Fall camp is open in Waco, and Baylor has put its 2026 football roster on the table. The Bears didn’t land a huge 2026 recruiting class, but there are still a handful of newcomers worth watching as the season gets rolling.
One of the first names that jumps off the page is defensive lineman Jae'lin Battle. At 302 pounds, he already has the kind of frame that can matter on Saturdays, and he was one of the top additions in Baylor’s class. He still has room to add more bulk, too.
Wide receiver London Smith brings a different kind of intrigue. Listed at 6-foot and 211 pounds, he has the body type to help this season, but Baylor’s receiver room is crowded, so he’ll need a strong fall camp to push his way into the mix.
On the offensive line, Donel Robinson Jr. stands out immediately. He’s already over 300 pounds and looks like a massive piece for a Baylor front that still has plenty of uncertainty. Robinson Jr. will likely need more size down the road, but the work has clearly been done this offseason.
The biggest body on the roster belongs to Toledo transfer Cole Rhett. At 6'6" and 348 pounds, he’s expected to compete for the starting left tackle job and brings the kind of starting experience Baylor needs after opening his last season with the Rockets in the lineup.
Another transfer with a path to real snaps is Nate Kibble, who comes over from Texas after two seasons with the Longhorns and limited game action. He’s listed at 6'3" and 333 pounds, and he’ll be in the fight for a starting guard spot. He was slated to battle Koltin Sieracki at right guard, and with Yakiri Walker no longer on the roster, that path may have opened a little more.
Defensive end Zavion Hardy is another player to circle. At 6'5" and 281 pounds, he’s the biggest defensive end on the team and also one of the fastest, according to the roster release. Hardy came to Baylor from South Carolina, along with a CC, and was the top-rated JUCO player when he committed to the Gamecocks.
In Other News...
Baylor Fall Camp Has 3 Names Fans Need To Watch
Fall camp is getting underway in Waco, and for Baylor the real intrigue may not be at the top of the depth chart so much as in the players pushing to become part of it. The Bears are using this stretch to sort out depth and see who can turn a strong camp into meaningful snaps once the season begins, with several rotation spots still open enough to reward steady progress.
Among the names worth tracking are London Smith, Bo Onu and Kaleb Burns, a trio that brings different experience levels but the same opportunity to carve out a role. Baylors staff will be looking for each to show they can help on either side of the ball, and how they handle the competition in camp could shape the teams depth well beyond August. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Aranda Is Dealing With A Baylor Problem Up Front
Baylors front is already dealing with an unusual summer of uncertainty, with two players caught up in NCAA eligibility cases as the Bears try to sort out their depth before the season gets moving. The situation has put added pressure on Dave Aranda and his staff, because the timing of those rulings matters just as much as the rulings themselves when a team is trying to organize its line play.
One of the cases has already been settled, which changes the picture for Baylor in a different way than expected, while another remains unresolved with a hearing set for Aug. 11. For Aranda, the problem is not just whether the Bears get a player back or lose one for good, but how long they have to plan without knowing what the final answer will be. [Read more 🡒]