Baylor football is heading into 2026 with a very different look, and a lot of the optimism starts with the new faces. DJ Lagway arrives as the headline transfer, Joe Klanderman comes in from Kansas State to reshape the defense, and there’s a real sense that the Bears could surprise people if the pieces click quickly.
Lagway is the biggest swing. The expectation here is that he has a legitimate shot to be one of the best quarterbacks in his conference.
His time at Florida didn’t fully take off, but once he hit the transfer portal, multiple major programs wanted him. The talent has never been the question.
The idea is that Florida never made him comfortable and that the situation there was a mess this past year. In Jake Spavital’s offense, Lagway’s athleticism should fit naturally, and that could help Baylor produce an offense that looks a lot like last year’s group.
The same kind of belief extends to the receiving room, especially with Miller. He was heavily underused in Colorado’s offense, but the skill set is obvious: strong after the catch, dangerous in the backfield, and versatile enough to move all over the formation.
With three of the top five receiving leaders from last year getting drafted, the projection is that Miller can thrive in this system and maybe even become the Big 12’s top receiver in all-purpose yards. Spavital should be able to line him up anywhere and create room for him to work.
There’s also real confidence that Baylor’s defense can take a massive step forward after last season’s problems. Giving up 35 points per game left no room for excuses, and that kind of performance pushed the staff to overhaul the roster.
The Bears brought in multiple fifth-year seniors and experienced rotational players from programs like Oklahoma, Indiana, and Kansas State, along with Group of Five additions from Southern Miss and Marshall. The expectation is a major turnaround, and if it doesn’t happen, Baylor could be looking at a new head coach by next spring.
Klanderman’s arrival is supposed to be the backbone of that change. His reputation at Kansas State was built over several years, with that defense standing out as one of the Big 12’s most reliable units.
From 2021 to 2024, Kansas State allowed 24 points per game in a four-year stretch and forced more than 62 turnovers from 2021 to 2023. If he can bring even part of that production to Waco, and pair it with an offense that can score, Baylor may have found the fix it’s been searching for.
The defensive additions should help right away. Colby McCalister, Daniel Cobbs, and Devon Jordan are expected to improve pass coverage immediately, and Klanderman also brings over two players from Kansas State who already know the system.
That makes them plug-and-play pieces from the start. Add in returning players like Reggie Bush II and Jacob Redding, and the thought is that if they catch fire and give Auburn trouble in Week 1, this group could become a problem for the rest of the Big 12.
That opener against Auburn is shaping up as one of the first real measuring sticks. Baylor gets a quality SEC opponent right away, and while the matchup won’t be easy, the game is viewed as one that could go either way.
Auburn has also gone through a huge roster reset, bringing in more than 40 transfers and a top-10 transfer class. Both teams are full of new pieces, and the outcome may come down to whether they can mesh quickly enough.
One or two late turnovers could swing the whole thing.
There’s also a younger name worth watching in London Smith. The in-state prodigy was a top 500 recruit and one of Baylor’s better receiver prospects in a while.
At Waco University High School, he piled up more than 3,500 yards and 42 touchdowns in his high school career. The expectation is that he’ll get rotational snaps early and could also factor on the return team because of his vertical threat ability.
Even Baylor’s recruiting outlook is part of the optimism. The Bears barely cracked the top 70 as of this writing, but with Lagway, the receiver talent, and Klanderman’s defensive staff in place, the program is expected to look very different after the season.
The belief is that Baylor should be able to attract a solid number of three- and four-star defensive recruits next cycle, especially with most of the current starters entering their junior and senior years. There’s also confidence that plenty of prospects will want to play for Klanderman’s defense.
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