Baylor Adds Defensive Back With Connection to One of their Own Stars
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Baylor’s defense has found a boost in the secondary, and they did not have to look very far to find him.
RELATED: Baylor transfer portal tracker: Every player coming in and out of the program in 2026
Jacob Redding is a star at defensive back for the Bears, and had 53 tackles and three interceptions a season ago.
Now they’ve added a little brotherly love to the back end of their defense.
Family Connection
Cole Redding was at Harding a season ago, after being a two-time San Antonio Sall Star in both football and basketball. He picked off three passes, returned two kicks for touchdowns and found the end zone ten times in his final season as a high school athlete.
Last year at Harding, he did not find his way onto the field.
He should be able to be ahead of the curve quickly, much like his brother.
Last season, Jacob Redding seized an opportunity as a former walk on, who developed into one of the team’s best players. He played all 13 games in 2024 on special teams before making his way into the starting lineup on defense in 2025.
That might be a similar path that Cole Redding has to take as he transitions from a lower level of football to the Big 12.
Heart and Soul
“I think that walk-ons just give such a heart and soul to a team,” Aranda said about Redding’s brother, Jacob.
Jacob Redding is also a heart and soul type of player that wants to be at Baylor. In this day of college athletics, that type of loyalty is nearly unprecedented.
“This is something that I never really thought I would be at,” Redding said.
“I never really thought I would be doing this, so for this to even be a possibility, God had to open up my life and put me here in this position. I just thank the Lord.”
As good of a story as Jacob Redding has been during his time in Baylor, Cole Redding could be a better one if he becomes a contributor for Dave Aranda’s defense.
If Cole Redding is anything like his brother, he also bleeds green and gold. As Baylor enters a big season for both Aranda and the entire program, that type of player is one you can build a renaissance around.
Belief and passion are traits that every football player has, but when it can be channeled correctly, there is power that can help lift a program from the doldrums of their conference, back to the top.
That’s what Baylor is hoping for as they build around two brothers who have a lot of faith in the program they’ve committed to.
Harding will have four years of eligibility remaining after committing.
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Jacob Westendorf is a contributing writer for Baylor Bears on SI. He is also a writer covering the Green Bay Packers for Packers on SI. Westendorf graduated from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism and mass media. He worked in newspapers in Green Bay and Rockford, Illinois. He also interned at Packer Report for Bill Huber while earning his degree. In 2018, he became a staff writer for PackerReport.com, and a regular contributor on Packer Report's "Pack A Day Podcast." In 2020, he founded the media company Game On Wisconsin. In 2023, he rejoined Packer Central, which is part of Sports Illustrated Media Group.