Biggest Questions Facing The Baylor Bears Entering Fall Camp
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We are finally back, ladies and gentlemen. Fall camp is around the corner; the Baylor Bears look for a 2026 season that will likely define Dave's future. With plenty of transfer portal additions given starting jobs, what happens this August will likely dictate the mood for all of fall. There are multiple burning questions that this staff needs to figure out on the field before they even think about Auburn week one.
Who's The New Transfer Due For an Explosive Year?
After a disappointing season at Florida last year, the easy pick would be DJ Lagway, but I'm going with one of the guys he'll be throwing to. Last year at Colorado, Dre'lon Miller only had 158 yards on just 20 catches, and Colorado had a miserable season, going 3-9. Miller was a very highly touted receiver prospect in the highly touted 2024 class, ranking 17th behind players like Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, and Ryan Wingo.
Playing for a 3-9 team can make you go a little under the radar, but I think putting a talented receiver like Miller in with this passer-friendly offense can only open doors to what Dre'lon is capable of doing.
Will Will Take Charge on This Newly Formed Offensive Line?
For this one, I'll have to go between two transfers. The first one is sophomore Nate Kibble from Texas, Baylor's top-ranked transfer on the line. Kibble was a three-star prospect who only saw the field three times while playing with the Longhorns, redshirting his freshman year. Kibble looks for a bigger role and more playing time, and what better than the team that needs almost a full reset of linemen?
The second one is senior transfer Yakiri Walker, who played in every game for Memphis last year. Led the team in snaps and helped Memphis's offense average one of the higher-averaging yards on offense in the nation. Memphis was top 40 in almost every offensive stat last year, and Walker definitely contributed to that. Hopefully, he can have this same impact and can rally this line to give Lagway the time he needs to make this another explosive year for Baylor's offense.
Will Klanderman's Defense Be Able to Keep Pace With This Offense
There's no question that Baylor needed to make changes on defense; giving up 35 points per game is most likely to lead to a coaching change. Joe Klanderman has a really good reputation for having rough-and-tough defenses in his career, and with the portal's access, he's been able to build an upgraded secondary and some very talented edge rushers.
One name I think is worth keeping an eye on is South Carolina edge rusher Zavion Hardy. He was the number one JUCO transfer in the country, spending one year at South Carolina, where he only saw one game and recorded no stats. I still think Hardy will surprise people as a rotational piece in Baylor's defense this year.
A 6'5 285 pound twitchy guy who played a lot of inside tackle in Juco, but will likely be moved to the outside due to his quick release and ability to get out to the edge and stop outside runs and quarterback scrambles.
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Tyler is a writer for Baylor Bears On SI with a deep focus on football and basketball. Professional stat cruncher and high school athlete. Passionate NFL, college, and NBA fan. I love sports and want to put that passion into my writing.
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