Baylor Football Position Rankings After 3 Weeks of Fall Camp: RBs have a Chip on Their Shoulders

Baylor football had a lot of work to do over the offseason, losing a large number of players to the transfer portal or graduation. Coach Dave Aranda is faced with even more pressure after coming off a 5-7 season to put a good product on the field.

While some of the units have some big question marks, these three seem to be set up for success:

Quarterback

While there are valid concerns about DJ Lagway and how he will perform after a shaky start to his collegiate career at Florida, you have to buy into the excitement of what Lagway could become if you are rooting for the Bears in 2026.

The depth of the unit is also a talking point. Nate Bennett and Edward Griffin both have prior knowledge of the Baylor offense and are getting consistent reps behind Lagway.

Defensive line

Probably the strongest unit on the defense, the defensive line is headed by Indiana transfer Hosea Wheeler, bringing national championship experience to the room.

The unit was clearly a point of emphasis over the offseason after putting up the worst sack and quarterback pressure numbers in the conference in 2025.

The Bears brought in Jacori Greer to coach the unit, and he instantly went to work in the portal, bringing in Jamaal Whyce Jr., Hosea Wheeler, Jordan Mack, Kamren Washington, Ryan Davis, Zavion Hardy, Daemian Wimberly, and Garrick Ponder.

The depth and the talent of this group are hopefully enough to be a cornerstone to build upon for the entire defense.

Running back

Easily the most slept-on unit of the offense, the running backs are coming into 2026 with a chip on their shoulder, calling themselves 'the outlaws' in Waco.

"It's the running backs, the outlaws; it's just our calling card," running back coach Khenon Hall said. "We want to hang our hat on something; that's how we build our bond. We are the outlaws; we feel like... the running backs sometimes get thrown in the pasture and don't get the respect and the love that they deserve... so we just want to make sure we cultivate something."

The running back room is headed by junior Dawson Pendergrass, coming off a season-ending injury in 2025. Pendergrass will be complemented nicely by the two sophomores of the group, Caden Knighten and Michael Turner.

Each of these backs brings different abilities and specialties to the table, allowing for all three of them to get snaps during the season; the depth and versatility makes them one of the most threatening units on the team.

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