Baylor Defense Poised to Continue Dominance From 2021
It's no secret the Baylor Bears were carried by their defense in 2021, culminating in a goal-line stand in the Big 12 Championship Game and a relentless performance against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2022, they're looking for more of the same.
While the Bears lose All-American safety Jalen Pitre and All-Big 12 linebacker Terrel Bernard, they do bring back experience at all three levels, including preseason All-Big 12 selections Siaki Ika on the defensive line and Dillon Doyle at linebacker.
One player who came on strong at the end of 2021 was defensive lineman Brayden Utley, who tallied two sacks and an interception in the final four games of the season. Utley likes the experience the Bears bring back on defense, along with the talent.
"I know we lost some guys and they are doing some great things at the next level and that's awesome," Utley said. "But I think the guys that are coming back...have really taken that next step has really allowed the defense to be close to the [2021] level."
Utley joins Ika and Tulsa transfer Jaxon Player on a vaunted defensive line that is sure to be the Bears' strongest unit. Player, a Waco native, adds a wealth of experience and talent to a line that racked up 10 sacks in the Sugar Bowl last year, as he rolled over the AAC with 14 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2021.
"I think we have had a good start to camp in terms of pass rush," Utley said. "It's only going to get better the more we are working and the more we are grinding together."
In the second level, the Bears have high hopes for junior Will Williams and LSU transfer Josh White, whom Dave Aranda recruited out of Cy Creek (Cypress) when White was one of the top defensive players in Texas.
The unit is led by returning starters Doyle and Matt Jones, who could take a bigger role this season after breaking out in 2021. It is that experience that will ensure continuity from such a successful season last year.
"The more experience we have, the faster we have been able to play," Utley said. "That just keeps getting faster and faster as the years have gone on and as the days go by."
While there are some question marks in the defensive backfield, the Bears are still poised to have one of the best defenses in the Big 12, one of the big reasons why they are picked to win the conference.
Even with a preseason top-10 ranking, these Bears are trying to block out the noise.
"We honestly don't pay any attention to it," Utley said about the ranking. "Even during the season, we don't really pay attention to it either because it's really all about us playing our game and us playing to the best of our ability rather than what the outside says."
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Covering Baylor for Inside The Bears and the Locked on Baylor podcast. You can follow me for more Baylor content at @realcamstuart on Twitter. Originally from Rockland, Massachusetts and a Baylor alum, so I might mix the occasional bias and/or Boston sports tweet in there every once in a while.