Did Anything Change in Frisco? Texas Tech is Favored, BYU Maybe Closer, OSU is Popular
FRISCO, Texas – In the old days, which I can talk about since I am 66 years old, you actually visited campuses and watched a practice. You not only interviewed head coaches and players on the old “Skywriter’s Tours” but you also had a meal with the head coach, coaching, staff, athletic director and other administrators. With eight-to-nine hours of exposure as opposed to 30 minutes at most, much more is likely to be revealed.
Let’s start with Oklahoma State. None of the Cowboys party had ever been to a media days except coach Eric Morris. He made it clear quickly that the American Conference media days is not anywhere close to the Big 12.
“Yes, this is just a little different than what I’ve seen before,” Morris said. “It’s a little different what they do at the Power Four level like here in the Big 12.”
The most encouraging aspect of that was two of the prime North Texas transfers, quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins, were comfortable in their own skin. I brought it up and the moment was not too big for them. They had been through the room-to-room carwash underneath with the networks, the photo shoots, and some of the goofy excursions that are asked of them in the name of entertainment. They were cool. They were also popular and the media seems to want them to do well.
“This is my first media day right here,” Mestemaker said. “It’s been good. They’ve all been nice to me, we’ve done the photos in uniforms, interviews, all of that and it’s been good so far.”
“It’s been great, we’ve had a good time so far,” Hawkins said.
“I always tell people that confidence is the most dangerous drug in sports,” Morris said. “Those are two guys that ooze confidence everyday since the day that I met them. To perform the way that they have at such a young age and the stages they’ve been in. It is going to be a bigger stage this year and they are not unknown. There will be some targets on their back and as competitors that they both are, the play rises as do the stakes.”
At no point in the time in the practices and situations has the media had a window to view Mestemaker or Hawkins.
My mind has not changed on how I see the Big 12. I still favor Texas Tech regardless of the quarterback . They have guys who can play and they have all the pieces because they have the money to buy those pieces.
BYU is not short on pieces either and thanks to donors like Crumbl Cookies co-founder Jason McGowan, they have plenty of funding to get who they want. One of the key pieces is quarterback Bear Bachmeier and he has a stout supporting cast including running back LJ Martin. The Cougars are stacked on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
“I’m honored that I get to work with amazing young men that have great work ethic and complacency is not in their vocabulary,” coach Kalani Sitake said. “We know that last year was some really cool things, some awesome success, but at the same time, we know what we can do better, we can improve.” I'm looking at the opportunities to just find a way as a head coach to get these guys to play their best twelve times.”
The Cougars locker room is a huge mutual admiration society.
“Bear is exactly how you’d expect listening to his interivews,” All-Big 12 center Bruce Mitchell said. “I love him to death. There is nobody that I would rather have back there behind me to protect. He is a tough kid. He takes some shots and it doesn’t even phase him. I love having Bear back there, he is fun having in the huddle.”
“I’m pretty secure back there,” Bachmeier said. “They’re furious and furocious upfront and really intelligent. They don’t get near the credit they deserve. I love Bruce (Mitchell) at the helm and he has taught a lot of those guys.”
Now, one school that I did not pick high is Baylor. I have the Bears in a three-way tie for 10th with TCU and UCF. I select every game and did so over a week ago. I’m not changing as that would have a huge “puddle-type” impact. I’m not sure I’m that certain of change. I am certain that new quarterback DJ Lagway from Florida, but a native and a high school star at Willis, Texas is having a homecoming and he will play well for the Bears.
“He communicated prior to his visit, and then for sure on his visit to Baylor, it felt to me like kind of straightjacketed, kind of tight, kind of closed up, and felt like he wanted to be free,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. He is unique. “I feel like he felt Baylor is a place that he could play free and really kind of be free. I'm all about that, man.”
As strange as that sounds and this may sound, I agree with Aranda. In my conversation with Lagway, a one-on-one early in the day he seemed like he’s happier.
“That picture, you talked about, Coach Aranda and I sitting at the basketball game on my official visit. He was talking about his goals and visions for the team and mine were actually the same,” Lagway said. “I’m excited and we’ve been chopping along and staying together on that. I’m excited for it.”
Get ready, and Oklahoma State doesn’t have to worry because they don’t play Baylor. Happy quarterbacks usually play well and I believe the talanted Lagway is a happy Baylor Bear.
