Ranking Every Baylor Football Position Group from Best to Worst
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Baylor has already had a rollercoaster start to the season; entering the bye week, the Bears are on a four-game win streak, capped by a blowout win over ASU in Tempe, Arizona.
We ranked the eight position groups from worst to best over the summer; a lot has changed since fall camp, so let's reevaluate: Here are the eight position groups ranked from best to worst:
1. Defensive line (Prev. 3)
We knew the defensive line was going to be one of the most improved units going into the season; a lot of money was spent on bringing in guys like defensive end Garrick Ponder and nose tackle Hosea Wheeler.
Turns out it was money well spent; the unit flew past last year's sack mark, logging 18 in five games compared to just 12 over the course of the 2025 season. The sacks and forced fumbles are impressive, but the constant quarterback pressure has been the crux of the entire Baylor defense.
The defense has been dominant for Baylor, allowing less than 20 points in all five games. The defensive line should get the majority of the credit; in my opinion, they are clearly the best unit.
2. Wide Receivers (Prev. 1)
Through injuries, backup quarterbacks, and struggles on the offense as a whole, the wide receivers have been a constant for the Bears. Fifth-year Gavin Freeman has taken the spotlight with 479 yards in five games.
There is also a slew of other pass-catchers that have stepped up and been steady targets for DJ Lagway and Nate Bennett. Louis Brown IV, Jayden McGowan, and others have helped the unit amass 12 touchdowns and over 1200 yards. When the running game has struggled to get going, the ball is going to find Freeman and company.
3. Quarterback (Prev. 2)
A close follow-up to the wide receivers, Nate Bennett and DJ Lagway have been fantastic for Baylor, with a couple more low points. Nate Bennett was the perfect "next man up," and Lagway has the feel that he can give the Bears a chance against any opponent.
There are still some question marks around Lagway, and Baylor needs him to stay healthy. But outside of the first half against Auburn, Lagway has been one of the best players on the field and seems to be thriving in the Spavital offense.
4. Cornerbacks/safeties (Prev. 4)
Yes, I think the defensive line has made the secondaries' job a lot easier. That should not take away from how great they have played thus far. The group allows more yards and longer drives than they should at times, but they are still a huge reason that the Baylor defense is as dominant as it has been.
Micah Gifford, Bo Onu Jr., Devon Jordan, and many more have been racking up tackles while having some great pass coverage downfield, but I don't think the group gets enough credit for the redzone defense, allowing only six touchdowns on 16 redzone trips.
5. Linebackers (Prev. 8)
A position that faced a huge rebuild over the offseason and had some serious concerns. The play from the linebackers so far has largely silenced the doubt surrounding them.
Travion Barnes is first in total tackles, and Kyland Reed is tied for third. While they can tend to leave some gaps in pass coverage, the linebackers can bring an oppressive blitz, as we saw in the Arizona State game.
6. Runningback (Prev. 5)
This might seem way too low for the runningbacks, and maybe it is. But before the ASU game, the runningbacks had drastically underperformed. A lot of that can be blamed on poor blocking, but the stats on the running backs were not jumping off the page.
However, if this list gets revised later in the season, I expect the running backs to easily crack into the top-5. The room is deep, with four guys that can break out at any moment. There is a lot to be excited about with 'the outlaws.'
7. Offensive line (prev. 7)
The offensive line also faced a major reset from last season, maintaining only one starter. The unit has done a good job scrambling and switching around positions through injuries, but they were a huge weakness for the Bears in the first four games of the season; the running game almost never got established while the pocket constantly collapsed on the Baylor quarterback.
It looks like the O-line has figured something out since the fourth quarter against Colorado, moving the opposing D-line around and allowing Dawson Pendergrass and other runningbacks to get to work on the ground.
8. Tight end (Prev. 6)
Unfortunately, the Baylor tight ends were almost a non-factor through four games of the season. They finally got involved against the Sun Devils, with Tony Livingston and Hawkins Polley both catching a TD.
But prior to week 5, there were way too many dropped passes, and the blocking was nothing to write home about either. If they can continue to block well and be a red zone target for Lagway, they will surely jump up in the rankings.
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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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