Baylor's Gavin Freeman Ahead of Jeremiah Smith, Malachi Toney in One Key Metric

Everyone is talking about Jeremiah Smith and Malachi Toney, but the national receptions leader you aren't watching is wearing green and gold in Waco.

Sep 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Gavin Freeman (6) celebrates after a touchdown against the Auburn Tigers in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Baylor landed senior wide receiver Gavin Freeman from Oklahoma State, many players and coaches praised the pickup, saying he could easily be a 1,000-yard receiver and one of the nation's leading skill players at the end of the season. So far, in two games, Freeman leads college football with 22 receptions and has the seventh most receiving yards in the country.

Strong Start To The Season

Freeman came over from Oklahoma State for his senior year to bring some veteran presence to Baylor's wide receiver corps and to be a reliable playmaker on Saturdays. He's quickly turned into this offense's most consistent, reliable source, and that reliable connection has completely opened up Baylor's passing game in just a short two weeks, even with Lagway missing week two.

When DJ Lagway was sidelined in week two's matchup, Freeman was Nate Bennett's number one target and really helped keep the offense's momentum running with a dominant 44-3 win last Saturday. His ability to break open in zone coverage, whether it's quick out routes and slants or even the few deep balls up the seams that he caught against Auburn, he is a threat in all zones from the slot.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Gavin Freeman (6) runs the ball after a catch against Prairie View A&M Panthers defensive back Jacob Davis (16) during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Freeman leads the nation with 22 receptions after an exceptional week one against Auburn, with 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. Freeman also notched another ten catches last Saturday against Prairie View A&M. Now, even though this is just two games, there's a lot of hype going around about the potential season that Gavin Freeman has the ability to have for the Bears in 2026.

He has become a first-down maniac, moving the chains on 14 of his 22 receptions, with his consistent route running and footwork after the catch giving him the ability to be a huge run after the catch in Baylor's offensive scheme.

History To Be Made?

If he can keep this pace of about 8-12 catches per game, averaging about 95-115 yards per game, he could be looking at a 100+ reception season, with the potential for over 1200 yards and five to eight touchdowns. Freeman's fast start gives him a real chance to put up one of the best wide receiver seasons in Baylor history.

The last receiver to have over 100 catches and 1200 yards was K.D. Cannon in 2016, and the last receiver to even be close to 1,000 yards was Tyquan Thornton in the 2021 season. This season could put Freeman into a very prestigious class of Baylor wide receivers and give him a great chance to be an underrated player in next year's NFL Draft.

Oct 29, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver K.D. Cannon (9) catches a touchdown pass against Texas Longhorns defensive back Horton Hill (5) at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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