Top 25 Most Important Baylor Players: Safety Daniel Cobbs is Ready to Wreak Havoc
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In order for Baylor to have a successful season in 2026, the Bears are going to need some fresh faces to emerge. Baylor lost some star talent from last season, and the Bears' secondary took a hit with losing Carl Williams and DJ Coleman to the transfer portal.
And that's why the Bears added some experience via the transfer portal.
Next up in our top 25 most important players for the 2026 season, is safety Daniel Cobbs. He lands at No.22 on our list.
Cobbs' 2025 season
Cobbs comes to Baylor for the 2026 season, following his former defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman, from Kansas State. Cobbs played three seasons with the Wildcats, after starting his collegiate career at Tyler Junior College in 2022.
Cobbs took a redshirt year in 2023, played in all 12 games in 2024 as a role player, and then became one of the top members of the defense last season. Playing in 11 games, Cobbs played both strong safety and a couple games at slot. He started the final two games of the season at safety for the Wildcats.
Seeing 415 snaps last year, Cobbs was sixth on the team with 39 tackles. He led the 'Cats with three interceptions on the season.
Why Cobbs is important for Baylor's 2026 success
The 5'11", 191-pound safety comes to Baylor with a probable chance of seeing extensive playing time. The Bears return Jacob Redding, who will likely be the top safety this year, following a breakout 2025 season.
Baylor also returns Devin and Tyler Turner, while adding Colby McCalister, also from Kansas State. But with how Cobbs played last season under Klanderman, he likely has the leg up in the room next to Redding.
Cobbs has shown he can be impactful wherever he lines up at and has the ability to find the football in the air. Redding led the team last year with three interceptions and with Cobbs coming to Waco, those two could wreak havoc together in the secondary.
While he plays safety, Cobbs could also help the Bears' run defense. A year ago, PFF had Cobbs as the second-best run defender on the team, giving him an 81.8 grade. Moving him around and allowing him to fly up into the box could give Baylor more ammunition against the ground game.
One prediction for Cobbs
With Cobbs coming along with Klanderman, I do look for him to start this season. He should line up across from Redding and those two will make a good pairing back there. Going back to his interception rate in 2025, my one prediction for Cobbs will be that he picks off four passes wearing the green and gold.
See our full top 25 players:
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Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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