Questions for Each Offensive Position Heading into Baylor's 2026 Season
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After a 5-7 season last year, Baylor was forced to make major changes, and with those changes come many questions. With over 32 players leaving in the portal, and three major offensive weapons going to the NFL Draft, Baylor will be looking for many new faces to lead the charge this season.
Will the Bears find success in their defense? Is the receiver room and offensive line going to be enough for DJ Lagway to succeed? All of that and more will be answered. Let's take a look at one specific thing to focus on for each position on the offense.
Quarterback: Can DJ Lagway break the seal on this entirely new offense?
Short answer is yes, although this isn't a familiar team to Lagway. DJ will be with a great offensive coordinator that we saw have a ton of success last year. But without star playmakers like Josh Cameron and Michael Triggs, will Lagway have the confidence to step up and lead the way for this offense?
I believe that even with the roster downgrade from Florida to Baylor, we will see a lot more of a clean year from him. Everything seemed to be a mess in Florida, so it was hard to expect any growth out of Lagway there, even with all of his turnovers. I'm confident we'll see a cleaner, more productive year out of Lagway in this system.
There's no question that adding a player like Lagway is an upside look to most Baylor coaches. Besides Sawyer Roberson, who just had a terrific year, Lagway is the most talented quarterback Baylor has seen since probably Jarrett Stidham or Robert Griffin III.
My biggest hope is that putting Lagway in this offense can unlock some option running out of the backfield. We saw Lagway scramble and run plenty of times at Florida, and it could be used to grow this offense. With multiple talented, speedy running backs Baylor saw last year, option plays, and rpo could add major impact to the offensive playcalling.
Running Back: Who will take the reins? Or could we see a multiple back system?
After a leading rusher heads to the portal, this very young running back room has the potential to flourish into a three-man rotation. We've seen multiple teams run multiple backs, and Baylor has some young players who have a chance to flourish with Lagway.
Second-year returner Michael Turner catches my eye. Turner was the third leading rusher under Bryson Washington and Caden Knighten last year. He's top 20 in his class, 6', 220 pounds. Very shifty runner that always keeps his feet moving and fights for extra yards. A great hustle player who gave Baylor's offensive line some life when they could find successful patches of the run game. He had a productive season last year and should be looking to take the starting role.
I also like Caden Knighten. Another freshman from last year, Caden, who can serve wonders as a receiving back out of the backfield. He had a few runs out of the backfield that broke loose, but Caden saw most success when it was the screens, or even the checkdowns in open space. Caden's speed would show when he gets a second or two to break out.
Tight End: Is Tony Livingston being talked about enough?
Baylor wanted to try to get Lagway something to make him comfortable, so they went out and got his former Gator teamate Tony Livingston. Tony was an offensive lineman that has converted to tight end. Tony is an athletic freak, he measured at 6'4", 260 pounds in high school.
This guy was playing in multiple lineman positions and playing tight end, just running people over as he was running to the endzone. Livingston has basketball clips of him doing abnormal stuff. This is one of the most athletic lineman Ive seen. With offers like Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, clearly there's some sort of lightning in a bottle with this kid. He didn't see much playing time in Florida, but that will likely change after Triggs' departure.
Offensive Line: Can Lagway find trust in newly formed line??
With almost an entirely new line, full of transfers and one returning starter. There can be concerns with how a fresh line of players will cooperate at the start of the year. If you look at the transfers they brought in, most look promising. Cole Rhett was a MAC-level player who had Power Four interest so he should be promising.
Kaden Sieracki most likely wasn't expecting to be the only returning starter on the line, but since he is, this can be an opportunity for Kaden to be a leader to the transfers and new players. Offense seemed to be fine last year, even when the line wasn't the best. The biggest concern is that the newly acquired line won't be enough for this heavily powered defensive conference.
Tyler is a writer for Baylor Bears On SI with a deep focus on football and basketball. Professional stat cruncher and high school athlete. Passionate NFL, college, and NBA fan. I love sports and want to put that passion into my writing.
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