Baylor Bear Insider
As much as the wide-zone blocking scheme is kind of the buzzword and the key to how Baylor's offense works, second-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes hopes the use of the tight end is "one of the things that sets us apart."
"I've just always had an affinity for tight ends and what they can do for you," said Grimes, who doubles as the position coach for the tight ends.
"I think it gives you a lot of different options in terms of how you run the ball if you can provide an extra gap the defense has to defend. I think it gives you some different options in the throw game, especially when it comes to the play-action stuff that we like to do quite a bit. I just think it fits what I've always believed in and how I've always envisioned offenses working."
You certainly can't argue with the results. Easily one of the most improved units in the country, the Bears averaged 422.4 yards and 31.6 points per game en route to a Big 12 championship, a Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss and a program-record 12 wins (12-2).
Few offenses on any level utilize the tight end more than Baylor, which started with two-tight end sets 10 times in 14 games last season and also had Gavin Yates in the game at times as a third tight end at fullback or H-back.
"I think this offense allows the tight ends to do a little bit of everything, whether that's arc wide, catch passes, be on the front side and back side of wide zone," said Ben Sims, Baylor's leading returning receiver with 31 catches for 361 yards and six touchdowns. "Schematically, our offense is so large that we're expected to do a little bit of everything. It takes a lot of versatility."
That versatility is what separates the Baylor tight ends from others. They're much more than just a sixth or seventh offensive lineman.
"I love how much we're on the field," said rising junior Drake Dabney, who made eight starts and caught 10 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. "Just staying on the field is how you end up with the ball; it will find you. And then, getting the chance to block, we can do it all. I think a lot of what we do in this offense is what a lot of NFL tight ends do and what the NFL wants us to be."
With little experience returning at the receiver positions, Grimes envisions the tight ends playing an even more significant role this season.
"I would like to say the tight ends get to play a larger role rather than they'll have to," Grimes said. "Sometimes, (quarterbacks coach Shawn Bell) and I kid around about it. He says, 'Well, we had to throw the ball to the tight end there.' And I say, 'No, you got to throw to the tight end. That's a reward for doing your job.'''
The Baylor tight ends definitely got the job done last season. Including Yates and linebacker Dillon Doyle filling in as fullbacks, the group combined for 46 catches for 489 yards and 10 touchdowns.
As a true freshman walk-on out of Frisco Memorial High School, Yates scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter of the Bears' 45-7 road win at Kansas. In that same game, Sims got the scoring started with a 14-yard TD reception from Gerry Bohanon.
"They called the play in the huddle, and my heart started to beat pretty fast," said Yates, who also caught four passes for 35 yards. "I just grabbed the ball from Gerry, put my head down and ran. I heard Ben talking to me, 'Yates, you scored! You scored!' And (offensive tackle) Connor Galvin's on top of me and I can't move. I feel like I'm getting squashed."
The tight end room had another big day in the 38-24 win over BYU, when Doyle came in at fullback and scored a pair of two-yard touchdowns.
During spring practice, Yates said there's always some smack talking when he blocks Doyle at his more accustomed middle linebacker position.
"I love hitting Dillon, and he loves hitting me back," Yates said.
While Sims and Dabney are the most experienced tight ends and two of the most experienced players on the offense, they both have room for improvement.
Expected to be a strong Big 12 candidate this season, the 6-4, 253-pound Sims' goal is to become a dominant blocker.
"Last year, he made improvement and was a solid blocker," Grimes said. "His goal this year is to become a dominant blocker and continue to evolve as a receiver. He's always had really natural hands, but his ability to create separation and run more definitive routes and all the things he can do in the pass game can be accentuated as well."
Sims also expects to see more passes thrown his way this season.
"I can see myself wanting to break more tackles and making tougher catches," said Sims, who's made 45 catches for 525 yards and nine TDs over the last two seasons. "Catch the ones, so to speak, you shouldn't catch. That's what I'm really focusing on."
On the flip side, the 6-5, 252-pound Dabney needs to become "better at running routes and catching passes," Grimes said.
"The two of them have kind of a ying-and-yang thing going on with them," Grimes said. "But, I'm pleased with what I'm seeing from both of them so far."
Becoming a dominant blocker tops Dabney's goals as well, but the "next thing is to get better in the passing game," he said.
"I know what I can do, but there's also stuff to get better on and playing with more speed and running more efficient routes," he said. "You have to develop the mindset that if I block, that's how I get on the field. And if I'm on the field, there's more chances the ball comes to me."
Baylor also added Kelsey Johnson from Red Oak and Cody Mladenka from Conroe College Park as mid-year enrollees, along with Mark Patton as a transfer from Tyler Junior College. Mark is the son of former Baylor defensive end Teddy Patton (1990-91), who is currently the head coach and athletic director at Kerens High School.
"The infusion of a couple new guys has helped and brought some more competition," Grimes said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what these guys can do this year."
After a day off on Wednesday, Baylor will return to the practice fields for the last time on Thursday and then wrap up the spring with the Green & Gold Game at noon Saturday at McLane Stadium. The Bears open the 2022 season with a home game against Albany on Sept. 3. The Link Lonk
April 21, 2022 at 06:01AM
https://baylorbears.com/news/2022/4/20/football-a-little-bit-of-everything
'A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING' - Baylor University Athletics - BaylorBears.com
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