A Christmas gift for Baylor football from Santa

In the spirit of Christmas, the Baylor football program could use a few presents under their tree this year. But after a 5-7 season with a team that returned 18 starters, Baylor and head coach Dave Aranda landed on the naughty list.

But Santa is always in a giving mood and after rescuing the Bears from the Island of Misfit Toys (or teams), the jolly old fat man could bring Baylor some holiday cheer in the form of some talented transfer players that could fill some voids left behind by a mass exodus of starters and backups into the portal.

The most important position is quarterback. Here are some transfer candidates to replace Sawyer Robertson, who leaves Baylor ranked No. 4 on the school’s passing list.

DJ Lagway, Florida

Lagway, from Willis, TX, started his collegiate career at Florida under Billy Napier. Napier was fired this season, so Lagway announced he would enter the transfer portal once it opened on January 2. Lagway has a connection to Baylor. DJ’s father, Derek, played running back for the Bears from 1997 to 2001.

Lagway to Baugh for 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/erQXchJnRy
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 23, 2025

Lagway played in 24 games with the Gators and threw for 4,179 yards, 28 touchdowns and completed 61 percent of his passes in two seasons. But he threw 23 interceptions, so those mistakes will need to be corrected before next season.

Lagway’s best game against a ranked opponent came against No. 9 Texas. Against the Longhorns, Lagway was 21/28 (75 percent) for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 29-21 Florida victory.

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati

A native of Denton, TX, Sorsby led the Bearcats on a seven-game winning streak before crashing back down to Earth and finishing the season with four straight losses and a 7-5 record. During that win streak, Sorsby threw 20 TD passes and zero interceptions. On the season, Sorsby has accounted for over 3,300 total yards and 36 touchdowns. For his efforts, Sorsby earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

A 4/4 passing drive in the homecoming game for the Texas kid. 🎯

📺: @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/wN67JBfsxq
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) November 29, 2025

Josh Hoover, TCU

This gunslinger from Heath, TX, Hoover passed for 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns. But he did throw 13 INTs in 2025. Hoover posted eight games with multiple-touchdown passes and five games over 300 yards passing. For his career with the Horned Frogs, Hoover threw for 9,621 yards, 71 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.

A downfield dart 🎯#GoFrogs 🐸 #AllHail pic.twitter.com/eckWgMt1Jl
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) November 29, 2025

Byrum Brown, South Florida

Brown passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards, and earned second-team All-American Conference honors this season. Over the last four games, Brown has passed for 11 touchdowns and only one interception.

In addition, Brown has posted five games with multiple rushing touchdowns. In a 48-18 win over UAB, Brown accounted for 416 yards and five touchdowns.

DEJA VU 🫨

📺: @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/P47gPJ1s3W
— USF Football (@USFFootball) November 30, 2025

Yes, Brown could very well follow his former coach, Alex Golesh, to Auburn. But Aranda and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital must begin blowing up Brown’s cell phone and start the recruiting process now.

While the Bears need help and depth at all positions, quarterback is a good place to start. The transfer portal opens next Friday. Baylor and their fans are hoping for a belated Christmas present or two and some good news to ring in the New Year.

DJ Lagway, Florida

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati

Josh Hoover, TCU

Byrum Brown, South Florida

More From Baylor On SI