Best in the State: Two Baylor Football Players Named Preseason All-Texas

DJ Lagway didn't get on the list, but two other Bears did.

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Coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign, Baylor is looking to get back to its winning ways in 2026. But the Bears are going to need some players to take the next step and lead the Bears against a difficult schedule.

Two players Baylor will lean on this season — while one player the Bears would prefer to not see the field all that often — will be linebacker Travion Barnes and punter Palmer Williams. Both players were named to the 2026 preseason All-Texas Team, presented by Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

The one player many Bears' fans likely thought would've been on the list is former five-star gunslinger DJ Lagway. He makes his way back to the state of Texas after a two-year stint with the Florida Gators. But after leading the SEC in interceptions thrown, Lagway has some proving to do on the field.

Can Barnes get back to his tackling ways?

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Baylor landed Travion Barnes in the transfer portal heading into the 2025 season. But Barnes never fully found his footing and suffered a season-ending injury just four games into his Baylor career.

The Bears have Barnes back, and he's expected to lead the defense with Keaton Thomas off to Ole Miss. After 11 tackles and one sack in 2025, Barnes is looking to get back to the clip he set in 2024 for FIU.

Barnes was a top-five tackler in the nation two seasons ago, recording 129 tackles, earning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. Barnes also had 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two interceptions in 2024.

And not only is Barnes back for the 2026 season, but one source recently told CBS Sports that Barnes is looking impressive.

"He's a name people probably forgot about," a source told CBS Sports regarding Barnes. "... He had a hell of a spring."

Barnes was named to the preseason second-team.

Williams is a weapon, but the hope is not to need him

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A preseason first-team selection, punter Palmer Williams is arguably the best punter in college football. But the Bears are hopeful to not see him very often. Baylor wants to start fast and score as many points as it can.

However, when Baylor does need to use Williams — the Bears can count on him.

An All-American last season, he helped lead Baylor in net punting in 2025, averaging 45 yards per kick. He has booted the ball past 50 yards 39 times in his career, which is currently tied for 7th-best in Baylor history.

Seeing a lot of Williams in 2026 doesn't bode well for the Bears' offense, but Baylor has the secret weapon to flip field position.