Baylor nets commitment from in-state WR Randy Masters
THE SITUATION
A pipeline from Pearland to Waco is being established. Randy Masters is the latest pledge en route to Baylor.
On Tuesday, Masters went public with his commitment to the Bears. The three-star wide receiver stayed in-state with Baylor despite opportunities at LSU, Tennessee, Florida, TCU, Arizona State and Auburn, among others.
Masters follows fellow Shadow Creek teammate Kyron Drones to Baylor. Drones, Masters' quarterback in the 2021 crop, committed earlier this offseason. Last year, the Bears signed wide receiver Seth Jones from the defending Class 5A state champions.
Masters is the second commitment for Dave Aranda's 2022 class. He's the first in-state prospect for Baylor, which entered the day ranked inside the top-25 nationally on Rivals.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"(I knew it was Baylor) when coach Dave Aranda got the coaching job from LSU to Baylor. August 18 was the right time for me because It’s just the right time and I’ve checked all the boxes off."
"Those guys (Drones, Jones) are my brothers ... they played a big role in this, but it was mainly the coaching staff changing and Coach Aranda bringing the fire offensive staff he has."
"All of the coaches showed me mad love, especially Coach Juice (Justin Johnson) and Aranda. They were very consistent and straight up."
"Baylor was real with me from the jump ... a lot of good others school jumped on board, but from the day I got offered by Baylor, I saw it. Once again, the new coaching staff and what they are building is something special."
"You should expect a dangerous wide receiver that can most definitely (be) lethal. It'll be like CeeDee Lamb 2.0 -- just in a Baylor uniform. I am most excited about my future and what I will bring to the table and get to my ultimate goal (the NFL)."
RIVALS REACTION
One of the best wide receivers in Texas for the 2022 crop, Masters is a dual-sport standout for Shadow Creek, standing out not only in football but on the basketball court as well. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound pass-catcher helped lead Shadow Creek to a perfect 16-0 record in 2019 culminating the program's first-ever Class 5A-Division I state championship as a sophomore.
Masters accounted for 20 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns last season. He is also Shadow Creek's primary return specialist and housed a kickoff return at AT&T Stadium last December in the state title game. That game awareness cannot be ignored.
There is no verified track times or speeds for Masters, but he's a proven route-runner with a large catch radius and packs big-play potential. Masters brings yards-after-the-catch potential in spectacular fashion. He's a mismatch in 1-on-1 situations and is especially agile in the open field.
Masters is a long, thin receiver with reliable hands and is well-adept at bringing down contested balls. Afterward, he's elusive with great breakaway speed, which is what makes "BoBo" such a dangerous part of Shadow Creek's passing game. He possesses quick feet, which is evident in his route-running and ability to make plays all over the field, and is twitchy in the open field. Masters has excellent balance and can stay on his feet through contact. He's usually one move away from the end zone on a given play.
Additionally, Masters is able to effectively track the ball well in the air, which shows in the red zone and around the goal line, and is a willing blocker that should continue to grow in the category over time.
Masters debuted as a high three-star prospect in the initial 2022 class rankings, but is one of the wide receivers in-state that will garner a lot of attention over the next two seasons. His production as a sophomore was promising, but there is no way to quantify his speed or ability to separate from defensive backs, and there is a demand for a bigger sample size to navigate through. He has also been floated as a potential two-way player, which may be another element to consider somewhere down the road.