4 Players Baylor Football Will Regret Losing in the Transfer Portal

With Big 12 Media Days behind us, the college football season is coming into shape. And there are a few players the Bears would love to have back.

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Big 12 Media Days is now behind us and while there was plenty to learn from the two-day event, it just means the college football season is getting closer and closer.

There is still a lot to learn about the Baylor Bears this season. After a 5-7 season, the Bears' transfer portal movement was insane. Baylor lost more than 30 players to the transfer portal, but did add quality to its own roster via the portal.

Looking back at the transfer portal, here are four names Baylor wishes it had back for this season, or maybe even beyond.

C Coleton Price (Kentucky)

Baylor's offensive line is going to have a new look this season, as the Bears have just one returning starter coming back in 2026. And Baylor likely would've done almost anything to get Coleton Price to return.

Price, a veteran center, started 11 games last year for Baylor and helped the Bears' offense hum. Both Price and Omar Aigbedion were the engines that made the ship run, and having Price back for this make-or-break year would've been more than ideal.

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According to Pro Football Focus, Price was the best pass-blocker on the team with an 83.6 PFF grade. With DJ Lagway coming in and the Bears wanting to do a good job of protecting him, having a premier pass-blocker, along with someone who can direct the offensive line, would've put Baylor in a better spot.

Instead, Price is off to Kentucky, and Baylor hopes to have Yakiri Walker ready to play, but are still waiting on his eligibility ruling.

LB Keaton Thomas (Ole Miss)

Who wouldn't want one of the league's best linebackers? Keaton Thomas was the heart and soul of Baylor's defense in back to back seasons, tallying over 100 tackles in both 2024 and 2025. Thomas and Travion Barnes were supposed to make an incredible tandem a year ago, but a season-ending injury put a damper on Barnes' season.

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Barnes is now back, and will lead the unit, but Baylor would've loved to see these two healthy together. Thomas has 103 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception this past year for the Bears.

Thomas is now at Ole Miss, and the Bears are relying on Kyland Reed and Kaleb Burns to help Barnes in 2026. It's not a bad unit, but anytime you can add a top-10 linebacker to your roster — you do it.

S DJ Coleman (Florida)

This one is more about the player and person than about the position. Actually, Baylor feels good about its safety depth after using the transfer portal. On top of getting Jacob Redding and Tyler Turner back, the Bears will get a healthy Devin Turner, along with adding two other safeties to the mix.

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But Coleman was a very good player and he would've been a good staple in Joe Klanderman's defense. Coleman was one of the best tacklers for Baylor a season ago, and someone who didn't get burned in the secondary.

In 2025, Coleman tallied 45 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two interceptions.

Edge Kamauryn Morgan (Missouri)

There could have been some behind the scenes issues with Morgan, but with four years of eligibility remaining, he is someone who could turn into a star. If Morgan can keep his head down and play football, he has the tools to become one of the top edge rushers in the SEC with Missouri.

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And he had the makings of doing so at Baylor. Once again, in Joe Klanderman's scheme, Morgan would've been a fun piece to use. The four-star prospect had just six tackles a year ago, but with Emar'rion Winston and Matthew Fobbs-White transferring, Morgan was in line.

However, things didn't work out between Baylor and Morgan and the Bears brought in some players who hope to fill the void. Garrick Ponder was explosive at Southern Miss and the Bears hope he can translate that to Big 12 football.