Baylor players who need to step up if Jackie Marshall is out against SMU
The Baylor Bears lost a major part of their defense to injury early in their season opener against Auburn. Defensive tackle Jackie Marshall suffered a high ankle sprain and exited the game after just eight plays. His presence was missed dearly as Auburn ran all over the Bears' defense without him anchoring the interior of their defensive line.
In 2024, Marshall was one of the stars of Baylor's defense. He finished the season with 40 tackles, 24 pressures, 18 hurries and three sacks. He was expected to have a big game against the Tigers, but unfortunately, his night was cut short.
Marshall, who is listed as day-to-day, is at risk of missing this Saturday's game against No. 17 SMU. This feels like a must-win game for the Bears, and if they don't have Marshall available, they're going to need some guys to step up in a big way.
SMU's rushing attack was solid in its season opener, but it could've been better. They ran for 140 yards and two scores, but averaged just a tad over four yards per carry against East Texas A&M. They're not as big of a rushing threat as Auburn was, but they'll still make you pay if you're not on your A game.
With Marshall out of the game, guys like DK Kalu, Adonis Friloux and Devonte Tezino were called on to play a bigger role against the Tigers, and they were not all that great.
Kalu played 41 snaps against Auburn and was only able to record one pressure and one tackle while missing his only other tackle attempt. He earned a 61.6 defensive grade, 60.8 run defense grade and a 27.3 tackling grade, and he was arguably the most effective out of the three.
Tezino saw 42 snaps on Friday, and also recorded one pressure and one tackle, but he also missed three tackles, which earned him a 23.9 tackling grade and a 44.3 defensive grade.
Friloux was on the field for 18 snaps, but was unable to record a single pressure or tackle, finishing with a 57.8 defensive grade.
If Marshall can't go, these three guys are going to need to play much better than they did against Auburn. Luckily, SMU's offensive line isn't as intimidating as Auburn's, and while their quarterback is mobile, he's not as much of a runner as Jackson Arnold was.
The Bears really need Marshall to be healthy for this game, because of he's not, they're going to need to rely on three guys who were not very effective in the season opener.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.