Baylor opens the 2026 season this Saturday against Auburn, and one of the biggest names on the other sideline is a familiar one for Dave Aranda.
Bryson Washington, Baylor’s leading rusher over the previous two seasons, now lines up for the Tigers after transferring in early January. Aranda made it clear Monday that the Bears still have plenty of respect for the back who emerged from redshirt status in 2023 and turned into a steady production machine.
“I think any time that you're going against a former teammate, you want the best for them outside of that event that you're both in," Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said when asked about Washington during his Monday press conference. "I know, speaking for a lot of the guys and myself, I want to see him have success."
Washington’s first full season as Baylor’s starter was a big one: 175 carries, 1,028 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 217 receiving yards and another score as a pass catcher. He followed that with another productive year in 2025, finishing with seven total touchdowns and a team-best 881 yards from scrimmage.
After that pair of strong seasons, Washington entered the transfer portal and eventually landed at Auburn, where he joins a backfield that also includes Jeremiah Cobb. Cobb rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season, and the two look poised to share the workload for the Tigers.
“I want to see him win that job," Aranda said about Washington's new situation. "But in this game, we're going to have to build it to try to stop him."
There’s a clear fit argument for Washington in Auburn’s offense, too. He has shown more receiving ability than Cobb at this level, with a career high of 22 catches compared with Cobb’s 24 receptions across three college seasons. Auburn first-year coach Alex Golesh also comes from an offense at South Florida that featured 26 receptions by running backs in his final season there.
That combination of pass-catching upside and a new coaching staff could help Washington carve out a bigger role. But Aranda said the bigger question is still how Baylor handles him between the tackles.
"He's tough to stop," Aranda said. "It was interesting seeing the breakdown of him.
He's a tough runner, falls forward, all those things. We know what he's going to bring, and so we know what we have to be in order to meet that."
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