Baylor Reloads the Safety Room for 2026
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The Baylor safeties had an alright year in 2025. The turnover heading into 2026 is probably for the better, as the coaches and fans would want to see new faces in the defense, which disappointed so heavily in 2025. Baylor lost three talented safeties from the 2025 roster. Devyn Bobby, who graduated, and two who transferred out, Carl Williams IV and DJ Coleman.
Baylor brought in some talent to replace this group, and new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman specifically brought in some of the former players to pick up the slack.
A positive returner to mention is senior Jacob Redding, who exploded onto the scene, emerging as Baylor's newest walk-on star. Redding graded well all season and was rarely at fault when it came to executing Dave Aranda's defense last season. Other returners include young talents Bo Onu and Micah Gifford, who could step into rotational roles in 2026. Tyler Turner also returns for the 2026 season. He played a lot for the Bears in 2025, but was often underwhelming.
Let's look into what the Baylor safeties and nickel position will look like in 2026.
Projected Depth Chart
Strong Safety
SS1: Colby McCalister (RS SR)
SS2: Austin Ausberry (RS SR)
SS3: Micah Gifford (Jr)
Depth: Cole Redding (RS FR)
Free Safety
FS1: Jacob Redding (RS JR)
FS2: Devin Turner (SR)
FS3: Tyler Turner (RS JR)
Depth: Colin Peacock (RS FR)
Nickel
Starter: Daniel Cobbs (SR)
Rotation: Austin Ausberry (RS SR)
Depth: Bo Onu (SO)
What I like about the group
Although Baylor lost some talented players to some quality schools, notably Carl Williams IV's transfer to Oregon and DJ Coleman's transfer to Florida, they reloaded with talented, experienced players via the portal.
Colby McCalister was a star for Kansas State last season and a highly recruited transfer out of the portal. I project he starts at the strong safety position. Another Kansas State transfer is Daniel Cobbs, who played a significant amount of nickel defense for the Wildcats last season. He will fill in DJ Coleman's role in a position that has frankly not been elite at Baylor since Jalen Pitre played it in 2021. Both of these guys will be very comfortable as they followed their former defensive coordinator to Waco. They both will not miss a step and should produce for the Bears.
Another thing to like about this group is the return of Jacob Redding. Redding is a fan favorite and will be remembered as a Baylor legend at the end of his career. A walk-on who stayed with Baylor throughout his entire career, he loves this school and has expressed his desire to win multiple times.
This group also has more depth. Highly rated transfer Devin Turner tore his ACL in the last practice of Spring ball heading into the 2025 season, and is now back and fully healthy, ready for 2026. Austin Ausberry was a four-star out of high school, and although he did not see the field much for LSU, has the talent to step in and produce. Baylor also returns Tyler Turner, who had his moments, but will have a lot of growing to do this offseason.
What I don't like
This is one of the Baylor position groups I can confidently say improved talent-wise from last season. The one criticism I have is that it is a lot of new. McCalister, Cobbs, Ausberry, and Devin Turner will have massive roles to play in 2026, yet they have never worn the Baylor uniform before. This group will have a lot of meshing to do, along with taking on the task of a new defensive coordinator's scheme, along with the massive personnel overhaul on the defense.
This article is part of a series where we break down every Baylor position following the transfer portal cycle—while the Bears could still add players.
You can see the following position groups:
- Quarterbacks
- Running Backs
- Tight Ends
- Wide Receivers
- Defensive Line
- Linebackers
- Cornerbacks
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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