Baylor defensive starter appears to suffer season-ending injury
The Baylor Bears may have just lost one of their top linebackers for the rest of the season.
On Thursday, the first injury report for Baylor vs Arizona State was released, and Baylor senior linebacker Phoenix Jackson was one of five Bears ruled out for this weekend's game. He went down with an injury early in the Samford game last week and didn't return, and despite no official word on his long-term status, it appears he may be done for the year. He posted on his Instagram that his season was "cut a little short."
#Baylor linebacker Phoenix Jackson was officially ruled OUT this week after suffering an injury against Samford.
— Grayson Grundhoefer (@GrayGrundhoefer) September 18, 2025
Now he has posted on his Instagram that his season has been cut short. pic.twitter.com/bJZxOsRQAW
Again, there has been no official word from Baylor on Jackson's long-term status, but this comes straight from the man himself. If he's indeed out for the year, it will be a big loss for the Bears.
Jackson spent four years at Fresno State before transferring to Baylor this offseason. His best season with the Bulldogs came in 2024 when he recorded 49 tackles, four sacks and four pass breakups, and he was named one of the most underrated players in the country by ESPN. He was off to a strong start with Baylor, but it appears his season will be cut short.
Jackson came off the bench in his Baylor debut and logged six tackles in the Bears' loss to Auburn, but his performance was good enough to earn him the start in Week 2 against SMU. He finished that game with two tackles and a pressure while allowing one catch in coverage.
In Week 3, Jackson played just nine snaps against Samford before he was spotted in a walking boot during the second half. He didn't come back into the game, but Baylor Head Coach Dave Aranda seemed hopeful that he'd be able to come back this season.
"He's someone who had really high hopes going into the season. We're hoping that we get him back here soon," Aranda said after the Bears' win over Samford.
If Jackson is indeed out for the season, he'd be eligible for a medical redshirt. You can play four games and still redshirt in college football, so if he'd played two more, he would've been out of luck. However, even though he's played five years of college football, Jackson could come back next year.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.