By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
In a transfer portal era so often characterized by frenzied player movement, Baylor’s tight end room is a beacon of consistency.
The Bears replaced graduated senior Gavin Yates with three-star freshman Brody Wilhelm. The rest of the depth chart is back in business. That consistency is already paying dividends.
“We’ve all kind of felt that this spring,” redshirt sophomore Hawkins Polley said. “It’s me and Matt [Klopfenstein’s] first year really having the same offense going into spring ball as the previous year. So I think that’s huge for us just to be able to develop in the offense and have things that are more second nature to us.”
Leading the room is Michael Trigg, a versatile weapon in the passing game who can play in-line or out of the slot. Trigg is a matchup nightmare for opponents — too big for most defensive backs, too quick for linebackers. The former USC and Ole Miss tight end is set to play an expanded role in Baylor’s offense after a strong first season in Waco.
“When you have a guy like Michael Trigg, that’s a little bit unique [for] the tight end position,” offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said. “You guys saw him last year and the catches he’d make and how dynamic he is.”
Trigg caught 30 passes for 395 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and three touchdowns, though most of his production came in inconsistent intervals. The redshirt senior caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown against Houston; the following week, he finished with zero catches on two targets. He could play an even larger role this season.
“The room last year had such success with Trigg and Gavin [Yates] and everyone,” junior Matthew Klopfenstein said. “It was definitely a point where, ‘OK, this is something we can build from.’”
The coaching staff has held Trigg out for most of spring ball, taking “precautionary measures” after a minor injury. In his stead, Klopfenstein has taken on more of a leadership role after playing a small rotational role as a sophomore.
“Matt Klopfenstein has stepped up in that role and taken another level,” tight ends coach Jarrett Anderson said.
Kelsey Johnson unexpectedly redshirted in 2024 after being sidelined by an early-season injury. The Red Oak native played in 22 games for the Bears across his first two seasons and could see increased playing time with Yates out of eligibility.
“We decided to have surgery right after the season, try to quick-fix something that had happened probably back two years ago, kind of been bugging him,” Anderson said. “If he’s at full strength, he has [the] ability to help the room.”
Yates wore a lot of hats for the Bears: tight end, fullback, occasional short-yardage target, all-around tough guy. Now, he’s out of eligibility. Someone else will need to step up.
“I think guys already learned from that,” Anderson said. “At the same time, they’ve already learned. … [I got here] last year, and then learning from Gavin, and Gavin was having to learn the offense. And from that standpoint, I think it’s trickled up, so it’s not been a downside from that standpoint.”
Anderson isn’t looking for a single player to replace Yates. Instead, he’s looking for several players to fill part of his role.
“Well, I’m not grooming a guy to have a metal jacket on his arm,” Anderson said, laughing. “I’m hoping I can keep all that body armor off ‘em. And I think all the guys that we have now have the combination to do all the things, whether it’s route running, whether it’s in the backfield blocking, whether it’s on the perimeter blocking. I think they all have the ability to do that.”
The Bears will practice again on Thursday as they work their way toward the end of spring practice marked by the Baylor Blitz on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
