Baylor’s offense has a familiar face in the mix for one of college football’s more distinctive honors.
Junior quarterback DJ Lagway has landed on the 2026 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list, according to an announcement this week. The award goes to the top offensive player in Division I football who also reflects the traits tied to Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and the kind of tenacity and determination needed to push through adversity and injury while chasing goals.
The eligibility pool is specific, too. Nominees must have played football at and graduated from a Texas high school and/or currently be playing at a Texas-based Division I four-year college.
This year’s watch list includes 107 players from nine different conferences and two independents, with Lagway one of 15 quarterbacks selected.
Lagway arrives in Waco after two seasons at Florida, where his career totals stand at 4,179 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, along with 237 rushing yards and one score on the ground. His 2024 season earned him consensus Freshman All-American honors after he threw for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns, helped Florida go 6-1 in his seven starts, and tied a school record for wins by a true freshman.
He followed that up last year by landing on the preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award, Walter Camp, Wuerffel Trophy and Maxwell Award before throwing for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns. Lagway had multiple touchdown passes in four games, including three wins, and added 244 rushing yards on 51 carries while starting all 12 games.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award list will be trimmed to no more than 16 semifinalists in November, with up to five finalists coming in December. Broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans and previous winners will help make those selections. The winner will be announced in December and honored at The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet on January 27, 2027, in Tyler, Texas.
Baylor has had its name attached to the award before. Former quarterback Bryce Petty won the inaugural honor in 2013, and former running back Abram Smith was a finalist in 2021.
Lagway is one of several Baylor players showing up on preseason and watch lists this week. Michael Allen is on the AFCA Good Works Team Nominee list and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List. Travion Barnes appears on the Preseason All-Texas Second Team from Dave Campbell's Texas Football, the Preseason All-Big Third Team from Phil Steele, the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List and the Shriners 1000 Watch List.
Ryan Davis made the Preseason All-Big 12 Second Team by PFN, while Gavin Freeman was named to PFN’s Preseason All-Big 12 Third Team. Tony Livingston, Dawson Pendergrass, Jacob Redding, Kaden Sieracki, Devonte Tezino, LeVar Thornton Jr., Devin Turner, Hosea Wheeler and Palmer Williams also turned up on various watch lists and preseason teams, with Williams earning a long list of national and conference recognition that includes preseason All-America honors from Walter Camp, CBS Sports and Phil Steele, first-team All-Big 12 selections from the media and Phil Steele, first-team All-Texas recognition from Dave Campbell's Texas Football, and a spot on the Ray Guy Award Watch List.
In Other News...
Baylor Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Shaky Right Before Auburn
Dawson Pendergrass has worked his way back from a foot injury and is now expected to be ready when Baylor opens the season against Auburn, which gives the Bears at least one encouraging update as the countdown to kickoff continues. Getting a receiver back in the mix matters for a Baylor offense that wants to settle in early, especially with the season opener carrying a little extra attention against a Power Four opponent.
Taz Williams Jr. is the tougher subplot to sort through after he injured his collarbone in practice and is set for surgery, leaving his availability in question at a time when depth is already a concern. Coach Dave Aranda has said Williams Jr. could be back within a few weeks, but for now Baylor is left waiting on a more precise timeline and hoping the receiver room can absorb the hit until it gets clearer answers. [Read more 🡒]
Caden Knighten Could Be Baylor's Most Dangerous Backfield X-Factor
Caden Knighten arrived at Baylor with the kind of speed that always makes a backfield interesting, and he has already shown he can do more than just sprint past defenders. A former Oklahoma 2-A 100-meter state champion in 2023, Knighten carved out a role last season while sharing touches with Bryson Washington and Michael Turner, finishing with 104 carries for 469 yards and 11 catches for 134 yards, plus a rushing score and a receiving touchdown.
With Dawson Pendergrass healthy this season, Knighten is expected to stay in a reserve role, but that does not make him any less important to the Bears offensive picture. Baylors rushing outlook feels like it could hinge on how much explosiveness it gets from Knighten and the other backs around him, especially if the staff keeps finding ways to get him into space where his track speed can change a drive in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Just Strengthened A Recruiting Edge Fans Cant Ignore
Baylor is making another move to keep pace in the increasingly crowded NIL arms race, announcing a partnership with TheLinkU that will bring the companys revenue and NIL platform into the athletic department. The goal is straightforward enough: give Baylor student-athletes a more centralized system for managing opportunities, while also creating new ways for the program to grow revenue and deepen brand partnerships around the Bears.
The deal also adds some structure behind the scenes, with contract management and compliance workflows built into the platform, along with fan engagement experiences aimed at making the whole operation more visible and marketable. A new initiative called Link254 is part of the rollout, and the pitch to recruits is hard to miss, Baylor now has another tool to sell as it tries to stand out in a recruiting landscape where off-field opportunity matters almost as much as what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]