By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
It’s a new day for Baylor football. With the Reliable Violent Offense of Jeff Grimes out and new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital’s spread scheme in, the Bears are on the hunt for a replacement for two-year starter Blake Shapen, who entered the transfer portal Monday.
Spavital told reporters Monday that conversations are still happening with Shapen regarding a return, but offers have already gone out to several other slingers across the country since Shapen appears set to leave.
With 92 of 95 transfer quarterbacks still uncommitted as of Tuesday afternoon, there are plenty of options left on the board. Shapen appears to be Plan A, but the Bears are reportedly already in contact with at least four others: Taylen Green (Boise State), MJ Morris (North Carolina State), Jase Bauer (Central Michigan) and Matthew Sluka (Holy Cross). Chandler Rogers (North Texas) is a dark horse as well, as he’s back in the portal after receiving Baylor interest last season.
Taylen Green | Boise State | Two years of eligibility
Green is an athletic freak. The 6-foot-6-inch, 221-pound Lewisville native was a two-sport star in high school, setting the school record in the long jump while starting as quarterback alongside current Baylor redshirt freshman wideout Armani Winfield. Green capped off an incredible career with 4,880 yards passing, 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions to go with 1,104 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground in two seasons as a starter in Class 6A.
He kept that success going at the next level, earning College Football News Freshman All-American Second Team honors and the Frisco Bowl MVP award after amassing 2,630 total yards and 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions as a redshirt freshman. But after entering 2023 as the undisputed starter, he wound up platooning with redshirt freshman Maddux Madsen for much of the season.
Green would assuredly bring a new, dynamic element to Spavital’s open-air offense. Even while spending much of the season in a quarterback battle, he rushed for more than twice as many yards as Shapen has in his career.
“Green is maybe one of the most dynamic runners that we’ve seen in a long time, so you’ve got to have that aspect defensively in check, or try to,” Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said of Green in November, per the Deseret News. “Even when you’ve got a guy for him, he’s able to outrun him or outmaneuver him, a lot of times anyway. We saw how badly he can hurt you at the end of the game last year. So it’s a challenge.”
MJ Morris | North Carolina State | Three years of eligibility
Morris redshirted this season but still made four starts in relief of an injured Brennan Armstrong. He completed 55.8% of his passes for 719 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. The Wolfpack went 3-1 in those games, with wins over then-undefeated Marshall, No. 25 Clemson and No. 25 Miami. His sole loss came against No. 17 Duke.
Morris was heralded as a high school prospect coming out of Carrollton, Ga., earning offers from Alabama, Michigan and Oregon before settling on the Wolfpack. Morris appeared in five games as a true freshman in 2022, including becoming the first true freshman to start for the Wolfpack since Philip Rivers.
That season, he totaled 736 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception. He played significant snaps in three games, beating Virginia Tech and No. 20 Wake Forest and losing to Boston College. Morris has a high ceiling as a passer, but it’s worth noting that NC State head coach Dave Doeren brought Armstrong in from the portal to start over him. For someone with a half season of starts under his belt, Morris still feels like a bit of a mystery box.
Jase Bauer | Central Michigan | Two years of eligibility
Bauer is an outside-the-box pick, having started just one season for Central Michigan. He struggled as a redshirt freshman, completing 59.3% of his passes for 435 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions. He also rushed for 312 yards and four scores in six games (one start).
After a big offseason, Bauer won the starting job in 2023 and led the Chippewas to a 5-7 season. He completed 56.8% of his passes for 1,881 yards (6.6 per attempt), 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 365 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Central Michigan was Bauer’s only FBS offer coming out of high school in Ankeny, Iowa, and he has clearly made strides forward since then. His 10 rushing touchdowns were tied for eighth-most among all quarterbacks. But given his passing performance at Central Michigan, it seems like a stretch to assume he could take the reins of a power conference program right now.
Matthew Sluka | Holy Cross | One year of eligibility
Holy Cross consistently ranks among the better FCS teams in the country, and Sluka — one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country at any level — is a big reason why.
In his collegiate career, the three-year starter has thrown for 5,916 yards, 59 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 58.4% completion. He’s also rushed for 3,583 yards and 38 touchdowns on nearly six yards per attempt.
Those marks are simply unmatchable, and they aren’t just empty numbers. He’s helped the Crusaders punch above their pay grade, knocking off FBS programs Connecticut and Buffalo and playing within a field goal of Boston College and Army.
Sluka would be the unquestioned starter at Baylor, and given his success against higher-level competition, his adjustment to the FBS level would likely be quicker than it would be for most. How he would respond to the grind of a full power conference schedule remains a question mark.
Chandler Rogers | North Texas | One year of eligibility
Baylor targeted Rogers last year coming out of Louisiana-Monroe — as did Spavital, then at Cal — before ultimately settling on redshirt sophomore quarterback Sawyer Robertson. Rogers went to North Texas and had a breakout season, completing 62.2% of his passes for 3,382 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 180 yards and four touchdowns.
Rogers is a natural passer with surprising speed, and his accuracy and decision-making ability would fit perfectly in Spavital’s offense. The Mansfield native and Blinn College product has everything the Bears are looking for.
“There is a calmness to Chandler,” North Texas head coach Eric Morris said ahead of Rogers’ first start, per the Denton Record-Chronicle. “You can tell he’s played a lot of football. He wasn’t rattled or bothered and was extremely efficient.”
