By Grant Morrison | Sports Writer
Remember the 2023 Baylor Bears offense? It ranked dead last in the Big 12 in touchdowns scored (32), in the bottom two for total rushing yards (1378) and tied with BYU for the fewest points per game (23.1).
But there’s good news: we can forget all about it.
Following the offensive shortcomings, Baylor football parted ways with offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, who had held the position since 2021. Grimes’ offense, especially last year, was decidedly low-tempo— none of the fast-paced play-calling that can keep a defense on their heels.
Grimes ran a wide zone offense, using horizontal blocks from the offensive line to set up plays on the outside. Short passes behind the sticks and runs around the tackles were the foundations of Grimes’ style, but weren’t enough to put together consistency on offense.
The shortcomings of the offense cannot be entirely blamed on Grimes. A young, raw offensive line often struggled in the trenches, making it hard for the committee approach in the backfield to find success (lead back senior Dominic Richardson finished the season with only 519 yards on the ground).
Then-quarterback Blake Shapen, despite his arm talent and solid season passing numbers, always struggled with his footwork, which was only exacerbated by the constant pressure he faced in the pocket.
The offense was a poorly-oiled, often sputtering machine with a number of underperforming parts, operating in a scheme not especially conducive to the abilities of the young O-line.
One way or another, change was needed on that side of the ball, and during the offseason, the Bears launched a full overhaul. At the top, Jeff Grimes was replaced by long-time journeyman Jake Spavital, whose resume includes stops at West Virginia, Texas A&M and most recently California. Jarrett Anderson was brought in to coach tight ends, Mason Miller for the offensive line and veteran recruiter Khenon Hall to lead the running back room. Of the entire 2023 offensive staff, wide receiver coach Dallas Baker is the only returner.
Spavital’s style will contrast the Grimes era— expect an up-tempo, spread-style offense that doesn’t hesitate to take shots downfield while establishing a consistent run game. The scheme utilizes fewer tight ends in the formation, and more reliance on the wide receiver room to step up and make plays that were largely missing last year. In addition to calling the offense, Spavital will be the quarterback coach— his track record includes West Virginia’s Geno Smith and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. Hence, this area is his bread and butter.
Across the board, the team is buzzing with an energy and anticipation that hasn’t been around in a long while.
“It’s a lot more fun,” senior wide receiver Ketron Jackson Jr. said when asked about Spavital’s offense. “I feel a lot more comfortable… He’s a real players’ coach.”
The tight end room had similar praise for the new staff. Over a 25-year career at TCU and UTSA, Anderson has served as a position coach for every offensive position other than quarterback but has remained at tight end.
“[Coach Jarrett Anderson]’s not just a player’s coach, he’s a people’s coach… not just a coach but a mentor as well,” junior tight end Kelsey Johnson said. “He’s got a new, modern style of offense… We love the change so far.”
However, schematic changes and new coaches can’t turn around the program without help. X’s and O’s are only as effective as the athletes’ hunger to make the plays. The Bears can’t just up the tempo— they have to up the intensity and the ambition. Baylor hasn’t won at home against an FBS opponent since October 2022. A 3-9 record two years removed from a conference title isn’t just disappointing— it’s embarrassing. Isn’t that enough to put a chip on these players’ shoulders?
“More like a boulder,” senior tight end Gavin Yates said. “You do all that hard work so you can win football games.”
The talent on this team is very real. The coaching overhaul and personnel additions have poised the Bears’ offense to be much more explosive than in the past couple of years. The potential for greatness is there, and the Bears should come into the fall with their eyes set on bowl games and beyond.
