What Landing Four Star Quarterback Luke Babin Means for the Future of Baylor Football

There was big news out of Waco, Texas on Tuesday morning when it was announced that four-star quarterback Luke Babin has decided to call Baylor home for the foreseeable future.

Babin had previously been committed to Vanderbilt, but decommitted during the process before ultimately landing on the Bears as the team he wanted to play for.

“Baylor felt like home to me, with a lot of familiar faces,” Babin told Rivals.

Baylor was battling against Oklahoma State for the talented signal caller, but it appears the familiarity won out for Babin as he made his decision.

Familiarity matters

“Baylor has really been trying. They’ve really come back for me,” Babin said earlier this month.

“Coach Rhett has been texting me and sent me a letter about why he wanted to be back in the mix. Those are some of the original guys that offered me in the beginning and great places to land, great places to be. I love those coaches and have a great relationship with them.”

Recruiting has never truly been a straight forward process, and that is true now more than ever. The presence of NIL, the transfer portal, and college coaches moving all over the place has made recruiting a more difficult process than before.

Babin’s official visit had been locked in for June 19, but momentum had been building toward a commitment due to some of the work the coaching staff put in in the past.

Baylor offered Babin his scholarship in May of 2024. Babin visited the Bears twice in 2024, one of which was for their game against Oklahoma State at the end of October.

Baylor looked to the portal to replace Sawyer Robertson in January, coming away with Florida transfer and Baylor legacy DJ Lagway as their next starting quarterback. Three-star Quinn Murphy is Baylor's lone 2026 quarterback signee.

The lack of depth behind Lagway could be a potential selling point for Babin in the idea that he could see the field sooner than later.

What does it all mean for the Bears now that Babin is locked in?

First and foremost, recruiting is never truly a finished process. Keeping Babin in the fold will continue to be a priority. The world is different, and a commitment does not mean as much as it used to.

Assuming everything is normal and Babin hits campus after he graduates from high school, it means that Baylor has a quarterback to build around for the future.

As much as the transfer portal has changed things, there is still something to be said for having a quarterback to develop. Despite the changes in college sports, culture still matters, and it’s easier to build culture if there are familiar faces on the roster.

There is no position more important in that regard than quarterback. That means Babin could become the face of the program once DJ Lagway’s time at Baylor comes to a close.

There is nothing more stressful in football than uncertainty at the quarterback position. Now, Baylor has some clarity at that spot.

That’s worth its weight in gold.