Baylor football getting body slammed at Portal Mania after losing season

The Bears have lost 25 players in just the first four days of the transfer portal being open

Nov 1, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears safety DJ Coleman (33) makes an interception in front of UCF Knights wide receiver Waden Charles (19) during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

When fans and the media look back on the 2025 Baylor football season, they will scratch their heads and wonder what went wrong. The Bears brought back 18 starters. They were the favorites to win the Big 12 Conference.

A healthy Sawyer Robertson returned as quarterback for his final season. The wide receiver and running back rooms were loaded with talent and experience.

On defense, which lives in head coach Dave Aranda’s wheelhouse, returned starters and contributors as well, led by linebacker Keaton Thomas. Thomas recorded over 100 tackles for the second straight season.

Oct 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda works the sideline during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

But a couple of weeks before the season ended, and with no athletic director in place, Aranda was prematurely given new life for another season by Baylor President Linda Livingstone.

But by the time Senior Day arrived ahead of the season finale with the Houston Cougars, the Bears had struggled to get that elusive sixth win. Baylor lost to the Cougars and finished with a 5-7 record. No bowl games loomed on their horizon.

Then the mass exodus began.

When the EF-5 vortex known as the transfer portal opened up, it began laying waste to the college football landscape. This annual phenomenon, along with NIL, was created by one of the most-inept organizations in sports, the NCAA. It has killed all meaning of the word team, loyalty and love for the game.

Thomas entered the portal and committed to Ole Miss. Safety DJ Coleman entered the portal and committed to Florida. Running back Bryson Washington just entered his name into the portal sweepstakes, to name a few. Who knows where Washington will end up.

As of Monday, 25 players have entered the portal, starters and backups alike, while only three players have transferred in.

They need quality players now at quarterback, wide receiver, offensive line and all positions on the defense. The Bears have only three commitments from offensive lineman Logan Moore (from UAB), CB Stilton McKelvey (from New Mexico State) and CB Devon Jordan (from Oklahoma).

As far as quarterbacks go, former Florida signal-caller and Texas native DJ Lagway is a legacy recruit and has Baylor on his list. His father Derek played running back at Baylor in the late 1990s. The young Lagway would instantly energize the Baylor football program, which is desperately in need of a spark.

But, unless something is going on behind the scenes that has not been made public, Lagway signing with the Bears becomes less likely with each passing day.

One can only hope that Aranda, new athletic director Doug McNamee and the powers that be in Waco have a plan to build a quality roster for the 2026 season. In 10 days, the bloodbath will be over and Aranda and his staff will go into spring practice with a team seemingly not at full strength.

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