Fall camp is here, and Baylor enters it with the kind of questions every program hopes to have answered before the first snap of Week 1. The Bears spent the offseason reshaping the roster, and the biggest overhaul came at the most important spot on the field.
With Sawyer Robertson off to the NFL, Baylor went into the offseason staring at a major quarterback hole. The answer arrived through the transfer portal in a headline-grabbing move: DJ Lagway, a legacy recruit who transferred from Florida to follow in his father’s footsteps as a former member of the Baylor Bears.
Lagway brings the kind of profile that turns heads. He was a former five-star recruit and has plenty of potential, but that promise has not yet shown up consistently on the field. Last season at Florida, he threw just two more touchdowns than interceptions.
That said, Baylor does not need him to become a national championship quarterback. The bar is much simpler than that. The Bears need him to play to his talent level, and if he does, they’ll have a real answer at the sport’s most important position.
If he doesn’t, the concern gets a lot bigger, especially with significant turnover looming for the Bears at the end of the 2026 season.
Quarterback, though, is only part of the story. No passer can carry an offense alone, and Baylor has work to do around Lagway as well. The wide receiver group lacks proven production after Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg, the team’s top two pass catchers last season, both moved on to the NFL.
The portal brought in Gavin Freeman from Oklahoma State, a do-it-all slot receiver who should help. Beyond him, Baylor is leaning on a group that has talent but also plenty of uncertainty. Louis Brown, Jadon Porter, Taz Williams, and Dre’lon Miller all enter camp with a chance to carve out roles, and this month will be about sorting out who can become trusted pieces in Jake Spavital’s offense.
There are questions on the other side of the ball too, and they’re not small ones. Baylor’s defense was brutal against the run last season, finishing near the bottom of the conference rankings in that area.
Help is coming in the form of Travion Barnes, who is back from injury, and Hosea Wheeler, who arrived through the transfer portal. Even so, the Bears need more players to step forward if the defense is going to climb back toward respectability.
That matters for Dave Aranda, whose reputation was built on defense when he was hired as head coach. If he is going to keep his job beyond 2026, Baylor’s defense has to get back to the standard he set.
In Other News...
Scott Drew Lands Another Elite Guard For Baylor
Baylor added another high-end guard to its future backcourt when Tyrone Jamison Jr. announced his commitment to the Bears, giving Scott Drew yet another recruiting win built around the programs reputation with perimeter players. Jamison arrives as one of the more coveted names in the 2027 class, and his decision gives Baylor a chance to keep stacking talent at a position that has long been central to the way the Bears play.
Jamisons choice also says plenty about the way Drew and his staff have sold the program, with the relationship piece clearly carrying real weight in the final stretch. Baylors recent track record with guards has helped too, and the Bears will now try to turn that pitch into the next step of a pipeline that has already produced plenty of NBA-level success. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Rebuilt Line Puts Huge Pressure On One Veteran Presence
Kaden Sieracki spent 2025 as one of Baylors most dependable pieces up front, starting all 12 games at right tackle and giving Sawyer Robertson clean protection in the most important way by not allowing a sack, according to Pro Football Focus. Even so, the full picture shows how much work he still had to do, with 29 pressures allowed, the most on the team, which helps explain why his season has become such an important reference point as the Bears rebuild their front.
Offensive line coach Austin Woods has pointed to Sierackis consistency and leadership as Baylor gets ready for the next season, and that role figures to grow even more with so much turnover around him. The challenge now is less about what Sieracki already proved than how he handles being the steady presence in a group that will need someone to set the tone from day one. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Drew Just Landed A Massive Guard Commitment For Baylor
Baylors 2027 recruiting board got its first commitment with four-star point guard TJ Jamison, a highly regarded lead guard who has already built a reputation for scoring and creating for others. Ranked No. 36 overall and No. 12 among point guards in his class, Jamison gives Scott Drew an early centerpiece to work around as the Bears start shaping that group.
Jamison had plenty of options before settling on Waco, with USC, Oklahoma, LSU, Iowa and Miami all in the mix, but Baylors track record with NBA guards clearly resonated. The Bears have sold that pathway well in recent years, and Jamisons decision suggests the programs pitch still carries weight with elite backcourt talent. [Read more 🡒]