Predicting the Baylor Bears' 2025-2026 starting defense
While much of the focus surrounding the Baylor Bears comes from the offensive side of the ball, their defense is where most of the eyes will be for this upcoming season. Although the Bears finished their 2024-2025 campaign on a six-game winning streak, according to the metrics, their defense still struggled. In 2024-2025, the Baylor Bears finished with the 87th-ranked total defense in college football, a stark difference compared to their top-20 offense. With that in mind, Dave Aranda hit the transfer portal HARD this offseason and is looking to combine their current talent with an influx of transfer portal additions to bolster their defense. Below, I predict position-by-position what Baylor's starting defense could look like going into their week 1 matchup against the Auburn Tigers, broken down into the secondary, their linebackers, and the defensive line.
Defensive Line
Defensive End: Jackie Marshall
Nose Tackle: Adonis Friloux
Defensive Tackle: Samu Taumanupepe
When it comes to the Baylor defensive line, the keys to success going into this season will be their ability to stop the run and fill gaps effectively. Last season, Baylor's defensive line struggled with size and physicality, which led to their offense having to keep them in a lot of games. When looking at their projected defensive line starters, the name that stands out is defensive lineman Samu Taumanupepe. One of the aforementioned transfers Dave Aranda brought in, Taumanupepe, is a mammoth whose combination of size, length, and power will allow for a much more stout defensive line group.
Linebackers
Left Outside Linebacker: Emar'rion Winston
Left Inside Linebacker: Travion Barnes
Right Inside Linebacker: Keaton Thomas
Right Outside Linebacker: Matthew Fobbs-White
When it comes to the linebackers, there is some key experience returning to the room, along with more infusions from the transfer portal. At the crux of this linebacking core is First-Team All-Big 12 linebacker Keaton Thomas, who looks to continue his dominance with another year on this defense. Additionally, a player not listed as a projected starter, but someone who I believe will see the field a ton, is incoming Fresno State transfer Phoenix Jackson.
Secondary
Left Cornerback: Caden Jenkins
Strong Safety: DJ Coleman
Free Safety: Devyn Bobby
Right Cornerback: Tevin Williams III
Nickel Back: Carl William IV
Of all the defensive position groups, I would say that the expectations are the highest for Baylor's secondary. Although transfer portal additions were brought in, Baylor returns a ton of production and has other potential contributors deeper on their depth chart who will make an impact, such as redshirt sophomore LeVar Thornton Jr. Overall, I think the secondary will surprise a lot of people and if they take that next step, could prove to be very challenging for Big 12 recievers and quarterbacks.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.