Senior wide receiver Jalen Hurd was named the 2018 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and senior punter Drew Galitz was selected to the All-Big 12 first team to lead nine Bears honored by the league Wednesday.
Hurd has made a huge impact in his first and only season on the gridiron at Baylor. A transfer from Tennessee, Hurd led the Bears with 69 receptions and 946 yards in the regular season. He scored four touchdowns through the air.
The Hendersonville, Tenn. native also contributed on the ground with 209 rushing yards and three scores. He is Baylor’s second-ever winner of the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award joining Lache Seastrunk (2012).
Galitz returned from an injury-shortened 2017 and picked right up where he left off. The Rowlett native ranks second in the Big 12 with a 42.43 punting average with a long punt of 62 yards and 18 downed inside the 20.
Sophomore defensive lineman James Lynch and junior linebacker Clay Johnston were both named to the All-Big 12 second team. Lynch leads the Baylor team with 9.0 TFL and 5.5 sacks. He was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN in 2017.
Johnston has piled up tackles in 2018 with a Baylor-leading 95 stops, a total that ranks fifth in the Big 12. He averaged 13.3 tackles per game in the month of November and set a career high with 17 combined stops against Oklahoma State.
Baylor’s honorable mention selections were Blake Blackmar (Offensive Line, Sr.), Chris Miller (Safety, Jr.), Greg Roberts (Defensive Line, Sr.), Raleigh Texada (Cornerback, So.) and Verkedric Vaughns (Safety, Sr.).
Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Jalen Hurd (Wide Receiver, Sr.)
First team All-Big 12
Drew Galitz (Punter, Sr.)
Second team All-Big 12
James Lynch (Defensive Line, So.)
Clay Johnston (Linebacker, Jr.)
Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Blake Blackmar (Offensive Line, Sr.)
James Lynch (Defensive Lineman of the Year)
Chris Miller (Safety, Jr.)
Greg Roberts (Defensive Line, Sr.)
Raleigh Texada (Cornerback, So.)
Verkedric Vaughns (Safety, Sr.)
