By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
           
Through the first six games, Baylor's 2018 freshman class has not made as big of a splash as last year when 11 true freshmen started and six others made their collegiate debuts.
           
That could change, though.
           
In Saturday's 37-34 win over Kansas State, cornerback Kalon Barnes and safety Christian Morgan made their first starts, tight end Christoph Henle got his second start, freshman tailback Craig "Sqwirl" Williams scored a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of his collegiate debut and BJ Hanspard saw his first college action when he filled in on special teams.
           
"It's just great when you see young guys step up and just be ready for their opportunity," said head coach Matt Rhule, who has had 10 true freshmen and 28 players overall make their Baylor debuts this season. "We had to start putting guys on special teams, and BJ – who's in the middle of a redshirt year, didn't even go to the team hotel last night – he's like, 'I got it.' He goes out and plays the rest of the game on special teams."
           
Rhule says the NCAA's new rule that allows players to play four games without costing them a season of eligibility is "a great rule."
           
"And No. 2, it speaks a lot to the character of those guys that they were willing to go out there and play and fight," he said.
           
Rhule kept promising the 5-8, 165-pound Williams that he was going to play him, "but I don't do it . . . ever."
           
With John Lovett already in concussion protocol, and then starting running back JaMycal Hasty being held for observation after experiencing migraines following the opening series of the game, Williams finally got the call.
           
"Coach Rhule told me I was going to play, so I got my mind ready," said Williams, who broke off a 14-yard run in the second quarter on his first attempt, then scored from 21 yards out in the fourth quarter. "When he put me in the game, I was a little nervous, I can say that. But, I let the nervousness go. Coach trusted me. He put me in the game, told me to go score, and that's what I did."
           
Williams admits that he was a "little gassed" on his first play. "It was my first time getting the ball in a college game, so I knew I had to be full speed. I got the ball and just went full speed and tried to make the defender miss."
           
With the nerves a little more in control, even with the game on the line, Williams took the hand off on an end-around run and made a nice cut inside to score and give the Bears the 34-27 lead late in the game.
           
Senior offensive consultant and former offensive line coach George DeLeone was part of the recruiting process with Williams and told Rhule, "You give him 10 carries, he's going to bust one. I gave him two, and he busted one. I was just proud of Sqwirl."
           
Asked where his unique nickname came from, the freshman from Crosby, Texas, said he was "maybe 5 or 6 years old" when his grandfather paid him $5 for catching a squirrel in a cage.
           
"When my dad found out that I had done that, he wanted me to be a little different," Williams said, "so he just changed the spelling the best way he could."
           
Recruited as a receiver out of Silsbee, Texas, Barnes switched to cornerback during fall camp. But, his snaps were limited in a rotation with returning starters Harrison Hand and Grayland Arnold, Temple transfer Derrek Thomas and sophomore Raleigh Texada.
           
Making his first start, "Boogie" broke up a pass, made a solo tackle and also flashed his track speed by nearly chasing down K-State running back Alex Barnes from all the way across the field on a long touchdown run.
           
Morgan made arguably the biggest impact among the freshman, recording four solo tackles and picking off a Skylar Thompson pass into triple coverage. That fourth-quarter pick was Baylor's third forced turnover of the game and fourth interception of the season.
 
"I give all the credit to Raleigh Texada for being there," Morgan said. "That was my guy, and he got back there and got his hand on the ball. I just happened to be in the right spot."

A mid-year enrollee last January like fellow safety JT Woods, Henle and receiver Tyquan Thornton, Morgan said "last year is not really who we are," referring to the Bears' 1-11 record.

"We're a completely different team. We play different, we act different, we carry ourselves different. Even with me coming in mid-year, I could immediately see a difference in the team and how the seniors carry us now. It's just who we are, we're a different team."

Baylor (4-2, 2-1) will play its next two games on the road against top-10 teams, facing No. 9 Texas (5-1, 3-0) at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 13, in Austin, followed by a bye week and then a Thursday night showdown against No. 6 West Virginia (5-0, 3-0) at 6 p.m. CDT Oct. 25 in Morgantown.