Two Baylor Bears receive national recognition after Week 6 win
Following Baylor's first home win of the season and their second win in conference, a pair of Bears received some national recognition for their standout performances in the thrilling comeback victory against Kansas State. PFF named safety Jacob Redding to their national defensive team of the week, while Michael Trigg secured the tight end spot for their Week 6 Big 12 Team of the Week selections.
Redding, who totaled a team-leading six tackles in addition to his interception return for a touchdown, was the only Bear to post a PFF grade of 90 or higher, coming in at 91.7. Meanwhile, Trigg paced Baylor's offensive players with an 88.7 grade, with quarterback Sawyer Robertson the next highest coming in at a 78.2.
Trigg shouldered the receiving load once against the Bears, leading the team in reception and yards, turning in an 8-catch,155-yard performance alongside two highlight reel catches. Both Trigg and Redding have been crucial for Baylor's 4-2 start so far this season, even with wildly different journeys to get to this point.
Trigg, the former top-150 recruit and Florida native with stops at Ole Miss and USC before making his way to Waco, received national recognition in Week 1, earning the national Mackey Award award for his seven-catch, 99-yard performance in Baylor's loss to Auburn, while Redding, the Texan and former walk-on, registered the highest PFF grade on the defensive side for Baylor for the second time this season.
Redding's contributions have been especially important with the unavailability of last year's starting Cari Williams IV, and the general up-and-down nature of this Baylor secondary (and the defense overall). Even more special for Redding is the fact that he's stated that he grew up rooting for the Bears, and, despite being a three-sport standout coming out of high school, didn't receive major recruiting attention
Baylor safety Jacob Redding on his clutch pick-sixđ»âŹïž
â Baylor Bears on SicEm365 (@SicEm365) October 4, 2025
âI was running, and I was like, âI canât believe this is happening.â Then I was like, âNo flags? Thank you, Lord. This is a blessing and a dream come true.ââ pic.twitter.com/Zx18x5tXUF
The Bears aren't perfect by a long shot, and this bye week should be used to both nurse a team pillar like Bryson Washington back to one hundred percent health, but also make whatever schematic changes, or even personnel development, to improve all levels of this defense. However, it appears that Baylor has two playmakers and budding stars on both sides of the ball, and pairing these two with as prolific a passer as Sawyer Robertson, the Bears should have a puncher's chance against anybody down the stretch in Big 12 play, starting with their October 18th matchup in Fort Worth against TCU coming out of their bye.
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Josh began covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Before this, he previously wrote for Syracuse men's basketball and football at SI from 2022-24. As a former Division I defensive lineman at Prairie View, Josh is passionate about storytelling from a former athlete's perspective. When he's not covering Baylor, he enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts and music, and loves cooking a good meal.