Baylor’s 44-3 win over Prairie View A&M gave the Bears a chance to flash plenty of talent, even if the game got lopsided fast and the second half turned into a showcase for backups. For NFL evaluators, there was still enough on tape to separate the players who helped their stock from the ones who left more questions behind.
Gavin Freeman was one of the clearest winners. He caught 10 passes for 104 yards against Prairie View A&M, and Baylor kept finding ways to use him everywhere - deep, underneath, and on plays built to let him rack up yards after the catch.
After making noise last week against Auburn, Freeman backed it up with another strong outing. He looks like a player who keeps giving a quarterback easy answers, and he’s making himself harder to ignore for NFL teams.
Garrick Ponder also kept building momentum. He finished with a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, and he was a force after Baylor’s defense opened a little slowly.
Early in the first quarter, he also blocked a Prairie View A&M punt, setting up a short field that Nate Bennet and the offense turned into points. Ponder has been showing exactly why pro teams should be paying attention.
Ryan Davis added another positive note with his first sack of the season on Saturday. He looked comfortable, and if he keeps showing up for Klanderman the way he has over the last couple of weeks, he’ll keep drawing NFL interest. The run defense has stood out, too, and that kind of production travels well to the next level.
DJ Lagway’s situation, though, is the one that drags stock down. He was listed as doubtful for this weekend’s matchup against Louisiana Tech, with Nate Bennett expected to take over under center for the Bears.
Lagway didn’t play Saturday, and the injuries are becoming a real concern for NFL teams. So far in his career, he has been healthy for a quarter of football.
If he can stay on the field, there’s no question he has the talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country and a future NFL draft pick.
Drelon Miller also left Baylor’s weekend with mixed results. He had drawn scout attention after the season he put together at Colorado last year, but an offseason injury has slowed him down, and he has seemingly been passed by younger players.
Against Prairie View A&M, he had just one catch. It did go for a touchdown down the sideline, so there’s still a chance that play can spark something for the rest of his season.
There’s still plenty of time for Miller to clean things up and finish strong.
In Other News...
Baylors Quarterback Uncertainty Just Got Bigger Entering Week 3
Baylors quarterback picture has only gotten murkier as the season moves into Week 3, with DJ Lagways injury adding another layer to a situation the Bears were already watching closely. In a Big 12 slate that keeps handing out stress tests at the most important position, Baylor now finds itself grouped with a conference-wide discussion about who is thriving, who is still settling in, and who has more questions than answers heading into another round of league play.
The broader quarterback conversation around the Big 12 has been lively through two weeks, from UCFs Alonza Barnett dealing with his own injury issue to Oklahoma States Drew Mestemaker turning in a notable performance that helped reshape the early rankings. Baylors place in that top-eight pecking order is still being sorted out, and with conference matchups looming in Week 3, the Bears are left waiting to see whether their situation stabilizes or becomes an even bigger storyline than it already is. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Suddenly Has A DJ Lagway Problem It Cant Ignore
Baylors quarterback picture has become a lot murkier heading into Week 3, with DJ Lagway considered doubtful against Louisiana Tech after suffering an ankle injury in the season opener. The Bears were already managing the usual early-season uncertainty, but now the focus has shifted to how they handle a potential absence from the player they were counting on to settle the position.
If Lagway cant go, Nate Bennett is expected to make his second career start, which would put even more pressure on a Baylor offense trying to find rhythm this early in the year. The broader concern is the recovery itself, since Lagway is still working back from a high-ankle sprain and his return timeline remains unclear, leaving Baylor without much certainty at the most important spot on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor WBB Schedule Puts This Loaded Roster On Notice
The Big 12 has already mapped out Baylors 2026-27 path, and it looks every bit like a schedule that will ask a lot from a roster expected to have serious depth. The Bears open conference play at Houston and finish the regular season at home against TCU, giving them an early road test and a late rivalry game that could matter plenty in the league race. Along the way, the league slate and non-conference dates give a clearer picture of how the season will be framed around a group that is set to blend returning players with new transfers.
For Baylor, the release is more than a calendar update because it offers the first real outline of how a loaded roster will be challenged before March arrives. The mix of conference trips, home dates and non-conference positioning should give the Bears no shortage of chances to prove they can handle the expectations that come with being one of the Big 12s most watched teams. The questions now are less about who Baylor has and more about how quickly that talent settles in once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]