The Baylor fan base received fantastic news on Sunday (almost as amazing as postseason bowl game victories!) as the announcement that senior WR Chris Platt gets another year with Baylor football made its way across social media. The NCAA granted the fifth-year senior a sixth year with the team as he only played in four games in 2017 due to a season-ending knee injury against then-ranked No. 3 Oklahoma. Over the summer, the NCAA shared their new redshirt rule, which allows players to participate in up to four games per season without using their redshirt. This amended rule has given many teams across CFB opportunities to utilize younger athletes without forcing them to quickly use up their years of eligibility. In Baylor’s case, it also helps older players like Platt, who officially redshirted during his freshman year in 2014, but is now eligible for a sixth year with the team. Before his season-ending injury in 2017, Platt was on pace to make records of his own, recording 401 yards for five touchdowns in the first four games of the year. Four of the 11 touchdowns in his career for over 70+ yards came from the 2017 season as well. Platt’s 2018 stats weren’t as impactful as his 2017 season (possibly due to new WR Jalen Hurd’s huge presence on the field) as he notched 35 catches for 504 yards and only one touchdown, but with Hurd out of eligibility, Platt’s seniority may become a saving grace for the Baylor offense. He will continue to be a steadfast leader for an otherwise young team, as most of the returning receivers will be sophomores and juniors in 2019. As the fan base breathed a sigh of relief following head coach Matt Rhule’s confirmed third year at Baylor, they can now add another piece of great news to their inventory, knowing that a talented and wicked fast veteran athlete like Chris Platt gets another year with Baylor football. There’s a lot to look forward to next year!
