Baylor opens the 2026-27 season Monday night with a chance to start fresh after a rough 17-17 year, and the early signs from the exhibition slate suggest Scott Drew’s group may be built to bounce back. Drew is entering his 24th season as a head coach, and Baylor has been a dependable opener under him, going 20-3 all-time in season openers.
The Bears kept a lot of their core from last season and added four transfers, which gives this roster a different look without completely tearing it down. More importantly, the exhibition games hinted at a team that can score and has enough pieces to make life difficult for opponents.
One of the biggest things to watch against Northwestern State is how Baylor uses center Juslin Bodo Bodo. The Demons are projected to start a 6'6" and 6'7" player on Monday night, and while Bodo Bodo is not being asked to go out and fill it up, Baylor wants him controlling the paint. The former High Point center is expected to rebound, protect the rim and make it easier for the Bears to space the floor with freshman Elijah Williams starting at the '4'.
That frontcourt setup is part of a larger question that followed Baylor into the season: where does the star power come from? The hope was that five-star freshman Dylan Mingo could become that guy, with Kayden Mingo and Isaac Williams helping out around him. But in the exhibitions, it was Kayden Mingo who looked like the headliner.
Mingo put up 31 points in the win over Florida and followed that with 24 against Illinois. He hit 40% of his threes across the two games and showed he could also attack the glass against quality competition. Baylor will still try to spread the production around on Monday, but the early buzz says this could be Mingo’s team in Waco.
Dylan Mingo and Elijah Williams both started in the exhibitions, and both freshmen gave Baylor a glimpse of what they can bring. Mingo showed scoring touch, while also rebounding and handing out assists. Williams was quieter, but the Bears are clearly giving both young players a real runway early.
This matchup should give Baylor a chance to settle in and get those freshmen comfortable. Mingo may carry the five-star label, but Williams came in as a high four-star prospect, and both are expected to matter for Baylor this season.
The offense looked sharp in the exhibitions, with Baylor scoring 82 points against Florida and 95 in overtime against Illinois. Last season’s problems weren’t really about putting the ball in the basket, though. The issues came when Cameron Carr got gassed and the defense faded late.
There’s also reason to think the Bears can stretch the floor. Brett Decker Jr. and Isaac Celiscar are both capable of getting hot from deep, and Monday could be a night where they do exactly that.
Against Northwestern State, Baylor should have the upper hand. The Bears are expected to handle this one comfortably, and if the exhibition results were any indication, they could leave opening night with some real optimism about a much better 2026-27 season.
In Other News...
Baylor Exposed Problems At UCF That Just Got Even Worse
Baylors 41-9 win at UCF did more than hand the Knights a lopsided loss. It also put a spotlight on problems that were already simmering, from an offense that never found the end zone for the first time this season to a defense that gave up a season-high 503 yards. Scott Frost and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch both pointed to the same broad issues afterward, with the offensive line struggling to hold up and the defense dealing with communication breakdowns that Baylor was able to exploit.
The concern for UCF has only deepened with the injury news that followed. Owen Spell and RJ Jackson Jr. are both done for the season, leaving the Knights to sort through a difficult stretch with fewer answers and less margin for error. For a team already trying to clean up execution on both sides of the ball, the Baylor game looked less like an outlier than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors New-Look Roster Gave Fans An Encouraging First Glimpse
Baylors new-look mens basketball roster gave fans an encouraging first glimpse in the 2026-27 season opener, an 87-65 win over Northwestern State that never really felt in doubt. The Bears led from start to finish, built an 18-point cushion by halftime and kept the Demons at arms length the rest of the way, never allowing the margin to shrink below 15 in the second half.
What stood out beyond the final score was how quickly the rotation started to take shape. Four Baylor players finished in double figures, and 10 players made their Baylor debuts in the game, a reminder of just how much turnover this team is managing as it begins a new season. For a group trying to establish identity early, the opener offered a useful first step, even if the bigger tests are still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Fans Have Plenty To Watch In The NFL Right Now
Baylor fans have had plenty of familiar names to track across the NFL schedule the past two weeks, with several former Bears getting game action in Weeks Seven and Eight. James Lynch delivered a notable moment with the first interception of his career, while Terrel Bernard turned in a strong outing for the Buffalo Bills, giving Baylor supporters a little something extra to follow beyond the college game.
The injury side of the ledger is less encouraging, though, as Jalen Pitre and Tyquan Thornton are still sidelined. Pitres return remains uncertain, and Thornton is hoping to work his way back in time for the playoffs, leaving Baylor fans to keep one eye on the weekly box scores and another on the injury reports. [Read more 🡒]