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Inside The Bears

Four Reasons to be Optimistic About Baylor Football Despite 0-1 Start

Baylor's loss to Auburn revealed major defensive improvements, player development, and reasons for optimism heading into a manageable 2026 schedule.
Jacob Haddadin|
The Baylor defense was flying to the ball on Saturday.
The Baylor defense was flying to the ball on Saturday. | via Baylor Athletics

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Baylor Bears

While Baylor fans are disappointed after the excruciatingly close loss on Saturday, a slight feeling of hope is radiating through the fanbase. That hope is not unfounded; there is a lot to look forward to this Baylor season.

Baylor Football looks much improved in 2026.
Baylor Football looks much improved in 2026. | via Baylor Athletics

Auburn is a good team, especially defensively, and the offense, while being "new," had some continuity with a quarterback, offensive coordinator, and head coach trio all moving together from a very successful USF team in 2025. The Auburn defense also returned a lot from last year and held onto its defensive coordinator, DJ Durkin.

Defensive Line is far improved

The defensive line was hyped up all pre-season, and they delivered. The defense recorded five sacks and 11 TFLs in the loss Saturday. To put that into perspective, last season Baylor's defense recorded 12 sacks ALL YEAR. This is a staggering improvement for Dave Aranda, who went out on a limb when he hired Joe Klanderman.

Baylor goes from one of the worst defensive line groups in the country to one of the best ones. The exciting thing about this performance is that Auburn will be one of the top three offensive lines they face all season, meaning there is even more to look forward to with this group in 2026.

Jordan Mack brings down Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown.
Jordan Mack brings down Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown. | via Baylor Athletics

Dominant Secondary Performance

Something that shocked me was the dominance of the Baylor secondary. Before the game, we were handed the unfortunate news that star safety, Jacob Redding, would miss not only the Auburn game but the entire season. The team stepped up, though, with Baylor's defense grabbing three interceptions.

Not only was it surprising to see Baylor force turnovers, but it was a shock to see who got them. Reggie Bush II grabbed one; he's a guy who has been with the program for five years, got his chance, and stepped up. Micah Gifford also grabbed an interception; he has been with the program for four years, starting as a wide receiver and being moved to safety.

While these two guys playing well is a great thing for Baylor, it signals something even more important. Development. Baylor is developing players again, something that has been questioned a lot by fans of Aranda's staff is the lack of progression from players. Bush II and Gifford proved that wrong on Saturday.

Offensive Line wasn't Bad

The offensive line was my biggest question mark and concern heading into the game Saturday, and while it wasn't a great performance from the line, it wasn't awful. They only allowed one sack the whole game and gave Lagway the time to deliver, especially in key moments.

The rushing attack specifically was hindered by the offensive line play. Dawson Pendergrass had 88 yards on the day, averaging 3.5 yards a carry. He carried the ball 25 times and only had a long of seven yards. That reflects very poorly on the offensive line.

It will be interesting to see if offensive line coach Austin Woods looks to move some stuff around on the offensive line as Baylor heads into a couple of "tune-up" games before starting the Big 12 slate. Guys like Cole Rhett and Harrison Cluff could be ones to watch to step-in and compete for starrting roles.

A Manageble Schedule

Baylor faces a very manageable schedule this season. They should win the next two games and then win at home against Colorado. An away game in Tempe against Arizona State will be a massive challenge before returning home to face a questionable TCU team.

Baylor then faces middling Kansas, a volatile UCF, and a rebuilding Iowa State before heading into its most difficult stretch of games on the back end. Through the aforementioned games, I wouldn't be surprised if Baylor was 7-2.  

Jadon Porter scored at touchdown at TCU in 2025.
Jadon Porter with a touchdown at TCU in 2025. TCU have had Baylor's number in the Aranda era with Aranda only winning once in six meetings. | Sam Gassaway | Photographer

That final stretch of games against BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston will be where Baylor will have to really prove itself, but I doubt Aranda and his staff have thought that far ahead, so I won't either.

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Jacob Haddadin
JACOB HADDADIN

Jacob is a contributor for Baylor Bears On SI. A lifelong sports fan, he started writing game reactions and opinion pieces during Baylor football and basketball seasons, turning that hobby into a growing presence in sports media. He brings an authentic, fan-driven voice to his work and is excited to keep building his voice and breaking down the topics Baylor fans are talking about every day.

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