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Bears opening spring practice, looking to build on 7-6 season

Rhule: "I think the bowl game practices have set us so much further ahead."

WACO, Texas — In seven-and-a-half months, the Baylor Bears will kick off the 2019 season.

But first, the squad will have 15 spring practices to develop players, instead of strictly teaching, for the first time since Matt Rhule arrived at Baylor in December 2016.

"We're just asking our players to get one percent better," Rhule said. "I know that sounds philosophically easy, but we're just asking each guy to kind of build their game a little bit."

The Bears had 15 seniors graduate from a team which overcame adversity, needing to win a winner-take-all season finale to make a bowl game.

Baylor did.

Then, the Bears won the Texas Bowl.

"I'm not really worried about scheme," Rhule said. "I'm not really worried about the depth chart. I'm really more worried about developing each player, trying to find one of two things to work on with each player to take them to the next level."

Baylor has the 34th-ranked recruiting class for the Class of 2019, according to ESPN, coming in fourth in the Big 12 Conference.

That class is headlined with Jacob Zeno, the ESPN 300 QB from John Jay High School in San Antonio.

Zeno will likely work behind Charlie Brewer, who is a junior, during the spring and season.

Additionally, Gerry Bohanon is coming off of his redshirt year.

Rhule described this year's approach in his pre-spring press conference as "an intense spring ball over four weeks," rather than the normal five.

"I think we're at the point, now, where we're able to say we're, across the board, strong enough on the offensive and defensive lines," Rhule said.

That allows offensive line coach Shawn Bell, whom Rhule said is a future coordinator and head coach, to work on the performance up front. In 2018, the Bears ranked last in sacks against, allowing an average of 3.0 per game. TCU led that category, allowing just 1.23 sacks per game.

"We've always been very fast," Rhule said. "But we have the size, the strength, the brawn to go along with the speed that our team has."

On the defensive line, Baylor has to replace three seniors in Ira Lewis, Greg Roberts and Xavier Jones from a unit that totaled 25 sacks for 191 yards lost in 2018.

Rhule said he's turning toward the Bears' younger talent to do so. Guys like Temple's TJ Franklin and Rob Saulin have a chance to show what they can do in spring ball, Rhule said. 

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Health Alert

Sophomore defensive tackle Cole Maxwell is still out, recovering from a knee injury suffered during the 2018 season. The same is true for sophomore wide receiver Gavin Holmes.

Junior defensive end Deonte Williams remains out following an injury he suffered at Texas.

Grayland Arnold, a junior cornerback, is out for the spring, recovering from a second shoulder surgery.

Junior linebackers Jalen Pitre and Jake Copeland and sophomore safety Christian Morgan also have had shoulder surgeries.

Junior running back John Lovett is out until middle-to-late spring, as he nurses a groin injury.

Senior defensive tackle Bravvion Roy is out for the spring following a knee surgery Rhule said was needed for his long-term health. 

In addition, Rhule said fifth-year seniors "won't do a ton."

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As far as expectations go, how does a coach evolve his program after his team went 1-11 the first year, then 7-6 the next?

"I want to make another jump from last year," Rhule said. "It's just a much harder jump to make from good to great, than from bad to good."

The Bears have 15 practices and a spring game to figure that out.

The Green & Gold Game is scheduled for April 13 at noon.

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