Baylor enters 2026 with a handful of players who could push beyond All-Big 12 recognition and into the national spotlight, and the group starts with a punter who already looks like one of the safest bets in the sport.
Palmer Williams is Baylor’s clearest All-America candidate heading into the season. In 2025, he averaged a Big 12-best 46.92 yards per punt and helped the Bears finish first in the nation with a 45.0-yard net punting average.
Of his 27 punts, only 12 were returned, and those returns produced just 32 total yards. Eleven of his punts traveled at least 50 yards, and another 11 pinned opponents inside the 20.
That season brought Williams Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year honors and a spot as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation’s top punter. He also enters 2026 as a first-team Walter Camp and second-team AP preseason All-American. If he stays close to his career average of 46.55 yards per punt, he should be right in the mix for first-team All-America honors again, along with another run at the Ray Guy Award.
DJ Lagway brings a different kind of upside. The former five-star quarterback and Lone Star State native transferred from Florida after throwing for 4,179 yards and 28 touchdowns over two seasons.
In 2025, he completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns, but he also led the SEC with 14 interceptions. Cleaning up the turnover problem will decide whether he settles in as a productive Big 12 starter or turns into one of the country’s most talked-about quarterbacks.
Jake Spavital’s offense gives Lagway a real chance to make a jump. Sawyer Robertson put up 3,681 passing yards and 31 touchdowns in the same system last season, and Lagway brings more mobility and one of the strongest arms in college football. If he gets to roughly 3,500 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and single-digit interceptions, he could work his way into All-Big 12 and national award discussion, especially if Baylor wins eight or more games.
On defense, Travion Barnes is the name to watch. The linebacker was the 2024 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year at FIU after piling up 129 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three interceptions. His first season at Baylor lasted only four games because of an injury, but he returns as the projected starting middle linebacker and is already on the Bednarik Award watch list.
Barnes should see plenty of action in Dave Aranda’s defense. If he gets close to 100 tackles and adds sacks and takeaways, he has a chance to become one of the Big 12’s most productive linebackers.
Another transfer with a strong résumé is defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler, a late addition who could also enter the All-America conversation. Wheeler was a first-team All-Conference USA selection at Western Kentucky before contributing to Indiana’s national championship team. In 2025, he recorded 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, 11 quarterback pressures and two fumble recoveries.
His value may show up more in the run game and in how he changes the front than in pure sack numbers, but Baylor needs that kind of presence. The Bears gave up 197.2 rushing yards per game last season, and Wheeler’s power could help reshape that unit.
Safety Jacob Redding, running back Dawson Pendergrass and receivers Dre’lon Miller and Louis Brown IV also have All-Big 12 potential. Still, Williams, Lagway, Barnes and Wheeler give Baylor its strongest group of legitimate All-America candidates going into 2026.
In Other News...
Former Baylor Assistant's Exit Now Carries A Troubling NCAA Twist
Jared Nuness resignation from Baylor mens basketball had already been framed as a personal and health-related decision, closing the book on a longtime assistants run in Waco. Now, the exit carries a much sharper edge, as the NCAA has sanctioned Nuness for impermissible sports betting activities tied to his account during his time in the profession.
The governing body said Nuness placed about 3,400 bets totaling $38,000 on professional competitions and accepted responsibility for every wager associated with his account. The result is a two-year show cause penalty, a significant sanction that adds an uncomfortable postscript to a departure that initially appeared to be about private concerns rather than enforcement trouble. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Is Chasing A Huge Recruiting Win With One Key Edge
Baylor has landed squarely in the mix for one of the most coveted wings in the 2025 class, with five-star small forward Moussa Kamissoko setting up a busy round of official visits that includes a stop in Waco on Oct. 16. The Glen Head, N.Y., prospect has built his reputation on size, versatility and steady production on the Nike EYBL circuit, traits that have made him a priority for a long list of major programs.
What gives the Bears a real opening is the timing. Baylor is the final scheduled visit on Kamissokos list, and the staff already has an established relationship with his high school program, which could matter as he gets deeper into the process. For a team always looking to add top-end talent on the wing, this is the kind of recruitment that can quietly shape a class if the last impression lands well. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Defense Already Showing Something Last Years Team Never Had
Baylors defense is still early in its reshaping, but Micah Gifford says the vibe around the group already feels different. In a recent press scrum with Dave Aranda and several teammates, the safety pointed to a strong sense of brotherhood and positivity, a notable shift for a unit that has spent the offseason getting to know a lot of new faces and voices.
There has been plenty of turnover to sort through, with roughly 28 to 32 players from last season no longer on the roster, and that kind of change usually takes time to settle. The Bears also know the defense has a standard to chase after struggling against the run in Big 12 play a year ago, even if the pass defense held up better, so the real test now is whether that new energy can translate once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]