Big 12 Media Days are in the rearview, and that only sharpens the focus on what Baylor is walking into this season. The Bears are coming off a 5-7 year, and the transfer portal churn around the program was massive. More than 30 players left, even as Baylor worked to reshape the roster with portal additions of its own.
That kind of turnover always leaves a few names hanging in the air - the guys a team would love to have back if it could. For Baylor, four departures stand out as the ones that could sting the most.
Coleton Price is the first obvious one. Baylor’s offensive line is set for a different look this season, with only one returning starter coming back in 2026, and Price would have been a huge piece to keep around.
The veteran center started 11 games last year and was one of the main reasons the offense kept moving. He and Omar Aigbedion were the kind of steady force that made everything work up front, and losing Price is especially tough with this season feeling like a make-or-break stretch.
Pro Football Focus graded Price as Baylor’s best pass-blocker at 83.6, and that matters even more with DJ Lagway arriving and the Bears needing to keep him upright. A center who can protect the pocket and steer the line is exactly the sort of player Baylor would have loved to keep. Instead, Price is headed to Kentucky, while Baylor is hoping Yakiri Walker can be ready to play, though his eligibility ruling is still pending.
On defense, Keaton Thomas is the kind of loss that changes the feel of a unit. He was the centerpiece of Baylor’s defense in back-to-back seasons, piling up more than 100 tackles in both 2024 and 2025.
Last season, Thomas finished with 103 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. He and Travion Barnes were supposed to form a dangerous linebacker pairing a year ago, but Barnes’ season was cut short by a season-ending injury.
Barnes is back now and expected to lead the group, but Baylor would have loved to see that tandem healthy together. Thomas is at Ole Miss, and the Bears are now counting on Kyland Reed and Kaleb Burns to help Barnes in 2026. The group is solid, but a top-10 linebacker is the kind of player you always want to keep.
The safety spot is a little different. Baylor actually feels pretty good about its depth there after the portal work it did, especially with Jacob Redding and Tyler Turner back, Devin Turner healthy again, and two more safeties added to the mix. Even so, it’s easy to see why the Bears would miss Coleman.
This one is as much about the player as the position. Coleman was one of Baylor’s better tacklers last season and didn’t give much away on the back end. He finished 2025 with 45 tackles, six tackles for loss and two interceptions, and he looked like a dependable piece for Joe Klanderman’s defense.
Then there’s Morgan, the one with the highest ceiling still hanging over the whole thing. There may have been some issues behind the scenes, but with four years of eligibility left, he has the kind of traits that can turn into something special. If he stays focused and keeps playing, Missouri could have a top edge rusher in the SEC.
Baylor saw that upside too. Morgan had the tools to become a major weapon in Joe Klanderman’s scheme, even though he logged just six tackles a year ago.
With Emar'rion Winston and Matthew Fobbs-White transferring, he was lined up for a bigger role. It didn’t work out, though, and Baylor has since brought in help to fill that gap, including Garrick Ponder, who was explosive at Southern Miss and is expected to try to carry that over to Big 12 play.
In Other News...
Baylor Suddenly Has A Real Caden Powell Decision Looming
Caden Powells Baylor future just got a lot more interesting, and not just because of what he did on the floor last season. The forward stepped into a bigger role after Juslin Bodo Bodo went down with a forearm injury, and he made the most of the opportunity, giving the Bears steady production and a physical presence when they needed it.
Now Baylor has to fold Powell into a much bigger conversation about what the roster could look like in 2026-27. An NCAA eligibility change tied to age-based rules has opened the door for another season, which means the Bears have to think about scholarship math, roster spots and revenue-sharing plans with one more moving part than they expected. [Read more 🡒]
Why Isaiah Robinson Suddenly Matters So Much For Baylor In 2026
Isaiah Robinson has been in Baylors program long enough to stop feeling like a pure projection and start looking like a real answer. The offensive lineman spent two seasons developing behind the scenes after arriving as a highly regarded recruit, and even without playing in the 2025 season, he has remained one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster because of his size, talent and the way the depth chart is setting up around him.
That matters now because Baylor is heading into 2026 with very little proven continuity up front, and Robinson is expected to be in the mix for a starting tackle job. Protecting the quarterback is going to be one of the defining tasks for the Bears next season, and with so few returning starters on the line, Robinsons long wait could finally turn into a major role. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Women's Golf Faces A New Road With Its 2026-27 Slate
Baylor womens golf has its 2026-27 slate set, and the itinerary looks built to keep the Bears moving. The schedule features 10 regular-season events across the country, opening in Charleston, South Carolina, and stretching from tournaments close to Waco to stops on both coasts, a mix that should give Jay Gobles team plenty of variety before championship season arrives.
Goble said he likes the balance of local and far-flung events because it will test the Bears in different climates and on different grasses, which is exactly the kind of preparation a program wants before the spring grind. The regular season will eventually give way to the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, California, and along the way Baylor will have several chances to stay near home while still seeing enough of the national schedule to measure where it stands. [Read more 🡒]