Baylor's recruiting class received a boost in ESPN's latest rankings
The Baylor Bears have one of the best recruiting classes in the Big 12 in 2026. So far, they have 16 commits, four of which are inside ESPN's top-300 recruits list. They don't have a five-star, but they have four four-stars, including Jamarion Carlton, who ranks as ESPN's 98th overall prospect.
On Thursday, ESPN released their new team recruiting class rankings, and the Bears jumped one spot from No. 27 to No. 26. They're the third-highest rated Big 12 team, behind BYU (19th) and Texas Tech (25th).
Here's what ESPN had to say about the Bears' recruiting class:
Baylor picked up a WR with strong ties to the program in London Smith, whose father was a football and basketball star at Baylor and whose mother was a national champion triple jumper for the Bears. Unsurprisingly, London is a quick, smooth target with good body control. Another key add at WR is Jordan Clay, a nice-sized target at close to 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds who also possesses very good body control.
Further capitalizing on in-state talent, Baylor landed ESPN 300 DE Jamarion Carlton and ESPN 300 CB Jamarion Vincent, who possesses coveted size at roughly 6-2 and blends that with good speed and smooth movements.
Of the three big recruiting networks - ESPN, On3/Rivals and 247 - ESPN has the Bears rated the highest. 247 has the Bears down at No. 30 and On3 has them down at No. 28. Both sites have the Bears as the third best recruiting class in the conference.
The Bears' 2026 class is tracking to be their best since 2018, when they signed the No. 29 class in the country according to 247 Sports. Things will undoubtedly change before the final rankings come in after signing day, and if they can add a few more pieces before then, they may just be able to beat out their 2018 class.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.