Post-Spring Baylor Football Projected Depth Chart for 2026
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The Baylor football season is four months away as new quarterback DJ Lagway is trying to flip the script for the Bears under head coach Dave Aranda, who is on the 'hottest of hot seats' going into the season.
There are a lot of new faces for the Bears this season, with 14 of the 22 projected starters being transfer portal acquisitions.
As spring practice is completely over, Baylor will now await summer conditioning and fall camp. There is hope in Waco that Aranda and Co. can right the ship, but fans will have to see it done on the field. Here is our Baylor projected depth chart with spring over.
Offense
Receivers
All four of Baylor's top wide receivers are graduating from the program; headlining the list is Josh Cameron, who was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the recent NFL Draft.
This calls for a major reset in the wide receiver room, which has been bulked up with upperclassman transfers from across the country. Lagway's targets will have no shortage of experience.
WR-X | WR-Z | WR-Slot | TE |
|---|---|---|---|
Louis Brown IV, RS SR | Dre'lon Miller, JR | Gavin Freeman, RS SR | Tony Livingston, SR |
Ashton Jones, RS FR | Taz Williams Jr., RS FR | Jadon Porter, JR | Matthew Klopfenstein, SR |
Offensive line
The O-line was a unit that was neither great nor bad throughout last season. This offseason the room has gone through a complete overhaul, with only one returning starter set to protect Lagway.
There is also a new coordinator for the unit, as Baylor has moved on from Mason Miller and hired Austin Woods.
LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhett Cole, RS JR | Asher Hale, JR | Yakiri Walker, RS SR | Koltin Sieracki, RS SO | Kaden Sieracki, RS SR |
Matthew Parker, RS FR | Lawson Petty, RS JR | Harrison Cluff, RS FR | Nate Kibble, RS SO | Logan Moore, RS JR |
Quarterbacks/Running backs
Baylor's season will likely hinge on this group's performance: if DJ Lagway and running back Dawson Pendergrass turn into All-Big 12 caliber players, it will be a blast of a season. However, a slow start from the backfield could end the season before it starts.
QB | RB |
|---|---|
DJ Lagway, JR | Dawson Pendergrass, RS JR |
Nate Bennett, RS SO | Caden Knighten, SO |
Edward Griffin, RS FR | Michael Turner, SO |
Defense
Defensive line
The unit has national championship DNA as Hosea Wheeler slots in at the nose tackle position for the Bears. He will be surrounded by three other seniors, making the D-line the most experienced unit on the field for Baylor.
DE1 | DE2 | NT | DT |
|---|---|---|---|
Jordan Mack, RS SR | Garrick Ponder, RS SR | Hosea Wheeler, RS SR | Kamren Washington, RS SR |
Zavion Hardy, RS JR | Ryan Davis, RS JR | Devonte Tezino, RS SR | Jamaal Whyce Jr., RS SR |
Linebackers
After the painful loss of Keaton Thomas, the linebackers are still a young unit with some very high upside; the position will hopefully be a bright spot in a defense desperate for talent.
WLB | MLB |
|---|---|
Kyland Reed, JR | Travion Barnes, RS SR |
Kaleb Burns, SO | Kedrick Walker, RS SR |
Defensive backs
Another group that was mediocre for the Baylor defense last season, and another group that is facing a lot of turnover.
CB1 | CB2 | SS | FS | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LeVar Thornton Jr., RS JR | Devon Jordan, JR | Colby McCalister, RS SR | Jacob Redding, RS SR | Daniel Cobbs, RS SR |
Calvin, Simpson-hunt, RS JR | Jayden Rowe, RS SR | Devin Turner, RS SR | Tyler, Turner RS JR | Bo Onu, SO |
This is where the team stands now; most of the Bears' improvement will have to come from within in order to turn around a program in need of improvement from last season.
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Bennett is an undergrad student at Baylor University, studying journalism on the sports track. He is from the DFW area and grew up playing and watching sports, which inspired him to pursue sports writing.
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