Baylor Football: Can Denzel Mims become the Big 12’s best wide receiver?

WACO, TX - SEPTEMBER 23: Denzel Mims #15 of the Baylor Bears breaks free for a 15 yard touchdown reception against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
WACO, TX - SEPTEMBER 23: Denzel Mims #15 of the Baylor Bears breaks free for a 15 yard touchdown reception against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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What lies ahead for Baylor football‘s star receiver Denzel Mims? Given any level of progress he could find himself among the Big 12’s elite.

Baylor football brings back a potent offense for the 2018 campaign. Returning starters are aligned all over the depth chart on both sides of the ball for the Bears. However, it’s the offensive side of the ball that really sticks out with its potential to make things happen for Baylor in 2018.

With underrated talents like rising sophomore quarterback Charlie Brewer and rising junior wide receiver Denzel Mims coming back to Waco this year, the Bears are primed for a pretty massive amount of improvement to their record. Baylor finished with a very disappointing one win season in 2017.

That should only get better with another year of head coach Matt Rhule at the helm. He had another solid year on the recruiting trail, hauling in a top five class in the Big 12 for the second consecutive cycle. And, some opportunity lies for a big jump in the middle of the Big 12 standings this fall.

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Tremendous uncertainty sits with some other Big 12 programs like the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Kansas Jayhawks. Knocking off both those teams would already double the win total for the Bears in 2018. With a receiver like Mims leading the way, anything is possible.

The opportunity for Mims to establish his presence nationally in 2018, he needs Brewer to be at his best. It could end up that Brewer and Mims are the best quarterback-wide receiver connection in the conference by the end of the regular season.

Last year, Mims eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark with flying colors, and got little attention while doing it. Meanwhile, Brewer had a very solid freshman campaign in 2017 too, tossing 11 touchdowns in limited action to only four interceptions.

The losses of significant quarterback and wide receiver talent in the Big 12 including Mason Rudolph and James Washington of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Baker Mayfield of the Oklahoma Sooners, and Kenny Hill of the TCU Horned Frogs, opens the door for players like Mims and Brewer to rise to the top of the conference spotlight.

Next: 5 reasons Matt Rhule will make Baylor contenders again

We’ll have to wait and see if Mims can take his game to the next level in 2018. That would likely mean a season that could put him in the conversation for potential All-American honors this year. He does have that type of talent, and the nation just needs to give him that type of respect.