Baylor WR Gavin Freeman Might be 5'8" — But Defenses Can't Stop Bears' New Star
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Did you see Gavin Freeman's highlight hurdle against Colorado on Saturday? It was one of the finer football plays of the entire game, one that truly showed off just how determined Freeman is on each and every play. He's a leader on the Bears team for a reason; whether through his work ethic, his passion for the game, or just his attitude and demeanor overall, Freeman is really good at what he does.
The Highlight in Question
Catching a simple pass from DJ Lagway in the flat, Freeman was heading directly for a group of Buffalo players where the play would logically have ended after a respectable 8 yard gain. That wasn't enough for Freeman on this play though as he saw an opening and hurdled the Colorado defender (Naeten Mitchell #4) who made the initial mistake of trying to going low to make the tackle against him.
After landing the hurdle in a spin towards his right, Freeman would continue to show off his determination and refusal to be denied as he would drive his legs forward and ultimately gain 22 total yards on the play.
The Stat Everyone Brings Up
From the commentary team from the television broadcast of Saturday's game against Colorado, to any of the various talking heads of the media, even here on this website it's been mentioned; Gavin Freeman is 5'8" tall.
Gavin Freeman also attended the same high school as Wes Welker (2x All Pro First Team, 3x Receiving Yards Leader NFL WR) who is of similar size and play style. In all fairness, being compared to Welker may be among the highest of honors for a receiver. Freeman however, just wants to be known as a "football player", not a "5'8" tall football player" and for that, he's got a point.
why my height always gotta be brought up i can’t just be a football player? https://t.co/hZph9tUJaa
— gavin freeman (@TheGavinFreeman) September 27, 2026
"America, We Have a New Short King"
It didn't seem that the comment, delivered by Lowell Galindo, was said in a demeaning way, as Galindo was seemingly trying to praise Freeman, but from his very own X post: "why my height always gotta be brought up i can’t just be a football player?" Freeman reacted to them. It's important to note that whether the context of Freeman's post is simply him having a good sense of humor about things or the potential of haven taken offense to Galindo's comments is currently unknown.
An End to Height Power?
The debate between size and speed may never truly resolve as any number of variables begin to skew any kind of sample size. The argument becomes a lot of "ifs" and "buts", and if "'ifs' and 'buts' were 'candies' and 'nuts', we'd all have a Merry Christmas." The Bears haven't underestimated Freeman, they know what he's all about. It will be a catastrophic mistake if an opposing defense sees Freeman's height on the stat sheet and dismisses him as "too small."
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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