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Baylor Football: Denzel Mims was 2017 offensive MVP

By Andrew Miller

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Denzel Mims #15 of the Baylor Bears is unable to make the one handed catch while being defended by Jah'Shawn Johnson #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game on November 11, 2017 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 38-24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 11: Denzel Mims #15 of the Baylor Bears is unable to make the one handed catch while being defended by Jah'Shawn Johnson #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game on November 11, 2017 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 38-24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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The offensive MVP for Baylor football in 2017 could have either fallen to Charlie Brewer or Denzel Mims, but one player was vital to the offense.

Baylor football has a tall task to continue the upward climb through the Big 12 in 2018. Head coach Matt Rhule showed improvement during his first year in Waco. The player that kept the Baylor offense in tact all season is sophomore wide receiver Denzel Mims.

Rhule could be onto something with the connection between freshman quarterback Charlie Brewer and Mims. The connection between Brewer and Mims helped the Bears get the only win of the season, in a 38-9 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.

Mims finished the year with 1,087 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He was second among all sophomore receivers in the nation in both categories, only behind Ole Miss’s star A.J. Brown. Mims has a bright future if the quarterback-wide receiver duo with Brewer stays hot.

The next best receiver on the Bears offense was sophomore Pooh Stricklin, who finished with just 414 receiving yards. A season-ending injury to Chris Platt after only four starts, put even more pressure on the shoulders of Mims. He was almost forced to carry the load on offense for the entire season.

His best game of the year came in a near upset of the Oklahoma Sooners, at home at McLane Stadium, where he caught 11 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a big game in a loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, with a season-high 12 catches for 152 yards and one touchdown.

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Mims will be a force to be reckoned with in his junior campaign. If Brewer continues to progress, Baylor could make some serious progress under Rhule in 2018. The rest of the Big 12 should watch out for Mims and the Bears next season.

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