By Michael Haag | Sports Editor
Baylor football is still figuring out exactly what offensive line it wants to run with on a consistent basis.
While the Bears (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) still had O-line penalties and struggled to run the ball in their 32-29 win at Cincinnati on Saturday, head coach Dave Aranda said there was a lot to build off of.
Aranda made the decision to give redshirt freshman offensive lineman Coleton Price his first career start, and it came at the center position. Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Clark Barrington, who started at center to open the season, moved back to guard on Saturday.
Baylor had zero rushing attempts in the first quarter against the Bearcats and had 28 rushing yards on 10 attempts in the second. The Bears managed to finish with 80 rushing yards on the game, as Aranda said the O-line stepped up in a big way.
“It starts with Clark Barrington,” Aranda said. “Clark is a leader. Clark is way mature and a very considerate person and way mature, family dude and all that off the field. On the field, he’s way nasty and plays at the edge of edge.”
You want see some grown man strength? Watch the C Clark Barrington forearm shimmy the DT into the ground. Then he gets to the second level and seals the backer. Nice. pic.twitter.com/KyYYWxQvdD
— Travis Roeder (@Travis_Roeder) September 10, 2023
Aranda said all Barrington needed was to be moved from the center position.
“When he was in the center role, he was kind of the dad,” Aranda said. “I think the guard allows him to be the big brother. It’s way different. There’s some nastiness that came out today, which is way cool to see — we need it.”
Barrington, a BYU transfer who plays alongside his younger brother, Campbell, played in his 52nd career game on Saturday — his 47th start. After 37 straight starts capped off his time with the Cougars, Barrington notched his 44th consecutive start over the weekend.
Price, a native of Bowie, didn’t see action in 2022, as he redshirted. Aranda said Price played really well in his first start on Saturday.
“Coleton is a bit of a mudslinger, too,” Aranda said. “He plays right on the edge of all of it.”
#Baylor HC Dave Aranda on the radio:
"Two of the nastiest guys that we got are Clark [Barrington] and Coleton [Price]."
Said he was proud of Coleton Price in his first start and that moving Clark to guard was a beneficial one.
— Michael Haag (@MichaelHaag_) October 21, 2023
Aranda added that pairing Price and Barrington proved to be effective. He said they played a large role in what allowed the run game to get going in the second half.
Redshirt junior quarterback Blake Shapen has dealt with offensive line woes in weeks past. It was a factor in his MCL sprain that kept him out three weeks in September.
Shapen said Price played well and that he played a big part in keeping the pocket clean.
“His poise and confidence was awesome to see,” Shapen said. “That was his first start, really his first time playing in a game. So, just to see his poise and confidence was fun to watch. The rest of the O-line, they played a great game, too. It was really fun to watch those guys. And I felt clean most of the game.”
Price is listed as the starting center on the depth chart now, and Barrington has officially made the shift to left guard. The Barrington brothers take up the two guard spots, and Price is in the middle. Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Alvin Ebosele (left tackle) and senior offensive lineman Gavin Byers (right tackle) are out on opposite edges.
Aranda said he has faith in this unit and that Byers was the final part of the O-line to stand out from Saturday’s road win.
“He was a team captain for this game,” Aranda said. “And just his improvement. It’s just way cool to see dudes that have been on either side of it, the good and the bad, and the immaturity to the maturity and all of it. Way proud of Gavin, man. There are things throughout the last couple weeks where it’s like, Gavin is doing something and we’re like, ‘Is that Gavin?’ And it’s like ‘Yeah, that’s Gavin.’
“He’s recreated himself, and I think that’s the coolest thing. For him to be a captain this game, play well, continue to [do] that, all of that. All that maturity by him allows us to do all this other stuff inside. It gives me hope for the rest of it with just the group and how we have it.”
