Now in his fifth year at Baylor, wide receiver Jay Lee has played alongside some of the best receivers in program history.

Lee watched Kendall Wright from the sidelines as he redshirted in 2011, then played alongside Terrance Williams in 2012, Tevin Reese in 2013, Antwan Goodley in 2014 and now Corey Coleman in 2015. Each time one graduated, another stepped up ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢' ¬" all the while, leaving Lee just a little bit in the shadows.

But if you believe that bothers him, think again.

"It doesn't matter that much. I kind of embrace the role of being the underrated person, because people don't know what I can do," he says. "When we get out there on the field, I just have to prove it, and I've done that."

Besides, he laughs, "if you're going to keep doubling K.D. [Cannon] and Corey, then there are other receivers out there who are gonna get their time, too."

So far this season, Lee seems to be benefitting most from opposing defenses' divided attentions. Through Baylor's first five games, he ranked second on the team to Coleman in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

And that's just the kind of production Art Briles expected when he recruited Lee out of Allen High School in North Texas.

"We're deep at receiver, and we weren't going to take a guy unless we really thought he could contribute," Briles said on signing day. "But with [Lee], we certainly feel like he can do that. He just fits what we're looking for. He's big, he's rangy, he's fast and he has a lot of desire."

A consensus top-100 recruit in Texas and one of the nation's top-50 prospects at receiver, Lee still had to sit out his first season at Baylor while he adjusted to the collegiate game. Then as a redshirt freshman in 2012, a knee injury caused him to miss the first four games, and even when he returned, he saw limited time due to Baylor's depth at the position.

"The waiting game was bad," he remembers. "I hated waiting. Everyone wants to come in and start playing right away. But it helped me in the long run. I got to get faster and stronger, working with the strength staff, and then learn the playbook."

And so Lee bided his time. As a sophomore, he played in every game, finishing sixth on the team in receptions and yards. As a junior, he moved up to fourth in both categories. Now as a senior, he's found a spot as the team's dependable No. 2 receiver, whether that's going long (like his 87-yard catch against Texas Tech, the team's longest play from scrimmage this year) or cutting across the middle to pick up a first down.

"I see myself as a third-down player," he says. "I like to get us out of the funk and bring us back to life."

As the only senior among the Bears' deep corps of receivers, Lee also sees another role for himself on this squad.

"[My role is] just being a leader. I let my play speak for itself; I don't try to do the most, but I try to do what I can for the team."

That said, he's not afraid to talk a little when it seems necessary.

"Ever since I was a freshman, I've kinda been the talker of the bunch. I don't like to yell a lot, because I don't like getting yelled at. I just kind of keep calm and talk to [my teammates], try to get their spirits back up. 'Move on to the next play, you're always gonna get your chances,' stuff like that. They really take it better from that perspective than being yelled at."

In December, Lee will graduate with a degree in health and human performance. He's also taking communications classes with an eye on a career after football, whenever that may be.

For now, "I want to pursue my dreams and go into the NFL, so I'll be training most of the time [next spring]," he says. "But you always have to have a fallback plan, so I'm looking to be a sports broadcaster or something. I hope you see me on TV."

Whether on the field or in the booth, it's likely we will.