Baylor football adds an elite run blocker via the transfer portal
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The Baylor Bears had to remake their offensive line after losing nearly every starter from last season. Stars Omar Aigbedion and Coleton Price are gone -- one to the NFL and the other to Kentucky. A few other linemen transferred away, and Dave Aranda has made it a priority to beef up Baylor's line(s) in the transfer portal.
On Saturday, the Bears landed a potential starter in 2026. Toledo's Cole Rhett announced he transferred to Baylor. Rhett, a Columbus (OH) native, redshirted his first season with the Rockets and then started in both 2024 and 2025 at RT. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
RELATED: Baylor transfer portal tracker: Every player coming in and out of the program in 2026
Rhett was a three-star prospect in the 2023 class. He was ranked as the No. 1731 player in the cycle and the No. 137 offensive tackle.
Baylor has signed Toledo OL transfer Cole Rhett, @chris_hummer, @mzenitz and I have learned.
— Cody Nagel (@CodyNagel247) January 10, 2026
The 6-foot-7, 300-pounder made 24 starts at RT the past two years. He posted a 74.0 run-block grade on PFF this season.https://t.co/k4dm9KYN4y pic.twitter.com/ejiGyZi2od
Rhett is a proven run blocker but needs some help with the pass
In both 2024 and 2025, Rhett was much better blocking for the run game compared to blocking the signal caller. According to Pro Football Focus, Rhett had a 74.0 run blocking grade compared to his 39.9 pass blocking grade.
Rhett allowed 29 pressures this season and four sacks while starting at right tackle for the Rockets. He had less than a 30 PFF grade in five games this season: Kentucky, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Washington State, and Ball State.
The 6-foot-7, 301-pound tackle will have some work to do when he comes to Waco to make sure he's ready to block in the Big 12. While the pass work is concerning, he was the second-best run blocker on the team, and with the Bears having a young stable of running backs on the roster, it would be nice to create some open holes for the backs.
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