Baylor Quietly Built One of the Most Experienced Rosters in College Football for 2026
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CBS's Cody Nagel compiled a ranking of all 138 FBS teams by their experience. The experience stat was compiled based on the roster's total snaps played in college football. The Baylor Bears ranked 15th in the nation in this metric, showing that they have a more experienced squad than many projected before.
Although Baylor has a lot of new, experienced additions, they also had a lot of experienced guys leave in the transfer portal and graduate this past season. Guys like Colton Price, Omar Aigbedion, Bryson Washington, and Sawyer Robertson, along with the older wide receiver corps of the 2025 season, left me thinking this Baylor squad was inexperienced. But this metric shows that Baylor has reloaded in the portal and may fare better in the 2026 season.
The Baylor roster is ranked 15 in total snaps out of all the FBS. https://t.co/WNHMSmNfuT
— Jacob Haddadin (@JacobHaddadinU) June 16, 2026
Compared to their Big 12 opponents, Baylor sits fourth in this experience metric, only behind Texas Tech at #2, Oklahoma State at #3, and Houston at #5. In the games the roster played, Baylor ranked #12 in the nation as well.
Baylor has some experienced guys who will be tremendous additions come the Fall, especially on the defense. Let’s look into some of these additions.
Hosea Wheeler, (RS) SR
Hosea Wheeler joins the squad via the reigning national champions, Indiana. He played in sixteen games for Indian on their way to winning the national championship. Before Indiana, Wheeler started two years at Western Kentucky, where he never missed a game. Wheeler will be a massive experienced addition for the Bears, who struggled to get to the quarterback last season.
Jamaal Whyce Jr. (RS) SR
Jamaal Whyce Jr. started nine games at Marshall and played in eleven for Marshall last season. Before that, he played three seasons as a rotational guy at South Carolina. He has plenty of experience across the defensive line and will support Baylor's efforts to create a chaotic defense in 2026.
First Look: Indiana Transfer DL (#91) Hosea Wheeler and Marshall DL Transfer (#99) Jamaal Whyce pic.twitter.com/ThfzQhAWQQ
— Grayson Grundhoefer (@GrayGrundhoefer) March 24, 2026
Garrick Ponder (RS) SR
Garrick Ponder is one of the guys I am most excited about in this transfer class. He started thirteen games last season for Southern Mississippi and before that was a standout at the FCS level. Ponder plays his best football as an outside linebacker but is expected to be in a versatile role for Joe Klanderman in 2026.
Colby McCalister (RS SR)
Colby McCalister played a lot of football in 2023 and 2024 for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played under the new Baylor defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman, and totaled 644 snaps in those two seasons. McCalister missed the entirety of the 2025 season with injury and is expected to once again play a massive role for Klanderman in 2026, this time in a green and gold uniform.
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Jacob is a contributor for Baylor Bears On SI. A lifelong sports fan, he started writing game reactions and opinion pieces during Baylor football and basketball seasons, turning that hobby into a growing presence in sports media. He brings an authentic, fan-driven voice to his work and is excited to keep building his voice and breaking down the topics Baylor fans are talking about every day.
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