With Big 12 play opening Saturday against Colorado, Baylor’s quarterback situation is suddenly the kind of problem every coach wants: a healthy starter trending toward return, and a backup who kept the offense steady long enough to make that possible.
Coach Aranda said Monday that DJ Lagway is on track to start against Colorado. When asked about Lagway’s status, he said, "I think so, yeah, we have not practiced yet.
And so we're gonna do that later today. But all indications are yes.
And so he was able to work out actually Saturday prior to the game on the field. And felt really good and feels good walking around and all of it now.
And so he's excited, he's ready."
Aranda also made clear why Lagway stayed on the sideline last week. Asked essentially if Lagway would have played in a conference game, Aranda answered, "Right, yeah, he was at 60% last, probably 60, 70 last week.
So I didn't feel like he was in a position to protect himself off of just in the pocket movement, just pushing off and making kind of sudden movements. I didn't feel like he was in a position to do that.
And so regardless of who it was, I just didn't feel he could protect himself. Well, now I feel like he's improved and he's ready.
"And then the run game part of it is important. I think Nate rushing touchdown goes to show it. And I think even on the flip of it, the LA Tech's first drive versus us, that first drive, whereas any runs were kind of knocking them out with penetration by the D line, but they get too overzealous and too confident.
"And they get too aggressive and then the quarterback slips out. And so the run game, the scramble part of it is essential.
And I think for an O line that's kind of in the phase where we're at right now, it's very essential. And so that's gonna be a part of DJ's game."
That explanation fits the decision Aranda made last week. Nate Bennett wasn’t just filling time.
He was the right answer in the moment, whether he was working with Gavin Freeman, scoring with his legs, or simply avoiding mistakes and keeping the offense on schedule. Over the past two weeks, Bennett connected with Freeman 17 times, and he handled the job like a quarterback who understood exactly what the team needed from him.
That steadiness mattered because Aranda has already shown this season that he is willing to put player safety first. In week one against Auburn, Baylor went for a two-point conversion instead of kicking the PAT and playing for overtime, a call that failed. The Bears ran 99 offensive plays in that game, and by the end, Lagway was having trouble moving much on his injured ankle while other players were also showing fatigue.
So when the staff chose not to force Lagway back before he was ready, it was consistent with the way Aranda has handled things all along. Keeping Lagway healthy for the Big 12 slate was the priority, and Bennett’s reliable play made that choice easier.
If Baylor gets Lagway back and also welcomes more players who had been listed as out on the injury report, the Bears may have the kind of depth they need to move from merely being competitive in the Big 12 to being a real contender.
In Other News...
Baylor Is Catching A Colorado Team Under Serious Pressure
Colorado is heading into its Big 12 opener against Baylor with plenty of off-field noise still hanging over the program after Deion Sanders dismissed several players for what he described as a pattern of conduct detrimental to the team. It is the kind of reset that forces a locker room to refocus quickly, and safety Randon Fontenette spent time in media availability stressing that the Buffaloes attention has to stay on winning and on maintaining the standards Sanders has set.
For Baylor, the timing adds another layer to a conference opener that already carried some weight. The Bears are catching a Colorado team trying to steady itself in the middle of sudden roster turnover, and those situations often reveal whether a program can settle in fast or keep slipping into distraction. However Colorado responds, it will be doing so with the pressure of a fresh Big 12 start and a thinner margin for error than it had a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Opens Big 12 Play With Pressure Already Building Against Colorado
Baylor opens Big 12 play with a familiar opponent and a little extra edge, hosting Colorado after an overtime loss to the Buffaloes not long ago. The Bears enter conference play with DJ Lagway expected to start, even as he works back from injury recovery, which gives this matchup an early-season urgency that goes beyond the league standings.
For Baylor, the formula is fairly clear: take advantage of Colorados defensive weaknesses, keep Lagway upright with better pass protection and avoid the kinds of discipline issues that can swing a close game. Those are the details that often decide September games, and they carry even more weight here with the opener bringing both a rematch feel and an immediate test of how far Baylor has come since the last meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Bowl Hopes May Hinge On One Offensive Turnaround
Through three games, Baylors offense has left the kind of statistical trail that usually puts a team on the wrong side of bowl season. The Bears have been lagging in two of the clearest markers tied to postseason eligibility - yards per carry and third-down conversion rate - and history says teams that fall short in those areas tend to spend November watching the bowl picture from a distance.
That is why the return of DJ Lagway looms so large for Baylor. If his presence gives the offense the lift it has been missing, the Bears could start climbing back toward the profile of a bowl team. If not, the margin for error gets thin fast, and the next few weeks may decide whether this season still has a December destination. [Read more 🡒]