Top 25 Most Important Baylor Players in 2026: Big Season for a Big Man, Isaiah Robinson

Isaiah Robinson is a big man, and was a big recruit for Dave Aranda's Baylor Bears. Now, he needs to deliver on the promise that came with him out of high school to Waco.

Dave Aranda speaks to his team following a win at Texas Tech in 2024. | via Baylor Athletics

There is no sugar coating things about the 2026 college football season. The Baylor Bears are going to need to have a big year, and they’re going to need to overcome some adversity to do it.

As of right now, the Bears are set to have one returning starter on the offensive line. The rest is up for discussion.

That’s one reason that an offensive lineman sits at the beginning of our list of top-25 Baylor Bears for the 2026 season, Isaiah Robinson.

Coming in at No. 25 of our most important Baylor players is Robinson.

Recapping 2025

The recap for the 2025 season is pretty simple for Robinson, because he did not see any time on the field for the Bears.

The reality, however, is that Robinson is a hard man to miss. He is the size that offensive line coaches dream of standing at 6-foot-7 and tipping the scales at 330 pounds.

Zayyyyyy@zrobinson15 ➡️ Offensive Lineman from Arlington, TX#SicEm | #PersonOverPlayer pic.twitter.com/5AM6RKdnn0

— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) December 21, 2022

Robinson is a former four-star recruit and top-300 player by ESPN’s recruiting rankings after being a three-year starter in high school. He was a player that coach Dave Aranda prioritized, and that relationship was a big reason for Robinson committing to him.

"What it came down to was my relationship with the coaches. My whole family loves coach (Eric) Mateos and coach (Dave) Aranda. The city of Waco itself has my kind of people. It's more my speed - not too fast, not too slow. It's somewhere I could see myself going to college without the football aspect,” Robinson said at the time of his commitment.

Why is the 2026 Important for Him?

2026 is important to Robinson just like it is to almost any other offensive lineman who is coming to fall camp. There are not a lot of bodies with experience who are returning to Baylor’s offensive line this season.

That means that there is going to be some inexperience, but also a plethora of opportunities for everyone in that room.

While recruiting classes are murky in this day in age thanks to NIL opportunities and the transfer portal, the Bears have spent two full seasons developing a player that they invested heavily in during his recruiting process.

Had one of the best weekends for my 2nd official at @BUFootball‼️ #GoBears @CoachMateos @CoachDaveAranda pic.twitter.com/ziLTVldqZY

— Isaiah 'Zay' Robinson (@ZRobinson15) June 23, 2022

That could have been done with an eye on this season and any attrition that was set to take place on the roster. The other reality is talent. There is an argument to be made that Robinson is the most talented of the offensive linemen who will be in fall camp. With his size and ability to move in space, he should be someone that could take hold of one of the tackle spots to protect new quarterback DJ Lagway.

Lagway looks the part of a potential star at quarterback, but it’s not going to matter much who is under center if they are running for their life.

Prediction

Robinson has plenty of talent to spare, and with the opportunity in front of him, that should earn him an opportunity to shine.

The bet here is that he has a chance to win a spot on the outside as one of the starting tackles, and could win the benefit of the doubt thanks to the past investment that has been made in him, as well as his development over two seasons sitting on the bench.