Baylor’s secondary took a hit when Carl Williams and DJ Coleman entered the transfer portal, so the Bears went looking for help with some familiarity baked in. That’s where Daniel Cobbs comes in.
Cobbs is No. 19 on the list of Baylor’s 25 most important players for the 2026 season, and he arrives in Waco after following his former defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman, from Kansas State. He spent three seasons with the Wildcats after beginning his college career at Tyler Junior College in 2022.
His path at Kansas State built up steadily. Cobbs redshirted in 2023, then played in all 12 games in 2024 as a role player before becoming one of the defense’s more important pieces last season. He appeared in 11 games, worked at strong safety and even logged a couple of games at slot, then started the final two games of the year at safety.
The production matched the expanded role. Cobbs played 415 snaps last season, finished sixth on the team with 39 tackles, and led the Wildcats with three interceptions.
At 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, Cobbs looks positioned to play a major role right away. Baylor returns Jacob Redding, who is expected to be the top safety after a breakout 2025 season, and also brings back Devin and Tyler Turner while adding Colby McCalister, another Kansas State transfer. Even so, Cobbs appears to have the inside track to start alongside Redding.
That pairing could give Baylor real juice on the back end. Cobbs has shown he can make plays no matter where he lines up, and he has a knack for finding the ball in the air. Redding led the Bears with three interceptions last season, so the two of them together could create problems for opposing quarterbacks.
Cobbs may also help against the run. PFF graded him as the second-best run defender on the team last year with an 81.8 mark, and moving him around to attack the box could give Baylor another weapon on early downs.
With Klanderman in the building, Cobbs looks like a strong candidate to start. He should line up across from Redding, and that combination gives Baylor a chance to be dangerous in the secondary. The prediction here: Cobbs finishes his first season in green and gold with four interceptions.
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Baylors secondary has spent the offseason looking for stability, and Colby McCalister is one of the names that could matter most when the Bears get into 2026. The veteran defensive back arrived from Kansas State after following defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, bringing Big 12 experience and a familiarity with the system that should help him settle in quickly once he is fully back on the field.
McCalister is still working his way back after missing the 2025 season with a knee injury, but his return gives Baylor a potential boost in a room that can use it. If he recaptures the form that made him such a useful piece in Manhattan, the Bears may find that one of their most important defensive additions was already in the building all along. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's 2026 Schedule Looks Even Tougher When You See The QBs
Baylors 2026 football schedule already looked demanding on paper, but the quarterback matchups make it feel even more unforgiving. The Bears open against Auburn and close the year against Houston, with a run of opponents in between that brings a steady stream of experienced, high-upside passers. For a team trying to navigate a difficult slate, the challenge is not just the names on the calendar but the variety of styles those quarterbacks bring.
Some of the most intriguing tests come from the top of that list, where Baylor will see a mix of proven production and rising talent. Noah Fifita, Bear Bachmeier, Will Hammond and Byrum Brown all give their teams reasons to believe they can tilt games, whether through efficient passing, dual-threat playmaking or sheer volume of impact. It is the kind of schedule that can expose a defense quickly, and for Baylor, the question is how much margin it will have when the opposing quarterback room looks this deep. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Big 12 Hopes Come Down To One Brutal Final Test
Baylors path to a Big 12 push has narrowed into a late-season stress test, with ESPNs Football Power Index slotting the Bears sixth in the league and the final three weeks looking like anything but a soft landing. The mix of BYU, Texas Tech and Houston gives Dave Arandas team a stretch that will demand cleaner offense, sturdier defense and a little more composure in the moments that decide close conference games.
DJ Lagway and Dawson Pendergrass give Baylor enough talent to make the race interesting, especially with Pendergrass back after missing last season and the defense getting help from additions up front. But the Bears will have to protect the ball, stay on schedule on third down and hold up against opponents that bring proven playmakers of their own, which is why this finish feels less like a tune-up and more like a verdict on whether Baylor can still contend in the Big 12 conversation. [Read more 🡒]