Baylor Football Makes Late Addition to Beef up Special Teams Ahead of 2026 Season

The Bears had a late addition to the class.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It's never too late to make some additions ahead of the season. Recently, the Bears added electrifying returner, wide receiver Jayden McGowan from the transfer portal.

Then on Tuesday, Baylor made another move. This time, it was to help beef up its special teams by adding a late 2026 commitment. The Bears gained a commitment from kicker/punter Bronson Mueller.

Mueller, a Texas prospect, held offers from both UTEP and Air Force, but opted to commit to the Bears.

#AGTG Blessed to announce my commitment to @BUFootball‼️

Sic’Em 🐻‼️ @CoachMCScott @CoachRPollard @CoachDaveAranda @OberkromKicking @HeathHawksFb @ROCOgameday @RISDAthletics @coachrodneywebb @kt_recruiting @Chris_Sailer @trlong02 @IsaacPunts @mueller75032 pic.twitter.com/LwkfGcXCZH

— Bronson mueller (@MuellerBronson) May 5, 2026

According to Chris Sailer Kicking, Mueller is a 4.5-star kicker and is ranked as the 89th-best player in the class.

"Bronson is an excellent high school kicking prospect. He is a great looking athlete with a strong leg. Bronson does an outstanding job on field goal, a strength. He hits a pure, accurate ball off the ground and has 55+ yard range.

"His kickoffs are strong. Bronson drives the ball into the endzone with good hang time. Also a more than capable punter. A competitor who does well under pressure. I look forward to seeing what the future holds. Look for Bronson to dominate Vegas 47 in January. College football is in his future. Bronson is a fine young man who is always a pleasure to work with. Strong prospect."

This past season, Mueller went 12-of-15 on field goal tries and made 49-of-49 extra points. He made a long of 54 yards and made three total field goals from 50-plus yards. For Mueller's high school career, he went 119-of-119 on extra points and made 34-of-42 on field goal tries — with four blocked.

Special teams outlook heading into 2026

The Bears lost one of the top kickers in the Big 12 after Connor Hawkins made the decision to transfer to Ohio State. Baylor will have a battle between returner Rhett Armstrong and Campbell transfer Riley Sullivan.

As far as punting, Baylor returns one of the best punters in America with Palmer Williams coming back to Waco. He will be the main force for the Bears' special teams unit this season. Williams, a former All-American, gives Baylor an edge in the special teams department with his ability to flip the field.

As for Mueller, he will likely take a redshirt season as he gets adjusted to the collegiate level. He can learn behind Williams and can play a role in the kicking game behind Armstrong and Sullivan. But Baylor saw something in Mueller and he has a chance to play down the road.