Baylor picked up a pair of Big 12 weekly honors after Friday’s 41-9 win at UCF, with quarterback DJ Lagway taking Offensive Player of the Week and the Bears’ defensive line earning Defensive Line of the Week.
The recognition gives Baylor its fourth and fifth weekly Big 12 awards of the 2026 season, which is its highest total since the team collected seven in 2024.
Lagway was sharp from start to finish against the Knights. He matched his career best with four touchdown passes, finished 16 of 25 for 319 yards, and spread the ball around to four different targets.
Tony Livingston caught two of those scoring throws, while Matthew Klopfenstein and Gavin Freeman each added one. Freeman’s 77-yard touchdown grab was Baylor’s longest play from scrimmage this season.
Lagway also set a new career high with 11 rushing attempts and picked up 23 yards on the ground.
The junior now sits 12th nationally in passing yards per game, and Baylor’s passing attack has climbed into the top 20 nationally as a result.
Up front, Baylor’s defensive line made life miserable for UCF all night. The Bears piled up a season-high seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss, continuing a season-long run of disruption from a group that ranks second nationally in sacks and third in tackles for loss.
Kaleb Burns and Jamaal Whyce Jr. led the charge with 1.5 sacks apiece. Traevon Mitchell, Ryan Davis and Jordan Mack each added one sack, and Pro Football Focus credited Baylor with 19 pressures on UCF’s 37 pass attempts.
Baylor’s 2026 honors list also includes recognition for a long list of players across the roster, from Michael Allen’s national award semifinalist nods to Palmer Williams’ special teams accolades and DJ Lagway’s earlier Big 12 and national weekly awards.
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Baylor Homecoming Will Test Whether This Defense Is For Real
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Iowa State has a way of asking questions that can expose whether a defense is truly settled in, especially in a spot like homecoming where the spotlight is a little brighter and the margin for error can shrink quickly. The odds point one way for now, but as always they can move, and Baylors next step is proving its defense can hold up when the opponent is built to make a game uncomfortable. [Read more 🡒]