When it comes to catching the football and running with it, Kendall Wright has that down pat.

As for his throwing ability, Baylor’s versatile sophomore receiver still has some work to do.

Baylor receiver Kendall Wright runs with the ball against Wake Forest in September. When it comes to catching the football and running with it, Wright has that down pat. (Provided By Baylor)

Wright has been involved in some trickery by the Bears this season, having attempted four passes including two in last week’s loss against Texas A&M. The throws haven’t exactly been on target, though, as Wright has no completions and two interceptions.

“It’s not like the receiver I was throwing to wasn’t open,” said Wright, who played quarterback at Pittsburg High School. “It just never came out right. It was like a duck. The ball just sailed in the air on me.”

Wright said he hopes to have more opportunities as a passer, even though his last attempt was costly for the Bears. He threw a pick in the end zone early in the second quarter, and the Aggies scored two plays later to break the game open.

“Those are kind of hit-and-miss deals,” Baylor coach Art Briles said. “We’re waiting for the hits to happen.”
Wright hasn’t had many misses in his other roles in Baylor’s offense. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound inside receiver leads the Bears with 60 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns this season, and he’s the team’s fourth-leading rusher with 132 yards and a score on 28 carries.

Baylor quarterback Nick Florence said Wright’s game also includes “that wow factor,” because of his explosiveness and athleticism. Wright, who said he has a 45-inch vertical leap, was a three-time track and field state champion in high school and also played in 13 games last season as a reserve guard for the Baylor basketball team.

On the football field he has seven receptions and a run of at least 25 yards this year, and he’s scored on half of those plays.

“He’s a playmaker,” Florence said. “He’s fast, he’s quick, he can catch, and he’s intelligent. Any time you get the ball in his hands, there’s no telling what’s going to happen.”

Aside from being consistently productive — Wright also was Baylor’s leading receiver as a true freshman last year — he’s taken on an important intangible role this season. Wright has been thrust into a leadership position on the Bears’ offense, specifically after quarterback Robert Griffin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the year.

The soft-spoken Wright said vocal leadership wasn’t easy at first, but he’s gradually come to enjoy it.

“I’m not used to just talking out there on the field and being a leader like that, just by my actions,” he said. “But I think it’s coming to me. I like doing it now, and I feel like I’ve been a better player for that.”

Baylor center J.D. Walton, one of six senior starters on offense, said Wright is a “great asset” for the Bears and will continue to be for the next two seasons. Briles also foresees a bright future for his talented young receiver, especially considering what he’s already accomplished.

“He’s been real steady for us, really the last two years,” Briles said. “And that’s what you look for, somebody that’s been consistent over a period of time. That part of it is definitely a plus, and we just think that he’s going to continue to get better and better with experience and with maturity.

“He allows us to do a variety of things, and I think as he develops and as we develop offensively, I think his production and role will increase.”

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