Big-time Baylor football weapon set to miss entire 2025 season
Baylor will be without one of its most dependable offensive weapons for the entirety of the 2025 season. Head coach Dave Aranda confirmed Saturday that junior running back Dawson Pendergrass has suffered a foot injury that will require surgery and an extensive rehabilitation process.
“That’s too bad for him, it’s a definite misfortune,” Aranda said. “He’s gonna have to have surgery on his foot, it’s gonna take the majority of the season to come back from that. We were hoping for better news.”
Coach Aranda confirming that Dawson Pendergrass is set to miss the season with a foot injury, and who could step up to replace him in the RB room pic.twitter.com/fPFisgWI3G
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) August 10, 2025
Pendergrass, who rushed for 671 yards and five touchdowns on 121 carries last season, was among the Big 12’s most productive backup running backs in 2024. He added 11 receptions for 103 yards and another score, bringing a physical, north-south style that paired well with starter Bryson Washington. His presence gave the Bears a consistent short-yardage and red-zone option, a role that will now need to be filled elsewhere in the rotation.
The injury leaves Baylor with a significant depth challenge behind Washington. Pendergrass’ combination of power and experience will be difficult to replicate, with him excelling in short-yardage and redzone situations with his imposing 6'2, 235-pound frame. Despite this, Aranda said he expects the rest of the position group to adjust quickly.
“I think it’s something that Dawson’s wrapping his mind around,” Aranda said. “We feel good about our depth, and we’ve got some young players that will be pressed [into action] behind him. We’ve got a good room, and we expect them to step up.”
One of the young guys in that room has already been making waves throughout fall camp, and looks prime to take on the RB2 role with Pendergrass down. True freshman Caden Knighten — last year's U.S. Army All-American Bowl MVP — has drawn consistent praise from teammates and coaches. Baylor safety Devyn Bobby named Knighten as the standout freshman this offseason, noting that some on the team call him “Mini Skattebo". Knighten has also impressed in 11-on-11 action, with Aranda mentioning him as one of Saturday’s scrimmage standouts.
The Oklahoma native provides a body made to take on carries in bunches, coming in at 5'11, 212 pounds. However, he could potentially provide some big-play ability, as a two-time 100m champion has consistently turned in sub-11 times in the 100 meters. There's still some growing pains he'll have to go through as a true freshman, but, with Bryson Washington breaking out during his redshirt freshman campaign, Baylor has a good track record with young backs recently.
Sawyer Robertson ➡️ 4⭐️ freshman Caden Knighten pic.twitter.com/PIwSTklarC
— Grayson Grundhoefer (@GrayGrundhoefer) May 1, 2025
Knighten's main competion to back up Washington looks to be another high-profile freshman, 247Sports four-star Michael Turner from Fort Worth. That battle will be closely watched over the next three weeks as Baylor prepares for its season opener. The Bears begin their 2025 campaign on August 29 against Auburn, before facing off against SMU in Dallas. The early stretch will provide an immediate test for a reshuffled running back rotation now tasked with replacing one of the team’s most consistent contributors.
- Enjoy more Baylor Bears coverage on Baylor Bears On SI -
More News:
National CBS college football writer showers Baylor RB Bryson Washington with love
Could an early game against Baylor seal the fate of an SEC coach?
Big 12 battle brews as Baylor pursues promising SEC commit
Baylor football receives late commitment to fortify the defensive line
For additional coverage of Baylor University Athletics
Follow us on Facebook: @BaylorBearsOnSI
Follow us on X/Twitter:@BaylorBearsOnSI
Follow us on Instagram: @BaylorBearsOnSI
Subscribe to us on Youtube: @BaylorBearsOnSI
Josh began covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Before this, he previously wrote for Syracuse men's basketball and football at SI from 2022-24. As a former Division I defensive lineman at Prairie View, Josh is passionate about storytelling from a former athlete's perspective. When he's not covering Baylor, he enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts and music, and loves cooking a good meal.