Baylor has already split the quarterback work this season, but the job still appears to belong to DJ Lagway for one very simple reason: the money.
The Bears are 3-1, and after Lagway went down with a right ankle injury in the first quarter against Auburn, Nate Bennett handled the next two games while the injury healed. Still, the offseason addition from Florida is the one Baylor brought in to run the offense, and unless he is physically unable to go, he is expected to stay in the role the rest of the season.
Lagway’s season has been uneven. In the opener against Auburn, he went 27-54 for 333 yards with 2 TDs, 1 INT, and 1 fumble lost. When he returned in week four against Colorado, he helped Baylor to a win while finishing 19-39 for 221 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT.
Bennett, meanwhile, made his first collegiate start in week two against PVA&M and went 24-36 for 314 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, and 1 rushing TD. He followed that with another start in week three against LA Tech, completing 21-24 for 253 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, and 1 rushing TD.
The contrast between the two quarterbacks has been obvious, even if the circumstances have not been the same. Bennett has the cleaner stat line and the 2-0 record as a starter, while Lagway is 1-1. But Bennett’s starts came against PVA&M and LA Tech, not Auburn and Colorado, and the source material makes clear those opponents are not P4 teams.
Lagway was supposed to bring more as a runner, but that part of his game has barely shown up. His designed run against Auburn played a big role in the ankle injury and also ended with a lost fumble. Outside of that, he has not had many rushing chances, aside from a recent scramble toward the first down marker against Colorado.
Bennett is not the same kind of athlete, and the source notes that without taking anything away from him. Even so, he is the only one of the two with a rushing touchdown in both of his starts this season. Lagway’s appeal remains his upside - the arm strength, the determination, and the will to win - but he has also dealt with bad throws and turnovers, and the ankle has limited how freely he can move.
On paper, Bennett has the stronger production right now. Lagway has the bigger profile and the bigger investment behind him.
And that is why the Bears are likely to keep riding with him, at least as long as he can stay on the field. If not, and if the production does not improve, the grumbling around Baylor could get loud.
In Other News...
Baylors Close Win Revealed Who Carried The Offense And Who Didnt
Baylors first in-conference test turned into the kind of game that forces a hard look at where the offense really came from, and who was asked to do too much. DJ Lagway led the way for the Bears in the home matchup, piling up 221 passing yards and 116 rushing yards while helping push the offense to 23 points. He also hit Jadon Porter on a 33-yard touchdown pass, one of the few plays that consistently gave Baylor breathing room.
The bigger picture for Baylor was less about style points than survival, even against a Colorado team that went to Julian Lewis after halftime. Dawson Pendergrass added 85 yards on 16 carries, giving the Bears a steadier ground presence, but the game still underscored how much the offense ran through Lagway. For a team trying to settle into conference play, the win answered one question and left another hanging about how sustainable that formula will be. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Has A Red-Zone Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Baylors trip into the red zone against Colorado looked productive on the surface, but the finish told a different story. The Bears got there five times and came away with three touchdowns, a drop-off that stood out as their lowest red-zone touchdown rate of the season and a reminder that moving the ball and cashing in are not always the same thing.
DJ Lagways return from injury added another layer to the conversation. The starting quarterback was back on the field, but his limited mobility was noticeable and he missed several open receivers, which affected how the offense was called. Dave Aranda said Lagways health shaped the game plan, and Baylor will be watching closely to see whether further rehabilitation can help him operate more freely in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Palmer Williams Is Becoming A Weapon Baylor Can Actually Lean On
Palmer Williams has quietly turned into one of Baylors most dependable pieces, and his work against Colorado showed why the Bears are comfortable leaning on him in tight spots. The senior punter was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after booting seven punts for 353 yards, averaging 50.4 yards per kick while repeatedly flipping the field and pinning Colorado deep.
For Baylor, the award carries a little extra weight because it is the programs first weekly conference honor of the 2026 season. It also marks the second time Williams has earned that kind of recognition in his career, a sign that his value is becoming more than just hidden-yardage work. When a team can trust its punter to change the tone of a game, it tends to matter later in the season, and Williams is making himself hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]