Inside Baylor Football: Fall Camp Impressions - Day 4
With the Bears opening up fall camp this Wednesday, your friends over at Baylor on SI took the time to head over to the practice facility in Waco, and lay eyes on the team and its fully formed roster. We'll continue this series up until the start of game week preparation (August 15th), and, every day we're out there, you'll learn something new about this Baylor Bears football squad.
Pass Rush Posse
Pass rush was the name of the game today, with the DLINE and LBs going through a pass rush circuit through the early part of individual drills today. While a guy like Matthew Fobbs-White looked right at home, I was pleasantly surprised to see how adept the more traditional off-ball linebackers, Keaton Thomas and Emar'rion Winston, looked in bending the edge and executing pass rush moves. Also, for the DLINE, Jackie Marshall shined with his mobility and hands, moving like a guy around at least 20 pounds lighter than the 306 he's listed at on the official roster. While I've mentioned before the impact I expect Matthew Fobbs-White to have on the pass rush for the Bears this season, it looks like a situation where the sum could be greater the parts for pressuring the QBs this season. Aranda's defense will thrive if he isn't forced to blitz and can consistently create pressure with four.
Off-ball LBs Keaton Thomas & Oregon transfer Emar'rion Winston working pass rush today, with pass rush being an emphasis of today’s defensive INDY periods pic.twitter.com/WwQlkyGeru
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) August 2, 2025
The corners are coming
With a Week 1 matchup versus Auburn set to feature one the most dynamic wideout duos in the country in Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton, eyes will be on the Baylor's secondary, which was a weak point last season, coming in 100th nationally in opposing passing yards after surrendering, on average, nearly 250 yards per game through the air last season. A major key for improvement in Baylor's pass defense will be junior Caden Jenkins, who regressed in a sophomore slump campaign after being named a freshman All-American in 2023. At 6'1, 178, he has the height, length, and shiftiness to match up and bother either Singleton or Coleman, but it will be crucial for him to make a statement in Week 1 that his 2024 campaign was an aberration and not the indicator of who he is as a player.
Sweet feet, smooth hips, and nice change of direction skills from JUNIOR (I heard ya, folks) corner @cadenjenkins8
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) August 2, 2025
First real close up look at him pic.twitter.com/89hLaQtrnc
But, nonetheless, Aranda took matters into his own hands, securing a big win in the portal with sophomore Calvin Simpson-Hunt, a Waxahachie native who was apart of last year's Ohio State championship run. Playing alongside guys like Denzel Burke and surefire first round pick Caleb Downs, while also matching up against the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith, Simpson-Hunt immediately brings champion experience and work ethic to this secondary, something he spoke to in his media availability session on Saturday. At over 210 pounds, Simpson-Hunt could be a versatile chess piece for this secondary, be it at corner, nickel, or even as a hybrid linebacker in certain packages. But, it's clear that he already made a real impression on this room already, listening to Tevin Williams and Levar Thornton discuss glowingly about him during their media availability.
@CSimpsonHunt brings a body type this DB room didn’t have last year
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) August 3, 2025
The versatile sophomore could see time as l corner or nickel, but at over 210 pounds, he’s living the linebackers a run for their money pic.twitter.com/vxFlf31gCi
@LevarThornton on what he’s been able to pick up from Calvin-Simpson Hunt on and off the field so far pic.twitter.com/NAzFk5zyuZ
— Baylor Bears On SI (@BaylorBearsOnSI) August 3, 2025
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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.