By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

Like a trapeze artist, Baylor football coach Art Briles has to keep from putting too much pressure on his players but expecting to win "every time we step on the field."

"The expectations are extremely high, and that's a good thing," said Briles, who released a post-spring depth chart over the weekend after the Bears finished up their 15-practice spring drills last Thursday.

"That's kind of where you want to get as a program, and we're finally there as a program, to where every time we step on the field we expect to win and other people expect us to win. There's a lot of responsibility with that for our players and our coaches and our fan base. And at the same time, we've got to make sure we give our guys enough freedom to where they can play loosely and not play with any undue pressure on them. That's kind of the fine line you have to walk."

Part of the process this spring was breaking in a new starter at quarterback. Fourth-year junior Seth Russell is replacing Bryce Petty, a potential first- or second-round NFL Draft pick after leading the Bears to back-to-back Big 12 championships and throwing for over 8,000 yards.

Throughout the spring and three scrimmages, Briles kept saying that Russell was "just OK, not great." But the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Russell was listed as the starter on a depth chart that has sophomore Chris Johnson and early-enrollee freshman Jarrett Stidham as the co-backups.

"We're just learning how to work with him, that's the main thing," Briles said. "You've got to have a little experience and history to have predictable outcomes. We're just trying to figure out how he adjusts to certain things and how he needs to be coached and how he recognizes and transfers what he sees on the field through his mechanics and his rhythm and everything. To me, it's more about learning about the person than it is about the person."

Briles said he wasn't sure if Russell had actually separated himself from the other two, but "he hasn't done anything to show that he's not capable of doing the job."

"He's a guy that's been here for four springs and has done a good job when he's had a chance to do it on the football field for us in game situations," Briles said. "And we'll see how it all transpires. We have a lot of confidence in him."

Russell, who has three brothers that compete all the time, said he has enjoyed being pushed this spring by Johnson and Stidham.

"It pushes me, it makes me work that much harder because I know they're coming. They're on the back door," he said.

While Russell has already thrown for over 1,200 yards in a backup role, and even started last year's game at Northwestern State when Petty was out with a back injury, Briles has said there is a big difference between being a sixth man and being a starter.

"It's just consistency. Predictable outcomes is what coach always talks about," Russell said. "When you're getting in there as a sixth man, it's kind of scrub minutes, and you're just trying to do whatever you can to move the ball down the field and make the clock run out."

An ongoing process through the spring was also developing chemistry with a loaded crew of receivers. Corey Coleman and KD Cannon return as 1,000-yard receivers, but the Bears also have great depth with Jay Lee, Lynx Hawthorne, Davion Hall, Quan Jones and redshirt freshmen Ishmael Zamora and Chris Platt.

"Every day, we're getting better," Russell said. "I'm learning what their weaknesses are and they're learning what my weaknesses are. Being able to watch film and see where they're going to run their route, that's what it's all about. . . . You can't complain about the talent we have out here."

Russell said Lee, who has 63 career catches, had a "phenomenal" spring.

"He's been consistent, he's strong, he's an older guy and he knows the system," Russell said. "Everybody has a chance to step up and make a difference this season."

The offensive line returns intact with Pat Colbert and All-American Spencer Drango at the tackles, Blake Muir and Jarell Broxton at the guards and Kyle Fuller at center. Former starter Desmine Hilliard gives them a solid swing player at guard, but the depth is largely unproven with transfers Rami Hammad (Texas) and Ishmael Wilson (Texas A&M) listed as the backups on the right side and redshirt freshman Blake Blackmar backing up Fuller at center.

"We feel like we're six pretty strong right there with Desmine," Briles said. "Blake will probably have to be the backup center right now, that's what it's looking like, and then Rami's had a pretty good spring. That's probably our top seven or eight linemen."

Also of note on the offensive side is listing Tre'Von Armstead and 6-7, 410-pound LaQuan McGowan as the co-starters at tight end.

"When (McGowan is) on the field, it's hard to really focus on what I've got to do," said junior receiver Lynx Hawthorne, who's listed as the starting inside receiver opposite Cannon, "because I want to watch him. I don't know what kind of safeties there are in the Big 12, but they better watch out, because he's not looking to make moves. As you can tell, he's going for kill shots."

On the defensive side, sophomore Brian Nance made a move this spring and is part of a rotation at end that includes Shawn Oakman, Jamal Palmer and K.J. Smith. At the inside spots, redshirt freshmen Ira Lewis and Andrew Morris are both listed as backups behind Andrew Billings and Beau Blackshear.

Aiavion Edwards is listed as a co-starter at weakside linebacker with returning Freshman All-American Taylor Young, but he can also swing and play the middle spot manned by Grant Campbell and Raaquan Davis.

"We could plug (Edwards) in anywhere - (middle, weakside), even Bear - and he would still feel comfortable," Young said.

Young was one of the players that Briles singled out, saying, "We knew he would be extremely good, but he's had an outstanding spring. Taylor Young has been really dynamic."

At the Bear or nickel back spot where Collin Brence started last season, sophomore Travon Blanchard has the edge on junior Patrick Levels coming out of the spring.

The secondary returns all four starters with Xavien Howard and Ryan Reid at the corners, Orion Stewart at deep safety and Terrell Burt in his third year at cover safety. But defensive coordinator Phil Bennett likes what he's seen from former JC transfer Tion Wright at corner and Taion Sells and Chance Waz at the safeties.

"I'm much more comfortable with (Wright), and then the safeties are so much better than they were last year," Bennett said.

Baylor will go through offseason conditioning this summer and open fall camp in August for the Sept. 4 season opener at SMU.

"The keys early in the year are to be dominating defensively, especially up front," Briles said. "And then the offensive line has to be dominant. That's where we have to start."