Confidence, chemistry and connection were front and center for Baylor wide receiver Jadon Porter as the Bears opened fall camp, and the third-year player made it clear he thinks this group is building something different.
Porter said the biggest change starts with how well the team knows each other after months of offseason work that stretched beyond the weight room and practice field. He pointed to workouts on their own, throwing sessions and even meals together as part of the bond that has grown inside the program.
"I'm really comfortable with our team," Porter said. "We've been getting a lot of work besides training with the staff.
We've been working out on our own, throwing together, going out to eat. I'm really comfortable with our team right now."
That comfort carries over to Baylor’s new quarterback, DJ Lagway, who trained with Porter in Miami during the offseason. Porter said the relationship has been steady from the start and praised Lagway’s demeanor as much as his talent.
"We've been doing stuff since he first got here," Porter said. "He's really easy to talk to.
He's confident in himself. He's a good quarterback, a good person, a good man of God."
Porter also said the offense had some first-day rust to shake off with coaches and the defense back on the field, but he expects Lagway to settle in quickly.
"It's the first day of practice," he said. "We've got to get back in the groove. ... Come Day 4, he'll be just fine."
One other change stood out right away: Baylor’s shift to morning practices. After working in the afternoons last season, Porter said the earlier schedule brought a different kind of energy, even with the Texas heat in play.
"Everybody wakes up with some energy," he said. "Trying to hype it up in the locker room. I feel like that's probably the biggest change."
Porter spent most of the offseason in Waco, though he did make another trip to Miami with teammates to train. He said that stretch also gave the group a chance to step back before diving into another long season.
"We were just trying to get football out of our heads before we go into this long stretch," he said.
Now back in camp, Porter’s individual focus is on the little things. He wants cleaner routes, quicker movement and no mistakes when the Bears start working through the details.
"I just want to work on all the small details," he said. "Getting out of my routes faster, no drops at all in fall camp. I already started with one drop today, so I'm going to have to fix that."
Porter’s view of leadership goes beyond football, too. He said he hopes Baylor keeps growing together spiritually and described the locker room as a brotherhood.
"I would say just us growing as men of God," he said. "Football is all good, but once this is over, it's over. ... We're all brothers, and I love these guys."
Even though he is still one of the younger veterans on the roster, Porter has embraced a leadership role in a receiver room with several newcomers. He named Gavin Freeman, Dre'lon Miller and Taz Williams as other leaders helping set the tone.
He also said last season’s disappointment has fueled the Bears heading into this year.
"We've got a chip on our shoulder," Porter said. "Last year was last year.
This year is a new year. For all the people that's doubting us, just stay with us and see what's going to happen this year."
Porter said his commitment to Baylor has stayed strong in the transfer portal era because of the people who recruited and developed him. He first pointed to the coaching staff that came after him when he was a sophomore in high school.
"The coaching staff has been really good to me, my teammates and my family," he said. "I've had other schools talk to me, but I didn't see anything like Baylor."
He gave special credit to receivers coach Dallas Baker, saying Baker’s coaching changed both his play and his outlook.
"When I really took Coach Baker's coaching, it really put me to the next level," Porter said. "He pushed me to be a greater man, greater football player, greater man of God."
Porter also spoke highly of head coach Dave Aranda, saying he can feel the urgency from the top as Baylor enters the season.
"He's eager to win," Porter said. "We know he's a great coach. We love the culture that he brings to us."
And as camp gets rolling, Porter likes what he sees from the defense he’s lining up against every day. He said the mix of styles from defensive backs such as LaVar Thornton, with his length, and Devon Jordan, with his quickness, is giving Baylor’s receivers the kind of work they need.
"I feel like we're all having good battles with each other," Porter said. "We're going to be good. We're going to be straight."
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