A Look Back at Baylor's 2025 Offensive Recruiting Class

With National Signing Day recently passing, it’s now been a smidge over a year since the 2025 recruiting class stepped foot on campus in Waco, Texas. As Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears enter the offseason to prepare for the 2026 season, it’s time to look back at the high school recruits who started their college career for Baylor during the 2025 season and how they fared.

For this article, we will be reviewing how all the recruits on offense adjusted to the college level, rankings attached are from the 2025 On3 high school recruit rankings.

Edward Griffin – Quarterback (#1,011 Overall, #59 QB)

Griffin, a native of Coppell, Texas never was expected to come in and be QB1 with returning senior Sawyer Robertson in town. Griffin never saw the field and was either QB3 or QB4 throughout the season behind Robertson and Nate Bennett (redshirt freshman). With DJ Lagway coming in from the transfer portal, Griffin will be expected to battle for the backup QB spot with Bennett in 2026.

Michael Turner – Running Back (#299 Overall, #21 RB)

Turner was one of three composite four-star recruits for the class and formed a formidable duo with another player from this class that we will talk about shortly. Hailing from North Richland Hills, Texas; the 220-pound bruiser made his presence felt with his lone touchdown of the season in a one-point win versus Kansas State followed by 68 rushing yards versus TCU and a season-high 90 rushing yards versus Cincinnati. Turner’s usage fell off after that three-game stretch as he finished the year with 65 carries, 320 yards and a touchdown. Turner is primed to be a factor in a loaded running back room for Baylor in 2026.

Caden Knighten – Running Back (#434 Overall, #36 RB)

Knighten impressed the coaching staff early and was earning more work as the season progressed before suffering a terrifying injury in the season finale versus Houston. The Wynnewood, Oklahoma native rushed for 104 yards versus UCF and 100 yard versus Arizona in a span of three weeks. For the season Knighten carried the ball 104 times for 469 yards and a touchdown. Knighten is expected to recover from his injury and pair with Turner as a dangerous backfield duo in 2026.

Taz Williams Jr – Wide Receiver (#556 Overall, #86 WR)

Williams was the highest rated of four receivers in the class but never found traction at a position of strength for Baylor in 2025. The Texas native caught one pass for 11 yards versus Samford and took a redshirt for the season.

Jacorey Watson – Wide Receiver (#815 Overall, #124 WR)

The speedster from Pearland, Texas caught a pair of passes for six yards versus Samford but did not see the field much after that game. Like Williams, Watson took a redshirt for the season.

Chase Collier – Wide Receiver (#1,206 Overall, #185 WR)

The Jacksonville, Florida native did not see the field at all in 2025 and redshirted for the season.

Ashton Jones – Wide Receiver (#1,446 Overall, #210 WR)

Watson’s high school teammate who stands at a menacing 6 foot-5 inches, Jones saw game action versus Samford but did not catch a pass and redshirted for the season.

Brody Wilhelm – Tight End (#1,818 Overall, #119 TE)

The Austin native was buried on the depth chart at tight end behind Mackey Award Finalist Michael Trigg and was dealing with injuries most of the season. The Austin, Texas native did not see game action and redshirted for the season.

Matthew Parker – Offensive Tackle (#1,047 Overall, #64 OT)

Hailing from Mississippi, Parker was the highest-rated offensive line recruit in the class and was listed as second on the depth chart at the tackle position for a majority of the season. He ended up taking a redshirt and saw snaps versus Samford and UCF.

Harrison Cluff – Interior Offensive Line (#1,074 Overall, #86 IOL)

Cluff totaled 18 snaps versus Samford and UCF before redshirting for the season.