8 Bold Predictions for Baylor Football's 2026 Season
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Baylor football has been through some rough patches the past couple of years. But with new additions like standout transfer DJ Lagway and bringing Joe Klanderman from Kansas State, some people are starting to raise their hopes and expectations for this season. Heres a few bold predictions that I absolutely think could happen for the Bears this year.
1. DJ Lagway Will Be A Top 3 Quarterback in the Big 12 This Year
I think Lagway has a great chance at being one of the best quarterbacks in his conference. Although it was somewhat of a struggling career at Florida, as soon as he entered the transfer portal, multiple big schools were interested in picking him up. The talent is undoubtedly there; I believe most teams believed that Florida didn't make him comfortable and was a mess of a program this past year. Being in this Jake Spavital offense opens many doors and should play perfectly with the athleticism Lagway possesses, and should produce a highly productive offense similar to last year's team.
2. Dre'lon Miller Will Top 1,000 Receiving Yards & Lead the Big 12 in All-Purpose Yards
As I've said in previous articles, this guy was heavily underused in Colorado's offense. He has incredible talent after the catch and is fully capable of being a productive rusher in the backfield as well. With three of the top five receiving leaders last year getting drafted, I fully believe Miller is capable of excelling in this offensive scheme and will likely be one of the best, if not the number one receiver in the Big 12 for all-purpose yards. Spavital will be able to line this dude up anywhere, and he will find open space and get yards.
3. This Defense Will Turnaround and Finish Within Top Four in Big 12
Last year's defense couldn't stop anything; giving up 35 points per game has no excuses and is just unacceptable if you want to win more than 7 games in a season. This caused the massive rehaul in the portal, adding multiple fifth-year seniors and experienced rotational players from big schools like Oklahoma, Indiana, and Kansas State, to name a few, along with talented Group of Five players from Southern Miss and Marshall. I expect a massive turnaround for this defense, and if it doesn't, Baylor might be looking for a new head coach come next spring.
4. The Bears Will Make A Statement Win Week One Against Auburn
What better way to make a splash than taking out a quality SEC school in week one in your opening game. Now, with this newly formed team, it won't be easy, but I think this game can go either way. Auburn has gone through a similar situation as Baylor; after a struggling year, they made a massive roster rehaul of over 40 transfers and a top-10 transfer class. There's a lot of new talent in Auburn, but will they gel together in week one against the Bears? I think this could be a close game that could completely change after one or two late turnovers.
5. One Freshman Receiver Surprises Everyone And Has Over 500 Yards
The in-state prodigy London Smith could be the real deal, a top 500 recruit in his class, and one of the better receiver recruits Baylor has gotten in a while. Smith was a highly successful multi-sport athlete at Waco University High School, totaling over 3500 yards and 42 touchdowns in his high school career. There's no question that this kid will get rotational snaps early in the season and will likely be seen on the return team due to his vertical threat capabilities.
6. Hiring Joe Klanderman Will Be One Of Baylor's Best Staff Moves Ever
Klanderman has built a great reputation after multiple years at Kansas State, being one of the most consistent defences in all of the Big 12. From 2021 to 2024, Kansas State's defense had a four-year streak of allowing 24 points per game and had over 62 turnovers from 2021 to 2023. If he can even get some of that production and bring it to Baylor with an offense that can put up good scoring, it could be the miracle move Baylor has been looking for all along.
7. Newly Revamped Secondary Will Limit Opponents to Under 200 Passing Yards per Game
Adding in multiple experienced players like Colby McCalister, Daniel Cobbs, and Devon Jordan immediately increases the pass coverage this team has. Klanderman brings over two talented players from Kansas State who are familiar with the system already, so they are immediate plug-and-play players who will go in and immediately have an impact on the defense. Match that with returning players like Reggie Bush II and Jacob Redding; if they get hot and make Auburn struggle in week one, this defense could be a force to reckon with for any team in the Big 12 this season.
8. Baylor Will Have a Top-50 Recruiting Class Next Year
Although this year Baylor barely broke the top 70, as of this writing, I think adding in Lagway along with these talented receivers, paired with the new staff of Joe Klanderman on defense. This team will be looked at alot different after the season by recruits. I expect a good amount of solid three- and four-star recruits on the defensive side come next season since most of the starters are into their junior and senior year of play. I believe there will be many recruits who will want to play for Klanderman's defense.
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Tyler is a writer for Baylor Bears On SI with a deep focus on football and basketball. Professional stat cruncher and high school athlete. Passionate NFL, college, and NBA fan. I love sports and want to put that passion into my writing.
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