Baylor making noise in Louisiana during Sugar Bowl lead-up

Baylor's breakthrough season under third-year coach Matt Rhule landed the Bears a berth in a New Year's Six bowl game -- a showdown with Georgia in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1.

The surging Bears have effectively made some noise in the home state of Texas, a group headlined by early signees like four-star defensive end James Sylvester, a one-time TCU commitment who flipped to Baylor, and four-star running back Taye McWilliams, a prospect the Bears had to fend off Texas for in the final weeks of the recruiting calendar.

In the process, Baylor landed a signature from one Louisiana prospect and holds a verbal commitment from a second. The Bears were one of two finalists -- and at different points, the favorites -- for three-star edge-rusher Jonathan Horton, who eventually signed with Virginia on the final day of the Early Signing Period.

The Bear's momentum in the Boot has continued as the team prepares for its Sugar Bowl meeting with Georgia. The Baylor staff invited double-digit underclassmen from across South Louisiana to their bowl practices on Sunday and extended new offers to a handful of prospects, including 2022 defensive end J'Mond Tapp, his first Power 5 overture.

Other notable prospects in attendance for bowl game practice included 2021 Rivals100 safety Kaine Williams, three-star safety Jardin Gilbert, three-star wide receiver Malik Nabers, three-star defensive end Byron Turner and three-star offensive tackle Kenneth Bannister, among others.

Here's a list of other Louisiana prospects to observe Baylor this weekend: