Baylor’s 2025 season has been framed as a make-or-break run for Dave Aranda, but CBS Sports’ latest bowl projection threw cold water on any optimism around the Bears. In its look at the College Football Playoff and the bowls that follow, CBS left Baylor out entirely and projected the program to miss bowl eligibility for a second straight season.
That kind of forecast lands hard because Baylor is already carrying real pressure into the year. The Bears went 5-7 last season, and the roster has been reshaped around a new starting quarterback in DJ Lagway.
The offense has been overhauled, with a mostly new offensive line and a rebuilt group of wide receivers around him. The expectation is simple: Baylor has to win, and it has to start doing it right away.
The skepticism around Lagway is part of why the projection feels so bleak. The concern is not just the quarterback himself, but the support system around him and the inconsistency that has shown up along the way.
Missing a bowl game again would almost certainly force Baylor into a coaching change, with a likely staff overhaul to follow. That would leave the athletic department with the challenge of getting the next head coach hire right before shifting focus to the roster.
And in today’s college football world, timing matters just as much as fit. Jobs can open unexpectedly, and the list of available seats can change fast. The source points to last year’s surprises - LSU, Florida and Michigan all becoming open by December after nobody really saw that coming in advance.
The point is that Baylor could be trying to hire in a market where bigger jobs might be on the board too. If Alabama were to stumble again, Kalen DeBoer could come under pressure. Nebraska with Matt Rhule, Oregon with Dan Lanning if the Ducks can’t break through to the national title game, and Marcus Freeman if NFL interest circles back are all names that could complicate the coaching carousel.
Compared with those possibilities, Baylor is not the kind of destination that lets a school sit back and wait. If the Bears needed a new coach, they’d likely have to move quickly before another program made its own play.
That coaching search would ripple into the roster, too. A new staff would almost certainly mean some degree of turnover and reconstruction. The source points to examples like Matt Campbell bringing a chunk of his Iowa State roster with him to Penn State, and Kyle Whittingham taking key contributors from Utah to Michigan, as proof that it can be done - but also as a reminder that it’s still a major disruption.
Even with the modern realities of the transfer portal, there’s still value in structure. Recruits and families want to know who the coach is, who the staff is, and what kind of stability they’re buying into.
That is why this season sits so heavily on Baylor. The Bears need to prove CBS wrong, and they need to do it quickly.
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Baylor Just Unveiled A Throwback Look Fans Will Debate
Baylor is bringing a throwback look to its Big 12 opener against Colorado on Sept. 26, and the reveal has already given fans something to talk about. The Bears announced a green jersey with large gold numbers and bear paw shoulder patches, along with white pants finished with a three-stripe pattern, a nod that leans hard into the programs old-school identity.
The reaction on social media has mostly trended positive, which is no small thing anytime a school digs into its uniform history and comes out with a fresh take. Still, there were some mixed opinions on the design choices, and thats part of the fun with a uniform unveiling like this, especially when it comes before a conference game that already figures to carry plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Made Dave Aranda's 2026 Season Feel Even Bigger
Dave Aranda is heading into a season that already carries outsized importance in Waco, and Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee made clear the standard will be about more than a number in the standings. McNamee said the focus is on restoring momentum and building stronger support around the football program, a sign that the Bears want to see a clearer sense of direction as Aranda enters his seventh season.
Arandas Baylor record sits at 36-37, but McNamee framed the bigger issue as whether the program can generate the kind of commitment and energy that keeps it moving forward. The 2026 season will be McNamees first full evaluation of Arandas tenure, which makes the next stretch feel especially consequential for a coach who has spent much of his time in Waco trying to steady the program and push it back into a more compelling place. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Still Has One Urgent Roster Question Before Kickoff
Baylors roster still has one unfinished piece as kickoff draws closer, and it sits right where many programs would least want uncertainty to linger: along the offensive line. The Bears are reportedly exploring ways to add depth up front, with offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho among the names in the transfer portal as the staff looks for help before the season begins.
The bigger backdrop is the unusual eligibility landscape created by a 2022 NCAA ruling that granted an extra year, which has led some players who signed NFL contracts to explore legal avenues to regain college eligibility. Baylor has not confirmed any move or signing, but the situation gives the Bears a live roster question at a position where stability matters most. [Read more 🡒]