Portal poaching candidates for Baylor: Virginia Tech
The 2025 college football coaching carousel has already claimed two victims less than a month into the season. Following their respective 0-3 starts, UCLA fired head man Deshun Foster, who barely lasted 18 months on the job. Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, Virginia Tech let go of Brent Pry after a 19-point loss to Old Dominion, where he finished with only one winning season in Blacksburg. With that, and new NCAA rules triggering a 30-day transfer portal for all players on both rosters. Here are some players Baylor could land if Va Tech players entered the portal.
DL Ben Bell
This one would solidify the Texas State-to-Baylor pipeline, after the sixth-year senior spent two seasons in San Marcos, including a 10-sack season in 2023. Adding Bell, a Cedar Park native, would give a nice bump to Baylor’s pass rush that’s been just OK this year, as well as adding proven production and bodies along a defensive line that could desperately use some shoring up as Jackie Marshall works back up to 100%, and Baylor enters conference play.
CB Dante Lovett
Lovett swiftly entered the portal yesterday after Pry’s firing, the first entry for the Hokies in what figures to be a mass exodus. Lovett, a junior cornerback from Maryland, has been a two-year starter in Blacksburg, and would instantly become CB1 for a Bears defense that struggled badly against SMU. If only he could touch down in Waco on Saturday to help the Bears out against Jordyn Tyson.
QB Kelden Ryan
A 3-star true freshman, the Bears actually offered and recruited Ryan last year before he committed to Virginia Tech. Ryan hails from Fort Worth and spent his senior season at Texas powerhouse Desoto. While coaches around the program seem to be high on both Nate Bennett, who got action in last week’s win over Samford, and former 4-star and Auburn transfer Walker White, Ryan would offer an athletic dynamic not currently in the room, with him totaling 14 rushing touchdowns and over 900 yards his senior season at DeSoto. The Hokies already have a starting quarterback that came from Baylor, why not complete the trade and give one back to the Bears?
S Isiah Cash
This would also go to shoring up Baylor’s suspect backend in multiple ways. Cash, a graduate student from Austin who came to the Hokies after stops at Sam Houston State and Houston Christian, did a little bit of everything for the Bearkats last season, with 67 tackles, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and a sack. He also was one of the surest tacklers in the country, with only a 3.6% missed tackle rate in 2024, according to PFF. Getting a good cover guy, with Cash currently starting at nickel, while also that could play in the box and be a playmaker in the run game for Baylor would be a nice 2-for-1 get for Baylor.
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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.