Traevon Mitchell will be available for the rest of the regular season after Judge Alan Bennett of McLennan County granted a temporary injunction, with the next trial date estimated to be about 90 days away. That puts Mitchell, known as “Slug,” safely beyond the reach of the regular season.
The nickname itself has become a bit of a mystery, and it came up during Tuesday’s media availability when Kyler Jordan and Michael Allen were both asked where it came from. Neither had a clear answer, but both have simply stuck with it.
“I don't know, he introduced himself as Slug whenever he got here, so, but, yeah, no, he's awesome. He's awesome, glad to have him.”
“That’s a great question. I don't know.
I talked to him, I introduced him for the first time, or when I first met him, he was like, yeah, I'm Slug, and I was like, all right, so I just called him Slug from there on out. He's got a big chain that says Slug, so, yeah, I don't know how, but that's what I call him.”
Mitchell had already received a temporary restraining order in August, which allowed him to play with his Baylor teammates in the first two games of the season. The NCAA could challenge that through the Waco Court of Appeals, though it could not be confirmed or denied whether that will happen.
Coach Aranda also addressed Mitchell on Monday, saying, “He's got a big court date here coming up. We'd like to have something positive happen there.
Otherwise, we're losing two. And so I think he's a big one.
He saw a fair amount of time in the game and really showed himself well.”
That “two” refers to the season-ending injury Devonte Tezino suffered in the first quarter of last Saturday’s game against Prairie View A&M. Mitchell played 16 snaps in that game and finished with one tackle in Waco. With Tezino out, Baylor’s defense will have to adjust, and Aranda still views Mitchell as a player who can help the unit moving forward.
In Other News...
Baylor Heads Into La Tech With One Big Problem Up Front
Baylor is trying to steady itself up front as it heads into Louisiana Tech with one of its most important pieces suddenly gone for the year. Fifth-year senior Devonte Tezinos season-ending lower body injury leaves a hole on the defensive line, but there is at least one bit of relief in the room: fellow fifth-year senior Traevon Mitchell was granted a temporary injunction that allows him to play the rest of the season. With Kyler Jordan and others now expected to absorb more of the workload, the Bears will have to find answers quickly on the line of scrimmage.
There is better news on the other side of the ball, where starting center Koltin Sieracki is expected back after missing a game with an injury. Baylors larger focus, though, remains on cleaning up the mistakes that have slowed it down, especially penalties, as it tries to look sharper heading into the Louisiana Tech game. The Bears have enough talent to get by, but the way they handle these issues up front could go a long way toward deciding whether the next stretch feels like damage control or a reset. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has A Week 3 Problem It Needs To Fix Fast
Baylor heads into its Week 3 matchup at McLane Stadium tied at 1-1 with Louisiana Tech, and the early-season tone around the Bears is clear enough: there are fixable issues, but they need fixing quickly. The cleanest path to a win runs through the basics, with turnover margin, time of possession and penalty control all sitting near the top of the list as Baylor tries to sharpen up before the schedule starts demanding more from it.
The Bears have already stressed the need for discipline and consistent effort on both sides of the ball, and that emphasis is no accident after the first two games. Against a Louisiana Tech team that will be looking for the same kind of early momentum, Baylor cannot afford sloppy stretches or self-inflicted setbacks if it wants to leave Saturday with the kind of performance that steadies things rather than complicates them. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Suddenly Has A Breakout Star Chasing A Historic Pace
Gavin Freeman arrived at Baylor with the kind of transfer profile that usually calls for patience, but the senior wide receiver has made that unnecessary in a hurry. Through two games, he leads college football with 22 receptions and has already become one of the most important parts of the Bears offense, helping drive wins against Auburn and Prairie View A&M.
Freemans early pace has opened the door to some eye-catching season projections, and it is hard not to notice how quickly he has settled into a featured role. For Baylor, the bigger question now is whether this start is the beginning of something sustainable, because if he keeps producing anywhere close to this level, his season will become one of the more notable stories in the sport. [Read more 🡒]