Baylor Football PFF Grades, Snap Counts After 36-19 Win Against LA Tech

Who graded out as a superstar—and who struggled—in Baylor’s 36-19 victory over Louisiana Tech? Here are some numbers that should be looked at heading into conference play next week.

Sep 19, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jayden McGowan (15) breaks away from Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defensive back Sam Fongang (1) on a touchdown reception during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Backup quarterback Nate Bennett started again with the injured DJ Lagway out for the second week. Bennett gets himself a second win of the season with another strong showing from him, throwing for 251 yards on 21/24 completions, with a total of four touchdowns. Baylor did struggle to get a consistent run game going against Louisiana Tech, putting up just 165 yards on 43 carries as a team.

Bennett was able to spread the ball well, with Gavin Freeman the only receiver to catch more than three passes. Receiver Jayden McGowan caught just two passes, both touchdown receptions for the Bears, and totaled 79 yards.

Defense had a pretty decent game; they only allowed 223 passing yards the whole game, got to Trey Kukuk for one sack, but desperately need to work on how to limit running quarterbacks. Trey Kukuk accounted for 75 of the 139 rushing yards for the Bulldogs, averaging almost seven yards per carry.

Here's how players graded out via PFF.

Top 10 Offensive Players

1. QB Nate Bennett - 91.4 grade
2. HB Ryelan Morris - 79.4 grade
3. WR Jayden McGowan - 73.4 grade
4. WR Louis Brown IV - 70.8 grade
5. SLWR Gavin Freeman - 69.8 grade
6. RG Koltin Sieracki - 68.6 grade
7. WR DeBraun Hampton - 65.0 grade
8. HB Caden Knighten - 64.8 grade
9. Michael Turner - 63.9 grade
10. WR Dre'lon Miller - 61.7 grade

Bottom Five Offensive Players

1. TE Tony Livingstone - 27.1 grade
2. TE Matthew Klopfenstein - 44.9 grade
3. RG Asher Hale - 50.6 grade
4. RG Nate Kibble - 58.3 grade
5. HB HD Davis - 58.5 grade

Top 10 Defensive Players

1. FS Bo Onu - 79.0 grade
2. SS Micah Gifford - 76.1 grade
3. CB Reggie Bush II - 75.9 grade
4. CB LeVar Thornton Jr. - 75.6 grade
5. CB Devon Jordan - 75.1 grade
6. MLB Travion Barnes - 73.9 grade
7. FS Daniel Cobbs - 73.1 grade
8. DT Traevon Mitchell - 72.5 grade
9. DT Kamren Washington - 69.4 grade
10. RE Kyler Jordan - 69.2 grade

Bottom Five Defensive Players

1. OLB Garrick Ponder - 48.5 grade
2. MLB Kedrick Walker - 48.9 grade
3. NT Hosea Wheeler - 55.9 grade
4. CB Silton McKelvey - 58.5 grade
5. LB Kyland Reed - 59.1 grade

Snap Counts To Know

• Backup SS Tyler Turner gets over 48 snaps saturday, almost double what he had last week
• RT Cole Rhett gets over 36 more snaps than last week
• WR Dre'lon Miller's snap count increases from 25 to 38
• QB Edward Griffin doesn't see the field after having 23 snaps last week

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