Heralded freshman Stidham claims Baylor's backup QB job

Most expect it will be only a matter of time before Jarrett Stidham is blistering Big 12 defenses as Baylor’s quarterback.

But that day might be coming sooner than most think after Stidham claimed the No. 2 job for the Bears behind starter Seth Russell heading into the Bears’ Sept. 4 opener at SMU.

Stidham was the most heralded recruit the Bears have attracted at quarterback in the Art Briles coaching era when he switched his commitment from Texas Tech to Baylor. And that includes a guy named Robert Griffin III, who claimed a Heisman Trophy to cap his career with the Bears as the most transcendent player in school history.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Stidham notched 3,903 yards and 50 touchdowns last season at Stephenville despite missing two games with a hand injury. His skill set seems ideally suited for Art Briles’ offense.

Stidham’s move into the backup role will pave the way for 6-foot-5, 235-pound former sophomore quarterback Chris Johnson to move to wide receiver as the Bears’ biggest outside threat.

(h/t San Antonio Express-News)