard Reese rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 14 rushing touchdowns.

The next practical step in Reese’s development was to take on an even bigger role as a sophomore and be the lighting to Oklahoma State transfer running back Dominic Richardson’s thunder. 

Instead, Reese was passed up on the depth chart by freshman Dawson Pendergrass and struggled with limited opportunities to make an impact on the field behind a patchwork offensive line in 2023.

“With new coaches coming in, everybody is learning, and sometimes, it doesn’t go how they are supposed to – I had to learn that last year,” Reese told 365Sports on Wednesday. “But I’m a team player. When my teammates were out there playing, I cheered them on.”

To put things into perspective, Reese totaled 306 rushing yards on only 66 attempts last fall, which was 132 fewer carries than the previous season. In Baylor’s final game against West Virginia, Reese returned two kickoffs back to the house, tying his season rushing touchdown total (2) in a matter of minutes.

It was a triumphant end to a disappointing season for Reese. In the modern era of college football, it was assumed the former Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year would enter the transfer portal and find playing opportunities elsewhere; instead, it was the exact opposite.

“I came here for a reason,” Reese said. “[Transferring] never slipped my mind. I love Coach Aranda and all of the people that got me here. I even talked with my dad, and he said, ‘BU is the place for you. Stay there. God sent you there for a reason.’”

Reese remained at Baylor, hunkered down this offseason and prepared for a bigger role once Jake Spavital was announced as the new offensive coordinator.

“For everybody, last year was a struggle, but especially for Richard,” head coach Dave Aranda told 365Sports at Big 12 Media Days. “The way he handled it this winter, he accepted new coaching, embraced his role and grew up. He attacked this spring and is set out for a breakout season.”

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“I came here for a reason. [Transferring] never slipped my mind,” Reese said on Wednesday.

With Spavital’s spread offense returning to Waco, Reese is adjusting to the new scheme and is ready to put together a bounce-back campaign this fall.

“They’ve been teaching me the main keys of the offense,” Reese said. “When I’m out there on the field, I play free and don’t have to worry about anything. They really care about their players; that’s the main thing I’d say they do – they don’t want to see us fail.”

When his teammates were asked who the toughest person to guard on the team was, redshirt sophomore linebacker Keaton Thomas said without hesitation, “Definitely Richard Reese. He’s quick, agile and smooth.”

For Reese, it’s about regaining confidence and trusting that he’ll have an opportunity this season to show he’s capable of being the player who rushed for over 1,000 yards and earned Freshman All-American honors in 2022.