Baylor fans' frustration reaches breaking point after Bears lose two 2026 commits
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Baylor’s 2026 recruiting class took a seismic hit this past weekend. Within 72 hours, four-star cornerback Jamarion Vincent flipped to the Michigan Wolverines and four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton decommitted and committed to the in-state rival Texas Longhorns. Both had been long-time pledges to the Bears. Carlton, in particular, had been committed since July.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Baylor President Linda Livingstone’s decision to retain head coach Dave Aranda was tied in part to preserving the Bears’ highly ranked 2026 class. Aranda himself had emphasized keeping the group intact, pairing high-school recruiting with portal additions to reshape the roster’s physical identity.
“Building it in a way that there’s a more physical component to this team is critical,” Aranda said following the Utah loss. Now one of the foundations to helping add some more physicality is playing for the university across the pond.
A Once-Top Class Suddenly Sliding
Baylor entered July with the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class in the Big 12, according to 247Sports. The Bears sold stability. They sold vision. Now, with two of their headliners gone, that same class sits at 10th in the conference.
Losing a blue-chip corner and a high-end defensive lineman in rapid succession removes two players Baylor expected to build around in a defensive overhaul. It also raises the question Baylor hoped to avoid: if on-field struggles compound with decommitments, how strong is the program’s foundation heading into a critical offseason?
Fan Frustration Spills Over
The reactions from Baylor fans were immediate and emotional. The LockedOn Baylor podcast captured the sentiment in real time when host Cam Stuart delivered a blunt assessment following Carlton’s flip.
“This is a broken program. It is so damn broken and it’s breaking right in front of us,” Stuart said. “How could you blame the kid? Would you want to come play here after what we just saw? After what we’ve seen the last six years? You can only like a coach so much. It’s not too late by the way.”
Some fun news during a live postgame show after your team missed a bowl game again!!! https://t.co/fKOuYxJYlL pic.twitter.com/JZ3LYUixnC
— Locked On Baylor Bears (@lockedonbaylor) November 29, 2025
The anger stems from more than recruiting flips. Baylor just finished 5-7, losing its final two games and missing bowl eligibility for the second time in three seasons. While prominent programs around the nation have made aggressive coaching moves like James Franklin joining Virginia Tech, Lane Kiffin heading to LSU, Baylor has remained firmly committed to Aranda.
The Retention Logic Is Now Under Pressure
When Baylor announced its decision to keep Aranda, the reasoning centered on transitional stability after athletic director Mack Rhoades stepped away, protecting a nationally ranked 2026 class, and avoiding a heavy buyout to redirect resources toward NIL, the transfer portal, and revenue-sharing readiness. But two top recruits are gone. The final impression of the season was a spiraling team missing a bowl. And the coaching carousel continues to offer potential upgrades.
As Stuart said, “there’s still time” if Baylor wants to make a bold move. The reality, though, is that nothing suggests a change is coming, even as the program absorbs its most damaging recruiting week of the Aranda era.
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Jalon Dixon is a sports journalist with a passion for covering basketball at every level. He has written extensively on men’s and women’s college basketball, as well as the NBA, building a reputation for clear analysis and thoughtful storytelling. His work focuses on the players, programs, and trends shaping the sport, offering readers insight that goes beyond the box score. Whether breaking down a key matchup or highlighting emerging talent, Jalon’s goal is to provide balanced coverage that connects fans to the game’s strategy, culture, and ongoing evolution.