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supercentex
06-21-2006, 12:20 PM
Corsicana linebacker picks Bears


Wednesday, June 21, 2006

By Chad Conine

Tribune-Herald staff writer

It’s an easy drive from Corsicana to Waco — less than an hour — and it’s starting to feel right for some Corsicana Tiger football players.

Corsicana linebacker Chris Sanders committed to Baylor Tuesday, boosting the Bears’ 2007 recruiting class to seven with almost eight months remaining until signing day.

Sanders said he, his classmate and fellow prospect Courtney Green and Baylor incoming freshman running back Jay Finley and plan to attend a mini camp for high school players at Baylor beginning Friday.

Baylor is recruiting Corsicana Green, an offensive lineman, and wide receiver/cornerback Greg Stewart.

“It’s a situation that makes a lot of sense because Corsicana is so close,” said Corsicana coach Dave Henigan, who confirmed Sanders’ commitment. “They can get out of this town, but they can be close to home. It’s a good university and it’s playing in the Big 12 for a program that is on the rise in my opinion.”

Sanders said he, Finley and Green could be a package deal, though he will let Green make his own choice.

“We all want to stay together because we’ve been together since we were young,” Sanders said.

A 6-0, 200 linebacker with a 40-yard dash time of 4.6 seconds, Sanders isn’t rated on Rivals.com’s national ratings. He made 120 tackles in 12 games in the 2005 season and has intangible abilities, Henigan said, that aren’t accounted for in the ratings.

“He gets side to side and makes a lot of plays,” Henigan said. “He has a physical nature and plays pretty well in space. But the main thing is he’s always around the football.”

Henigan said he likes his players to commit before the season in order to avoid distractions during the campaign. He said Green, in particular, has a lot of offers to sort through to fend off potential hassling come fall.

“In the fall there’s less restrictions,” Henigan said. “It becomes a nonstop battle for those kids and distracts them from our season and their grades.”

Concentrating on academics could be important for Sanders and his Corsicana teammates. Henigan said all three players “have some work to do” to qualify.

“I feel like these three guys will make it,” Henigan said. “They just need to buckle down in their senior years.”

Sanders joins six other 2007 Baylor commitments all from Texas, including receivers Romie Blaylock of Cedar Hill and Krys Buerck of Mesquite, athlete Stacy Williams of Houston, offensive linemen Lonnie Edwards of Brownswboro and Hunter Hightower of Richardson, and defensive tackle Rex McDougald of Iola.

supercentex
06-21-2006, 01:15 PM
Verbal Commitments 2007: Baylor pulls in two LB pledges (w/video)



Francis is the second player from Cedar Hill to commit to Baylor.
06/21/2006
Baylor used a tie to its past, as well as to recent history, to secure two verbal pledges from Texas Top 300 linebackers.

Committing to Baylor is Cedar Hill LB Chris Francis, son of former Baylor defensive standout Robert Francis. He's joined by Corsicana LB Chris Sanders, who follows the path of RB Jay Finley, who signed with Baylor in February.

supercentex
06-22-2006, 10:29 AM
Another Francis picks BU


Thursday, June 22, 2006

By Jerry Hill

Tribune-Herald assistant sports editor

A year after losing one of James Francis’ sons to the University of Houston, Baylor has another one on the way.

Cedar Hill linebacker Chris Francis (5-11, 215), rated the 92nd-best recruit in Texas by scout.com, gave the Bears their second commitment in as many days and their eighth overall for the 2007 recruiting class.

“I just feel like it’s the best place for me,” said the younger Francis, whose dad earned All-America honors as a linebacker at Baylor in 1989. “(My dad) just told me that it was my decision to make. He didn’t really force me to go to Baylor or anything.”

James Francis Jr., Chris’ half-brother, originally signed with Baylor and made four special team tackles in 2004 before transferring to Houston at the end of the 2005 spring semester. After redshirting, James Jr. will be a third-year sophomore for the Cougars.

Chris, who picked the Bears over offers from TCU, Colorado, Missouri and Houston, joins a Cedar Hill pipeline that started with wide receiver Romie Blaylock. And it might be just beginning.

Highly recruited offensive lineman John Jones is “close to committing to Baylor,” and defensive back Anthony Blue “still has Baylor on top,” Chris Francis said.

“We’ve all talked about it a little bit,” Chris said. While Jones is expected to be at Baylor’s mini-camp Friday night with a list of recruits that includes offensive linemen Lonnie Edwards from Brownsboro and Courtney Green of Corsicana, the younger Francis said he plans to make an unofficial visit this weekend and take a look at the campus.

As a junior, Chris was a first-team all-district pick who had 126 tackles with four sacks and three pass deflections.

Concerning the pressure of following in his father’s footsteps, Chris said: “I’m just going to go out there and play and do what I can do.”

James Francis Sr. was an all-American and Butkus Award finalist with the Bears in ‘89. He played10 years in the NFL after being taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 12th pick overall in 1990.

Chris’ uncle, Ron Francis, was a two-time all-SWC defensive back for Baylor in the 1980s who played four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.

Baylor’s projected 2007 class now includes five top 100 recruits — Francis, Blaylock, Edwards, linebacker Chris Sanders of Corsicana and defensive tackle Rex McDougald of Iola. The Bears also have commitments from Mesquite wide receiver Krys Buerck, Richardson Pearce offensive lineman Hunter Hightower and Houston Yates athlete Stacy Williams.

supercentex
06-22-2006, 04:21 PM
From collegefootballnews....


Quote:
Matthew Zemek
Q: What three teams will surprise the nation and do very well and which three teams will disappoint and falter this year?

A: Surprises: Arizona State, Baylor, Arkansas

Baylor could make a bowl game. The potential is there, and I don't think too many people would disagree on that count in a very even (read: watered-down) Big XII. But seeing the words "Baylor" and "bowl" in the same sentence would be a surprise in a larger historical context.




Quote:
Also..
Disappointments: USC, LSU, Oklahoma
Oklahoma? Rhett Bomar. He made noticeable improvements in the final leg of the 2005 season, but it's easier to play well when the pressure isn't as high, and OU wasn't playing for any kind of hardware in November of last year, a rarity in Norman.




Quote:
Three teams who could nosedive this season
2. Texas A&M – I love what Stephen McGee brings to this team, but the defense still has me concerned. That and the three games to finish the season – Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas. Ouch. I’m not convinced that the offensive line is that good, either, but they’ll believe in McGee – he just has to stay healthy.