After a turbulent first season on campus, head coach Dave Aranda is preparing for Year 2.
Baylor’s 2021 recruiting class is ranked by 247Sports as No. 5 in the Big 12 and No. 42 nationally. As Aranda continues to build the program back into a contending team, six of its 20 recruits have already arrived in Waco.
Here’s a quick look at the early enrollees from Baylor’s 2021 recruiting class:
Kyron Drones, QB
The highest-rated recruit in Baylor’s 2021 class, Drones is a four-star, dual-threat quarterback who hails from Pearland. He led Shadow Creek to a perfect 16-0 finish and Class 5A Division I state championship in his junior year and went on to earn MVP honors.
In his senior season, Drones led Shadow Creek to the Class 6A Division II regional semifinals and threw for 1,530 yards and 21 passing touchdowns.
Connor Heffernan, OG
The offensive line is an area the Bears have struggled with over the last few years, but they didn’t see an increase in the number of recruits from the 2020 class. Regardless, Heffernan is a solid addition – he’s a 6-4, 260-pound, three-star recruit from Georgetown who’s ranked No. 23 among the nation’s top offensive guards.
Elijah Bean, WR
The Bears are stacked at wide receiver, but it doesn’t hurt to have some additional depth. Bean is a three-star recruit who chose Baylor over Air Force, Arkansas, Iowa State and 17 other programs. Bean made 34 catches for 526 yards and three touchdowns for Summer Creek in his senior season.
Javon Gipson, WR
The 6-2.5, 189-pound receiver is ranked No. 93 overall in Texas and No. 95 among WRs nationally. Gipson had 29 catches for 530 yards and four touchdowns in his senior season at George Ranch.
Devin Lemear, S
Lemear picked Baylor over 19 other schools, including Texas, Arizona, TCU and SMU. He logged 54 tackles, an interception, three pass breakups and a tackle for loss in 2020 and helped Manor reach the Class 5A Division I quarterfinals as a junior.
Tyrone Brown, ILB
Brown recorded 122 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks for a West Orange-Stark team that finished 8-1. A three-star recruit, Brown is ranked No. 61 among inside linebackers nationally.
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