Baylor football loses more O-line depth as second lineman is set to transfer away

While the Bears are still looking for an offensive line coach, Baylor is losing a few linemen.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

After a disappointing 5-7 season, Baylor is facing some attrition heading into the Jan. 2 transfer portal. While players can't officially enter the portal yet, we are hearing about plenty of players who are set to enter the portal -- a few Baylor might be targeting.

But with every team -- especially on struggling teams -- there will be players leaving. The Bears have heard a few players will be leaving Waco, and the latest is offensive lineman Joe Crocker.

Baylor offensive lineman Joe Crocker (@JCrocker78) plans to enter the portal, @monnier_oscar of @jordansportsgrp tells @mzenitz and me.

The 6-foot-6, 339-pound Crocker initially signed with Louisville out of HS. He's got 2 more seasons of eligibility.https://t.co/Ai7mj8QScp pic.twitter.com/TAjwizlnMo

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 15, 2025

Crocker transferred into Waco this past offseason. He was with Louisville for the past two years, and he was hoping to see more playing time with Baylor. But, Crocker played in just one game for the Bears, seeing eight snaps against Samford.

The 6-foot-6, 339-pound lineman saw 24 total snaps in his first two seasons with the Cardinals, and now Crocker will be looking for his third school in four years.

Crocker, the Nashville (TN) prospect, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. He picked Louisville or Mississippi State, and had an impressive offer sheet that included teams like Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, and Tennessee, among others. In fact, Baylor didn't offer Crocker during his high school recruitment.

Crocker isn't the first offensive lineman to leave

Baylor and offensive line coach Mason Miller parted ways eight games into the season. Baylor still hasn't named an offensive line coach, but the Bears have now lost two linemen to the portal.

The first lineman to announce was left tackle Sean Thompkins, who took over for the struggling Sidney Fugar. Thompkins didn't impress, however, as he was one of the lowest graded offensive linemen on the team this season.

While losing players is never easy, sometimes it's not a bad thing. While Thompkins had experience and Crocker had the high school pedigree, Baylor should focus on the line once the portal opens and fill some valuable needs.

But sides of the line -- offensive and defensive -- need some major rehauling and with Dave Aranda's coaching life potentially on life support, he needs to go all in and shore up both sides heading into 2026.

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