Baylor enters this season with the pressure dial turned all the way up. The Bears need a turnaround, and they need it immediately. If that doesn’t happen, Dave Aranda’s seat is going to stay scorching, and plenty of people around him could be out of work too.
That’s the reality hanging over Waco before the first snap. Baylor kept the coaching staff intact for one more run, then went into the offseason trying to reshape the roster around a few key pieces. The biggest name in that conversation is quarterback DJ Lagway, who was the crown jewel of the transfer portal this offseason and gives Baylor a much higher ceiling at the position than Sawyer Robertson.
Lagway is joined by what could be a useful running game, though the receiving group is still inexperienced. On defense, Baylor will lean on defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler as the main anchor, with Travion Barnes and Garrick Ponder also expected to help build a sturdy base for Aranda’s group.
The question of whether Baylor can truly contend for a conference championship is a tricky one. In today’s college football landscape, conference titles still matter, but mostly because they help teams get into the college football playoff and improve their position there. For Baylor, though, that kind of talk is still more future-facing than immediate.
Last season showed how far the Bears still have to climb. Baylor went 5-7 overall and 3-6 in conference play, finishing above only Oklahoma State, Colorado, West Virginia, and UCF in the standings. Their year had one bright spot early, an overtime win over SMU in September, but the rest of the season was packed with frustration.
The Bears dropped games to TCU, Arizona, and Arizona State. They did manage to pick up wins over Kansas State and an Oklahoma State team that ended the year winless in conference play, but that wasn’t enough to change the bigger picture.
There is a route for Baylor to be in the mix for a conference championship in 2026, especially if Lagway delivers on the promise that made him such a prized addition. Even then, the more realistic target may be what comes next. If this year goes well, Baylor could be laying the groundwork for a real run in 2027, when Lagway would be in his second season, and the offensive line and receivers should be more settled around him.
But that future depends heavily on what happens now. Another season below .500 would almost certainly trigger coaching changes and portal losses, wiping out whatever progress the Bears make this fall.
If Baylor can rebound, keep Aranda in place, and hold onto Lagway and the rest of the core, then the path to the top of the conference in 2027 starts to look a lot more real.
In Other News...
Baylor Just Got Way Too Little Respect In Latest Big 12 Ranking
CBS Sports analyst John Rothsteins latest Big 12 power rankings gave Baylor a spot that will raise some eyebrows around Waco, especially with the conference still sorting out its preseason pecking order. The Bears have spent the offseason trying to build on a program that has been a regular NCAA tournament presence, and there is enough roster movement to make the conversation more complicated than a simple return-to-form debate.
Baylor brought back seven players after losing none the previous year, added a five-star prospect and proven Power-Four transfer help, and Scott Drew is still working the recruiting trail with top-40 guard Tyrone Jamison on the board. With teams like West Virginia and Oklahoma State also in the mix, the real question is how much weight to give a summer ranking before the season has even had a chance to sort out who actually belongs where. [Read more 🡒]
Coach Who Knew Baylor's Heisman Run Sees That Kind Of Talent Again
Jeff Lebby did not need long to know Kamario Taylor had a different kind of upside. The Mississippi State coach pointed to Taylors athleticism and arm talent, and his frame of reference came from a familiar place for Baylor fans: Lebby once coached Robert Griffin III in Waco, and he has seen enough special quarterbacks to recognize when one stands out. Taylors tools have already shown up in game action, too, even if his role a year ago was still limited as he worked through a season of 11 games and only a modest passing workload.
What makes Taylor interesting now is the combination of raw ability and the sense that there is still plenty more to uncover. He flashed enough as a runner to hint at real dual-threat value, and the early buzz around him has only grown with outside voices adding to the intrigue. For Baylor fans who remember what a rare quarterback talent can look like when it arrives, Taylors name is one worth filing away. [Read more 🡒]