BAYLOR RED RAIDERS
Head coach: Phil Massey (88-55 in 12 years here; 150-91 overall)
Returning starters: 4 offensive, 6 defensive
Key players: DL Christian Harris (6-3, 260); LB Cooper Lewis (6-3, 215); RB/LB Noah Martin (6-1, 215); CB Moose Vaughn (5-9, 160); QB Lorenzo White (6-3, 190).
Team strengths: With a good nucleus of starters back from a team that was inconsistent last season, expect the tough lessons the Red Raiders learned to pay off with a better finish. They should be better up front defensively, an area that struggled at times in 2017.
Team concerns: Aside from a lack of depth, Baylor also faces an unforgiving schedule with five teams that played for state championships last season, including Brentwood Academy, which has won Division II's top level the past three years. The Red Raider's newcomers will have to learn quickly that there can be no letdowns.
Newcomer to watch: Isaiah Golonka (6-4, 240) has the physical tools to play some both at tight end and on the defensive line as a junior this season.
Season outlook: As the Red Raiders look to rebound from last year's disappointing season, one thing is certain - it won't take long to know the direction this year is headed. The first three opponents all played in state finals last season.
"We're certainly not easing into it," Massey joked. "It doesn't get much easier, either. It's not a forgiving schedule, but our players have been very motivated to not let what happened last season repeat itself."
Making the schedule even tougher is the lack of experience returning. The Raiders must replace their leading rusher, leading receiver, top scorer and kicker on offense plus half of their defensive backs.
White enters his third season as the starting quarterback and threw for more than 1,400 yards last season. He'll likely need Mekos Baker (6-3, 170) to step up and become a big-play threat at receiver.
On defense, Harris is one of the top linemen in Division II, while Lewis led the team in tackles last year. Martin could emerge both at running back and linebacker, and safety Gabriel Stulce likely also will play more on offense at receiver.
"We may have more guys seeing action on both sides of the ball, at least until some of the younger guys are ready," Massey said. "A lesson we learned last year is that a player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player."