An old adage says there are two sports in Texas: football and spring football.

But that’s not completely true. Don’t forget summer football.

On a balmy Sunday afternoon, Baylor drew about 200 high school players to the first of three football camps to be held in the next two months at the Highers Athletics Complex.

Midlothian receiver Eddie Johnson grabs a pass against San Antonio Roosevelt's Crosby Adams during one-on-one drills at Baylor's football camp Sunday. Johnson is a Baylor commit and plans to sign with the Bears in February. (Jerry Larson photo)

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“If they’ve got a smile and Baylor in mind, we’ll give them a look,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “It’s up to us to see who stays.”

Baylor held two camps in the Houston area Friday and Saturday and will hold two in the Metroplex next weekend before coming back to Waco Sunday. Baylor will host its final camp of the summer on July 18 in Waco.

The coaches invite some players to camp, while others sign up on their own. But they are all trying to improve their skills against good competition and let the Baylor coaches know who they are.

“We get to work with a lot of kids and find legitimate prospects,” Briles said. “We do a lot of projection and evaluation at this time of year, and that’s the purpose of these camps. We get a chance to see these kids’ ability and we can evaluate things like how coachable they are. We put a lot of weight on what we see out of these kids at these camps.”

The Baylor coaches ran the players through a series of non-contact drills in shorts, shirts and no helmets during the three-hour workout. Players focused on improving their technique at their positions while also performing one-on-one drills against each other.

Some of the most impressive players at Sunday’s camp were defensive backs, including Katy High School’s Sam Holl, San Antonio Roosevelt’s Crosby Adams and Richland’s Isaac Umesi.

Holl said he hasn’t yet received an offer from Baylor, but stood out by showing a flair for aggressive play during one-on-one drills. His sister, Holly Holl, has signed as a catcher with the Baylor softball team and will be a freshman this fall.

“I’m a physical player, and I really liked the one-on-one stuff we had here,” Holl said. “It’s fun to come out here and compete. This was the first time I got to meet Coach Briles, and he seems like a really good guy. I talked to the coaches afterwards, and they said I did well.”

Adams is a speedy cornerback who used the camp to improve his pass coverage skills.

“I’m trying to develop my footwork and get better at the game,” Adams said. “At this camp, I got a chance to go against some of the best guys across the state.”

Midlothian senior receiver Eddie Johnson has already verbally committed to Baylor, but decided to attend the camp to get to know the coaches better and work on his skills.

“I’m real happy that I’ve committed here,” Johnson said. “This gives me a chance to build my relationship with the coaches and get better as an athlete. I love working out, and I can’t wait for football to start.”

The camp also included local high school players like Midway receivers Anthony Betters and Ronnie Lee.

“I wanted to go to Oklahoma when I was younger, but I’ve been interested in Baylor since Coach Briles and (quarterback) Robert Griffin got here,” Betters said. “This is a good camp because you go against a lot of guys who are trying to play college football.”

jwerner@wacotrib.com

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