Dave Aranda Confirms Season-Ending Leg Injury for Baylor DT Devonte Tezino

Baylor defensive tackle Devonte Tezino suffered a significant lower-leg injury during the first quarter of Saturday's game against Prairie View A&M.

Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears defensive lineman Devonte Tezino (59) is carted off the field after sustaining an injury against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Baylor Bears encountered little resistance from the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the first half of Saturday's tilt, despite starting quarterback DJ Lagway and six of his teammates watching from the sidelines. However, the game started with a disquieting moment that undercut the otherwise positive on-field developments for the Bears.

On the first drive of the game, fifth-year senior defensive tackle Devonte Tezino suffered a leg injury after getting pinned under Prairie View A&M offensive lineman Cameron Pascal. Tezino immediately signaled for medical assistance, and his Baylor teammates appeared visibly distraught while the training staff attended to the situation. A few minutes later, Tezino left the field on a cart with a bulky, padded wrap around his left leg.

Because ESPN's crew did not include a traditional sideline reporter, the broadcast did not offer an update from Baylor head coach Dave Aranda during the game. Instead, the team could not provide an update on the injured defensive lineman until the postgame press conference.

Aranda confirms Tezino will miss the rest of the 2026 season

Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda against the Arizona Wildcats at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the game, Aranda confirmed that Tezino will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury.

"We were all saying prayers for him," Aranda said of Tezino.

"I know he's going to come back even stronger and bounce back."

Tezino's injury marks the second season-ender for a defensive starter. Senior safety Jacob Redding, who led the team in interceptions in 2025, suffered a torn ACL prior to Week 1.

The impact of Tezino's injury

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Auburn Tigers defeated Baylor Bears 17-16. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As last week's matchup with the Auburn Tigers illustrated, Baylor's strength lies in its defensive front. The group managed to sack mobile signal-caller Byrum Brown five times, with Tezino accounting for two of them on the official box score. Pro Football Focus charted Tezino for three sacks and four pressures overall in the game, a testament to his dominance in the contest.

If Tezino misses an extended stretch due to the injury, it would make a significant dent in Baylor's defensive interior. Nose tackle Hosea Wheeler already handles a significant workload -- he played only one fewer snap than Tezino in last week's season opener -- and fellow senior defensive tackles Kamren Washington and Jamaal Whyce Jr. combined for 70 snaps in Week 1. The Bears' coaching staff can only ask so much more from that group without experiencing diminished returns.

Even if the trio of Wheeler, Washington, and Whyce can absorb some of Tezino's snaps, someone else will likely need to emerge to help fortify the interior. Traevon Mitchell, who generated three pressures in just 13 snaps last week, would seem the most likely player to step up into a bigger role.

But no matter how the coaching staff responds to Tezino's absence, no combination of personnel shifts and schematic adjustments can fully account for his loss.

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