Daingerfield Receiver Denzel Mims Commits To Baylor

It took less than a day for Denzel Mims to pick his future college football home.

Baylor offered the senior Daingerfield receiver Saturday evening after an impressive performance at its satellite camp in Marshall and Mims verbally committed Sunday afternoon.

Mims (6-4, 180), who confirmed to news to ETSN.fm, is the Bears' ninth football commitment in its 2016 recruiting class and the program's first from an East Texas high school. Art Briles and company also are actively recruiting senior Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones and senior Tyler Lee quarterback Zach Hall as well as Liberty-Eylau defensive end Lagaryonn Carson in the 2017 class.

Baylor has been a major player in local recruiting for years, but its past two signing classes have featured arguably the single most explosive offensive players from the region.

K.D. Cannon, a former Mount Pleasant receiver, recorded more than 1,000 yards during his true freshman year last season. The team followed that score up with the signing of Gilmer receiver Blake Lynch, who recorded 1,966 all-purpose yards and passed for another 289 yards en route to a 2014 Class 4A Division II state championship.

In total, the Bears will have seven former East Texas players on its 2015 roster.

Briles, a former Texas high school football coach, has been a miracle worker in Waco through his six years on the job. He has a 55-34 record at Baylor and yet the school still has only a .510 all-time winning percentage.

The 2014 campaign was a banner year. The Bears just missed an inaugural College Football Playoff berth after tying with TCU for the Big 12 Championship with an 11-1 overall record, Baylor's second-consecutive league title.

Briles' program finished the season ranked seventh in the final Associated Press poll after a one-point loss to Michigan State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

Mims should add more speed to the Bears' roster. He won the Class 3A 200 meter state championship last month with a time of 21.30 seconds.

On the gridiron, the new Baylor commitment recorded 39 catches for 682 yards with six offensive touchdowns. He also made 24 tackles, four interceptions and scored two touchdowns as a defensive back.

Mims, who picked the Bears in favor of offers from North Texas, Texas State, Texas Tech, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Tulsa, will become eligible to sign with the program on Feb. 3.

2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers