Baylor’s coaching change has already cost the Bears one recruit, and the next staff can’t afford to let the class keep bleeding. Three-star linebacker Bryson Brown has already flipped to Oklahoma State, leaving Baylor with 12 commitments in its 2027 class. Brown had initially said the coaching change would not impact his pledge before ultimately landing with the Pokes.
That leaves the Bears with a class that currently sits at No. 73 nationally and No. 15 in the Big 12, according to On3. The new head coach will need to add talent, but the first job is obvious: hold onto the best pieces already in the fold.
Quarterback is the first place Baylor has to think ahead. With DJ Lagway and Nate Bennett both entering their final season of eligibility in 2027, the Bears need a future answer under center, and three-star quarterback Luke Babin is the kind of commitment that matters in a transition.
Before moving to Barbers Hill for his senior season, Babin went 179 of 284 for 3,063 yards, 40 touchdowns and five interceptions at Woodville in 2025. He also ran for 562 yards and seven scores on 76 carries.
ESPN lists him as a pocket passer, but his 7.4 yards per carry as a junior points to a quarterback who can do damage on the move.
Keeping Babin would give Baylor’s next staff a potential successor to Lagway and Bennett instead of forcing a reset at the position.
Another name that should be near the top of the retention list is four-star Frisco Lone Star athlete Jamarion Hoyt, Baylor’s highest-ranked commitment in the Rivals Industry Comparison. Hoyt is ranked No. 272 nationally and No. 7 among athletes, a label that fits because he has played quarterback, running back, safety and wide receiver.
In 2025, he put up 22 rushing touchdowns, caught 26 passes for 396 yards and three receiving touchdowns, and also added five interceptions and a defensive touchdown. That kind of versatility gives Baylor plenty of ways to use him, and it makes him one of the most valuable commits in the class.
Up front, Baylor needs to keep building, and three-star Bridgeland offensive lineman Caleb Allen is a key part of that effort. He is one of only two offensive line commitments in the 2027 class, which makes his status even more important than his ranking alone.
Alongside Hudson Whitenight, Allen logged 50 pancake blocks while allowing just one sack during his junior year in 2025. That combination of finishing power and pass protection would help Baylor in two areas that have been issues: opening lanes in the run game and giving quarterbacks time to work.
On defense, Waco University safety Davontrae Kirkland brings the kind of flexibility Baylor’s next staff can use in a hurry. He had 83 tackles, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble as a sophomore, then followed with 32 tackles, four sacks and three forced fumbles in four games before an injury ended his junior season early.
Four sacks from a safety stand out, and that production could fit well in Joe Klanderman’s defense, which has used defensive backs to pressure quarterbacks. Kirkland has been committed since June 2025 and is ranked No. 75 among safeties by the Rivals Industry Comparison, just ahead of fellow Baylor pledge Devin Watkins at No.
- His Waco roots only add to the importance of keeping him in the class.
The final name on the list is three-star defensive lineman Cadriann Olds, whose retention would help Baylor avoid thinning out an already small group up front. Olds and Jake Venuto are the class’s only defensive end or edge commitments, which makes both especially important during the coaching transition.
In seven games in 2025, Olds recorded 47 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. With so few defensive linemen committed, losing him would leave the next staff with another major hole to fill at a position where young depth matters.
Baylor has already seen one recruit move on. The next coach’s first challenge is making sure the rest stay put.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Just Made Its Big 12 Problem Even Worse
The Big 12 race tightened again after Week 9, and for Baylor, the latest shakeup only adds more urgency to a conference picture that keeps shifting around it. Utah stayed unbeaten with a decisive win over Cincinnati, Texas Tech and BYU both bounced back from earlier losses, and Iowa States high-scoring upset of Oklahoma State helped redraw the leagues middle tier in a hurry.
For a Baylor team trying to climb back into the conversation, the problem is that there are now fewer soft spots to target and fewer clear separations between the teams in the pack. With all 16 programs sorted in a fresh set of power rankings, the Bears are left measuring themselves against a conference where momentum can flip fast and one bad Saturday can send a contender sliding. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Got More Proof This Team Is Turning A Corner
Baylors trip to UCF brought more than a lopsided road win. It also delivered a fresh round of Big 12 recognition, with quarterback DJ Lagway earning Offensive Player of the Week and the Bears defensive line taking home Defensive Line of the Week honors after the 41-9 rout. Lagway matched his career high with four touchdown passes and finished 16 of 25 for 319 yards, while the front seven kept the pressure on all afternoon.
For a program still trying to show this start is about more than one good Saturday, the weekly awards matter because they reflect balance. Baylor has now picked up its fourth and fifth Big 12 weekly honors of the 2026 season, a sign that different parts of the roster are drawing league-wide notice at the same time. The bigger question is how long the Bears can keep stacking those kinds of performances as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Homecoming Will Test Whether This Defense Is For Real
Baylor heads into homecoming with a little more confidence on the defensive side after its 41-9 win over UCF, a result that gave the Bears a clearer picture of what this unit can do when it is playing with control and urgency. The upcoming matchup with Iowa State brings a different kind of test, though, and the betting line has Baylor favored as the Bears try to show that last week was more than just a one-game spike.
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 🡒]