Baylor fans have a real reason to keep one eye on Week 0, even if the Bears themselves won’t play until one week from Saturday. The slate doesn’t feature Baylor, but it does offer a first look at a few things that could matter down the line, especially when the Bears get to their Week 7 meeting with TCU.
That matchup makes TCU the biggest name for Baylor fans to track. Watching the Horned Frogs now gives Baylor a free early read on how their play-calling and schemes may look different from the last time these teams met. Baylor’s game against TCU on October 18, 2025 ended in a 42-36 rain-soaked and lightning-delayed loss, even though the Bears mounted a comeback late before falling short.
The personnel picture between the two teams also looks different. Both programs lost players to the transfer portal, but the source material says TCU lost just over a dozen players and quarterback Josh Hoover to Indiana, while Baylor lost 32 players to the portal.
Week 0 also brings a batch of rule changes worth watching, and some of them will have immediate relevance for Baylor too. The targeting penalty adjustment is one to keep in mind, especially because there will no longer be an automatic carryover of a first-half suspension into the next game. Offensive pass interference has also changed, with the standard version now a 10-yard penalty, while the 15-yard version is reserved for the “unnecessary roughness” and “unsportsmanlike conduct” variety.
There’s also a new wrinkle that could show up in a very specific spot: the fair catch kick is now legal. It’s rare and highly situational, but it is now a real three-point option.
The unsportsmanlike conduct umbrella has expanded as well. The source material lists these as automatic 15-yard penalties: “Any act of simulating the brandishing of a weapon; slashing of the throat or a nose wipe signal; removing helmet after the ball is dead (with exceptions for timeouts and equipment adjustments); dead-ball contact fouls, such as pushing, shoving, striking, etc., that occur clearly after the ball is dead and that are not part of the game action; using forcible contact to push or pull an opponent off the pile after the ball is dead”.
Replay gets a tweak too. Head coaches will now have two challenges per game, with a third available if one of the first two is successful and a timeout remains. If that third challenge works, no timeout is lost.
Beyond Baylor’s direct concerns, Week 0 also features seven other games, not counting TCU against North Carolina. None of those matchups involve teams Baylor will face this season, but they still mark the return of football - the fight songs, the loud crowds, the big hits, the comeback attempts, and the highlight-reel moments that start the whole thing over again.
In Other News...
Baylor Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Shaky Right Before Auburn
Dawson Pendergrass has worked his way back from a foot injury and is now expected to be ready when Baylor opens the season against Auburn, which gives the Bears at least one encouraging update as the countdown to kickoff continues. Getting a receiver back in the mix matters for a Baylor offense that wants to settle in early, especially with the season opener carrying a little extra attention against a Power Four opponent.
Taz Williams Jr. is the tougher subplot to sort through after he injured his collarbone in practice and is set for surgery, leaving his availability in question at a time when depth is already a concern. Coach Dave Aranda has said Williams Jr. could be back within a few weeks, but for now Baylor is left waiting on a more precise timeline and hoping the receiver room can absorb the hit until it gets clearer answers. [Read more 🡒]
Caden Knighten Could Be Baylor's Most Dangerous Backfield X-Factor
Caden Knighten arrived at Baylor with the kind of speed that always makes a backfield interesting, and he has already shown he can do more than just sprint past defenders. A former Oklahoma 2-A 100-meter state champion in 2023, Knighten carved out a role last season while sharing touches with Bryson Washington and Michael Turner, finishing with 104 carries for 469 yards and 11 catches for 134 yards, plus a rushing score and a receiving touchdown.
With Dawson Pendergrass healthy this season, Knighten is expected to stay in a reserve role, but that does not make him any less important to the Bears offensive picture. Baylors rushing outlook feels like it could hinge on how much explosiveness it gets from Knighten and the other backs around him, especially if the staff keeps finding ways to get him into space where his track speed can change a drive in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Strengthened A Recruiting Edge Fans Cant Ignore
Baylor is making another move to keep pace in the increasingly crowded NIL arms race, announcing a partnership with TheLinkU that will bring the companys revenue and NIL platform into the athletic department. The goal is straightforward enough: give Baylor student-athletes a more centralized system for managing opportunities, while also creating new ways for the program to grow revenue and deepen brand partnerships around the Bears.
The deal also adds some structure behind the scenes, with contract management and compliance workflows built into the platform, along with fan engagement experiences aimed at making the whole operation more visible and marketable. A new initiative called Link254 is part of the rollout, and the pitch to recruits is hard to miss, Baylor now has another tool to sell as it tries to stand out in a recruiting landscape where off-field opportunity matters almost as much as what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]