HIGH EXPECTATIONS

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            As then-freshman tight end Kelsey Johnson found out last year, having Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes as your position coach can be a blessing and terribly demanding at the same time.

            Johnson scored on a two-yard touchdown run and a 12-yard catch in the Bears' 29-28 loss to eventual national runner-up TCU, flashing the kind of versatility Grimes likes to have at the tight end position.

            But at the same time, "expectations are higher on us than anyone," Johnson said.

            "What he says is, if the tight ends can't get it right and are making a lot of mistakes, how is the rest of the offense going to do?" Johnson said. "He wants us to lead the offense in everything we do. He's harder on us than anybody, I feel like."

            Grimes' use of the tight ends is what attracted Jake Roberts to transfer from North Texas. The 6-4, 250-pound junior from Norman, Okla., made 28 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns last season and made 22 starts in three seasons for the Mean Green.

            "100%, (that was a big reason)," Roberts said. "The offense that Coach Grimes runs, (it) obviously features the tight ends a lot. And in my recruitment, that was a big thing. . . . Especially with the room that he's built and the group of guys that we have, it's going to allow us to put a lot more tight ends out there. And I think we're going to be able to do a lot of good stuff with our group."

            An undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings, Ben Sims started 11 games at tight end last year and was the Bears' third-leading receiver with 31 catches for 255 yards and three touchdowns. But with Grimes utilizing two and sometimes three tight ends, depending on the formation, Johnson and Drake Dabney had nine starts between them.

            Dabney, the lone senior, had 16 catches for 173 yards through the first eight games before suffering a broken fibula in the 45-17 win at Texas Tech on Oct. 29.

            "We're going to be in many different personnels, a lot of 12 and 13 personnel, where there are three of us on the field," said the 6-5, 248-pound Dabney. "So, we're going to be required to do a lot. And I think this room definitely has what it takes to be able to go out there and do whatever we need to do, whether it's run block, pass block, or go out there and make the catches we need to. We'll definitely have a huge impact on this offense."

            Cleared in the spring after recovering from the injury, Dabney said he "feels great" and hasn't had any issues with his leg.

            "I think it's just about me going out there, playing as fast as I can, not worrying about what happened in the past and not feeling timid," he said. "I'm glad I'm able to be back at 100%."

            Dabney is the "old man" in a group that includes five underclassmen. Gavin Yates and Mark Patton join Roberts as juniors, while the freshman class includes Hawkins Polley, Matthew Klopfenstein, Jonathan Steinhauer and Cody Mladenka.

            "It's a blessing to be able to have a leadership role and kind of help some young guys out," Dabney said. "I don't feel that old, but then I'm like, 'Golly, this is my fourth year here.'''

            With a year under his belt, Johnson said he shouldn't be as nervous as he was last year.

            "I was confident in my abilities, but I was nervous. I was thrown out there in the water and performed at a high level," he said. "Now, I feel way more confident. I know how to navigate through fall camp, film, practice. I know how the system works now. I feel like I'm more comfortable going into the season."

            Being able to go through the spring was "huge" for Roberts in the transition to a new team and new offensive system.

            "I think it was really paramount in just my development in the offense," he said. "Without that, learning it on the fly this quickly would be really tough before the season. And just getting reps in the spring with our coaches and our guys and just building that cohesion has been really good, and we've been able to carry it over in the fall."

            After getting in three practice days last week and taking Sunday off, the Bears will resume fall camp with a workout Monday afternoon. The Bears open the season on Sept. 2, hosting Texas State at 6 p.m. at McLane Stadium. Season and single-game ticket options are available at Football 2023.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Players Mentioned

Drake Dabney

Kelsey Johnson

Matthew Klopfenstein

Cody Mladenka

Mark Patton

Hawkins Polley

Jake Roberts

Ben Sims

Jonathan Steinhauer

Gavin Yates

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