By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
When Baylor football redshirt freshman outside linebacker Kyler Jordan first stepped foot on campus in 2022, he knew he wasn’t quite ready for the speed of the college game.
Coming from Lubbock-Cooper High School, Jordan played just about everywhere on the defense. He moved from inside and outside linebacker to even playing some 3 Technique on the defensive line.
It all came so naturally for the Two-time District 3-5A Division II Defensive MVP, but arriving at Baylor became a wake up call for Jordan. Although never doubting his ability, he decided to redshirt the 2022 season before getting up to speed with the Jack linebackers around him.
“It’s just such a different game than what you play in high school,” Jordan said. “The speed, the strength, everything. Everything happens faster. It was a big transition, but I’m definitely starting to feel more comfortable with it.”
Jordan now has that 2022 offseason to reflect on as he continues the 2023 spring with the team. And while he did redshirt last season, the Lubbock native appeared in three contests, recording a tackle in the season opener against the University of Albany.
In his senior season at LCHS, Jordan tallied 94 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery. He truly logged snaps all over the turf, and Baylor outside linebackers coach Caleb Collins said that’s part of what makes Jordan “a football guy.”
Ironically, Jordan’s primary sport was on the baseball diamond, not the gridiron. He was named Texas High School Baseball Association First-Team All-State at first base in 2022 and batted .431. He also collected 59 hits, eight doubles, eight triples and seven home runs that season.
Being so good at a spring sport like baseball, Jordan would just make that transition from football, a fall sport, to baseball, that way he could participate in both. That’s been eye-opening for Collins and the rest of the coaching staff’s eyes, though, since Jordan has never benefited from offseason football training.
Collins said that hinders Jordan’s physical ability, but his work ethic makes up for it.
“I was watching his offseason, I’m like, ‘OK, he may not be as strong as some of the other Jacks, but he’s able to make plays out there, because Kyler’s going to go home, he’s going to watch the tape, he’s going to study his playbook,’” Collins said. “That way his thinking is to a minimum when he’s on the field. He’s just playing green and I think that’s what kind of puts him in a position to have success.”
Junior outside linebacker Tony Anyanwu said Jordan has put that on display throughout this spring.
“His physicality, his coachability [makes him special],” Anyanwu said. “He learns real quick, he’s real smart. You have to watch out for him.”
Jordan now returns to a room that brings back limited snaps. Redshirt senior outside linebacker Garmon Randolph will lead the pack, and Collins said Anyanwu has stepped up as a leader with Randolph injured right now.
The 6-2, 225-pound Jordan could feasibly fill in right behind those guys on the depth chart. Jordan said he mostly feels like he’s “coming around” at the Jack position.
“It’s such a different game than it was in high school, so the stuff that you could get away with in high school, you can’t get away with here,” Jordan said. “It’s really just more of a speed adjustment for me than anything.”
One of the prominent Jacks from last year’s group was seventh-year senior safety Bryson Jackson, who has since made a position change. Jackson’s void gives Jordan an opportunity to see the field more, but Jordan said he can still always lean on Jackson for advice moving forward.
“He’s just always been instilling wisdom in me since day one,” Jordan said. “Between him and Dillon Doyle, just two great guys to look after and they do everything right. You’re never going to catch them slipping or doing anything that’s not protecting the team. Really just having a guy that you know is always going to show up; he’s always going to bring his energy, so just do whatever I can to match it.”
Jordan and the Bears have two more spring practices on Tuesday and Thursday before they take the field for Baylor’s annual Green & Gold Game. The scrimmage is set for noon Saturday at McLane Stadium and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
