Baylor Football Opens 2025 Season with Auburn Tigers

[Ingram, Brent]

BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Aug. 24, 2025

Baylor Football Opens 2025 Season with Auburn Tigers
Bears Host Auburn at 7 p.m. on FOX on Friday

For more information contact: Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, brent_ingram at baylor.edu<mailto:brent_ingram at baylor.edu>  or Max Calderone; 254-265-1639, max_calderone at baylor.edu<mailto:max_calderone at baylor.edu> Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720, josie_hutton at baylor.edu<mailto:josie_hutton at baylor.edu>; or Matt Roberts; 254-227-2280, WM_Roberts at baylor.edu<mailto:WM_Roberts at baylor.edu>



WACO, Texas -- Baylor football will host Auburn on Friday at 7 p.m. in a sold-out Blackout on the Brazos at McLane Stadium. The game will be televised live on FOX and broadcast live on the Baylor Sports Media Network.



FOX will have the game live, with the esteemed crew of Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Baylor Hall of Famer Robert Griffin III (analyst) and Alexa Landestoy (sideline). The Baylor Sports Media Network is led by the Voice of the Bears, John Morris (play-by-play), and BU greats Nick Florence (analyst) and Ricky Thompson (sideline). Elite Media Network will also broadcast the game on national radio, with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Tom Ramsey (sideline) on the call.



Baylor (0-0) will face off with Auburn (0-0) in the season lid-lifter for both teams and for the first time in the series since 1975. The Bears own a 2-1-1 record in the series which is 0-0-1 in Waco, and won the last meeting in 1975, a thriller on The Plains.



STORY LINES

• Baylor opens its 2025 season with a lid-lifter vs. a stout Auburn team on Aug. 29 at McLane Stadium.

• The Bears own a 2-1-1 record all-time against Auburn and are 0-0-1 in games played in Waco. This is the first meeting since 1975.

• Baylor returns a bevy of talent from a 2024 roster that featured the nation’s 20th-best offense, also ranking No. 19 in scoring offense and No. 19 in team passing efficiency.

• QB Sawyer Robertson is the nation’s leading returner in QBR (83.7), after ranking fifth nationally last year. Robertson slung 28 TDs and threw for 3,071 yards in his first season as a near full-time starter, taking over in week 3.

• RB Bryson Washington shattered the program freshman record for rushing yards, totaling 1,028 yards and 12 TDs.

• Punter Palmer Williams led the nation in punting among those who punted at least 2.5 times per game. He booted it 43 times for a 49.3 yard average, the best in school history.

• LB Keaton Thomas made 114 tackles last year, and enters the season as a preseason All-American, and is on the watch list for the Butkus, Nagurski and Bednarik Awards.

• Coach Dave Aranda is in his sixth season leading the Bears and his second season as the defensive play caller and primary inside linebackers coach.

• Offensive Coordinator Jake Spavital is back for year two after resurrecting the offensive fireworks in Waco in 2024. Matthew Powledge is in his third year as the defensive coordinator.

• Baylor AD Mack Rhoades IV will serve as the Chairman of the CFP Selection Committee in 2025, his second year on the committee.

• Baylor has been credited as playing the nation’s toughest non-conference schedule according to On3, facing Auburn and No. 16 SMU in consecutive weeks to open the year.

• The Bears are wearing Chrome helmets for the first time since the 2017 season and will pair it with anthracite jerseys for a “Blackout on the Brazos” promotion.

• Baylor will wear a helmet patch throughout the season to honor the tragic death of freshman defensive lineman Alex Foster, who passed away in May during a visit to his hometown in Mississippi.



SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• Auburn is under the direction of third-year head coach Hugh Freeze, who took over after a strong tenure at Liberty from 2019-22, with time as the head coach at Ole Miss from 2012-16.

• Freeze has gone 11-14 over his first two seasons and is assisted by offensive coordinator Derrick Nix and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. Nix is in his second season after spending the previous 12 years as the running backs coach and wide receivers coach at Ole Miss, including helping spur the Rebels to an 11-2 record in his final season. Durkin is in his second year after serving as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M for two seasons, two seasons as the linebackers coach at Ole Miss and as a former DC at Michigan and Florida. Durkin was the head coach at Maryland for the 2016-17 seasons. Chad Lunsford serves as the special teams coordinator, his second stint at Auburn (2009-12). Lunsford is a former head coach at Georgia Southern, associate head coach at FAU – including a two-game interim stint.

• The Tigers went 5-7 and 2-6 in the Southeastern Conference a year ago, posting wins over Alabama A&M, New Mexico, Kentucky, ULM and Texas A&M. AU bounced back from a four-game losing streak in the midseason to win three of four games before a 14-point loss to Alabama ended the bowl hopes.

• Auburn ranked No. 71 nationally in offense in each of the first two seasons under Freeze, and is coming off a season where the defense ranked No. 28 nationally in points allowed (21.3), and ninth in fewest yards allowed per rush (3.08). AU averaged 429.4 yards per game, including 263.9 passing and 165.5 rushing. Defensively, AU averaged 330.8 yards per game, allowing 213 passing and 117.8 rushing.

• The Tigers had a great offseason in the transfer portal, adding potential starters in QB Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), WRs Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech) and Horatio Fields (Wake Forest), in addition to OL standout Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech). Freshman five-star QB Duece Knight leads a strong freshmen class for the Tigers.

• Defensively, the secondary returns Kaleb Harris, Kayin Lee, Sylvester Smith and Champ Anthony and welcomes the Mid-American Conference’s top corner in Raion Strader and Tulane transfer Rayshawn Pleasant. Keldrick Falk returns on the defensive line after leading the team in sacks (seven) and ranking second in TFL (11).

• Alex McPherson returns as the leader to win the kicking job, Oklahoma State transfer Hudson Kaak could take over punting and one of the nation’s best kickoff returners, Jeremiah Cobb is back in the fold.

• Auburn is led by Athletics Director John Cohen, who took over in the fall of 2022 after a historic run at Mississippi State, where he was a star baseball player and later one of the top college baseball coaches in the nation. Cohen served as the head coach at Kentucky from 2004-08, leading the Wildcats to a historic run that saw the first worst-to-first finish in SEC baseball history. He then took over as the head coach of the Bulldogs, leading MSU to the 2013 CWS finals and titles in the SEC regular season and tournaments. He led the best run in MSU athletics history as its AD following the departure of Scott Stricklin to Florida, highlighted by the first national championship in any team sport in school history, the 2021 baseball title. All told, a total of five MSU programs had the best seasons in school history under his watch as AD.

• Former Georgia Southern AD Jared Benko is the Executive Deputy AD, joining Tim Jackson (fundraising), Djenane Paul (SWA) and Rhett Hobart (external) as Deputy ADs.



SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the fourth all-time meeting between Baylor and Auburn and the first since 1976 on The Plains.

• The Bears own a 2-1-1 lead in the series and is 0-1-1 in games played in Waco.

• Baylor won 15-14 in 1976 in Auburn, which followed a 10-10 tie in 1975 in Waco and a 14-8 win for BU in 1965.

• The series started in the Gator Bowl in 1954, a 33-13 Auburn win in Jacksonville.



LAST MEETING

• In the 1976 meeting, Baylor had a thrilling fourth quarter that saw a total of 13 combined fumbles, with 10 lost, including six by the Tigers. Mark Jackson found Tommy Davidson for a 12-yard TD pass with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter to pull within 14-13 and went for the two-point conversion and the eventual win, executing the same play – Jackson to Davidson – for the 15-14 lead.

• The Bears rushed for 136 yards and threw for 142, while Auburn rushed for 187 yards and threw for 172.



CONNECTING THE TEAMS

• Among the connections for the programs is first-year Auburn Associate AD Taylor Bryan, who served as the football SID and Associate AD at Baylor for four seasons. Baylor redshirt freshman QB Walker White also played for the Tigers in 2024, serving as the back-up QB after signing as a four-star prospect.



UP NEXT

• Baylor will keep up a rugged start to the season with a clash at No. 16/16 SMU on Sept. 6 in Dallas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised live on cable network CW, and broadcast live on the Baylor Sports Media Network.



ELITE SCHEDULE

• Baylor is one of two teams in the nation to play 11 power-4 conference opponents in 2025, joining TCU.

• The Bears have consistently been ranked as owning the toughest non-conference schedule in college football in 2025, facing Auburn, SMU and Samford. On3 and Sports Illustrated have singled out Baylor’s non-league slate as the toughest in the nation.

• According to the Kelley Ford Ratings, Baylor has the sixth-best home schedule in college football, behind only Iowa State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Oregon. Kelley Ford rates Baylor’s schedule as the 35th toughest in the nation, which includes a nine-game Big 12 Conference slate.

• The Bears will face Auburn, No. 16 SMU, Samford and No. 11 Arizona State in the first four weeks.



CHROME DOME, BLACKOUT ON THE BRAZOS

• Baylor will wear its signature Chrome helmets as part of a Blackout on the Brazos for the Auburn clash on Aug. 29, which will also feature BU wearing anthracite uniforms, which were unveiled in two games in 2024.

• This marks the first time since 2017 that Baylor will wear the Chrome helmets, which were made popular during a stretch from 2013-17 that saw the Bears win consecutive Big 12 Conference Championships and advance to four straight bowl games.

• Baylor debuted the chrome helmet in an electric atmosphere in 2013 vs. West Virginia, a 73-42 win.

• Overall, the Bears are 5-4 when wearing Chrome helmets:



DAVE CALLING DEFENSIVE PLAYS

• Coach Dave Aranda enters the 2025 season in his sixth season leading the Bears.

• Aranda has taken over defensive play calling duties for the second consecutive year and serves as the lead position coach for the inside linebackers. This came after he previously let his defensive coordinators call plays, including Ron Roberts and Matt Powledge. Powledge remains the defensive coordinator and is the safeties coach in 2025.

• Aranda led the LSU defense in 2019 as the Tigers posted a perfect 15-0 record and won the National Title with a 42-25 victory over Clemson in CFP National Championship Game.

• In six seasons as defensive coordinator at Power 4 schools from 2014-19, his defenses were ranked top-12 nationally in total yards five times. The units also ranked top-10 in scoring four times in seven years from 2013-19.



SPAV IMPACT

• Baylor second-year offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, widely regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football, had a staggering impact on the Bears in 2024.

• In just 13 games, Spavital transformed the Baylor offensive attack into a balanced, spread, up-tempo style, which resulted in one of the nation’s best units.

• Spavital has had a drastic impact on the production of the Bears offensive attack in just 13 games. Below is a comparison of the 2023 season vs. Spavital’s first year in Waco.

• Under Spavital, Baylor improved its total offense by a rank of 51 spots in the NCAA stats, from 377.8 yards per game in 2023 to 440.1 yards per game in 2024.

• In the analytic stats, Baylor has improved its FEI Offensive Rating by 54 points and an increase in 67 spots in the ratings.



BEARS AVOID PENALTIES

• A hallmark of Coach Dave Aranda’s approach over his six seasons has been a fixture in not committing penalties. Over the 2022-23 season, the Bears committed the fewest penalties in the conference.

• Over Aranda’s six seasons, the Bears rank seventh in the Big 12 in penalties committed, averaging just 47.6 yards per game.



BALL, BROTHERHOOD, BATTLE

• Baylor’s mantra for the offseason and heading into the 2025 season is “Ball. Brotherhood. Battle”. It started during winter conditioning following the Texas Bowl loss to LSU and has carried into the season.

• “We’ve got guys that love football,” Coach Dave Aranda said at the opening of fall camp on what ‘Ball. Brotherhood. Battle.’ meant to him. “One of the things we’re talking about on defense is asking them why they love football. Each guy will get up and talk about what their thing is and why they came to love this game. The brotherhood part is we’ve got guys that are tight and hang together off the field more than they ever have. The battle part is not accepting losing and doing whatever you can to win.”



FURIOUS END TO 2024

• After starting the season 2-4, with narrow losses to Utah, BYU and Colorado, and a second-half lead that fell at Iowa State, the Bears limped into an idle week before facing a red-hot Texas Tech team on homecoming in Lubbock.

• The Bears exploded out of the idle week – absolutely thrashing Tech 59-35 in a game where the game was not even that close. QB Sawyer Robertson threw for five TDs in a return to his home city, in his fifth game as the starter in 2024, and the win sparked a furious six game stretch to end the regular season.

• Baylor ripped off six straight wins to finish 8-4, with the six-game stretch the longest winning streak to conclude a regular season in program history.

• BU posted a win over Oklahoma State, a walk-off field goal win over TCU, a bowl-eligible-clinching win at West Virginia, the first in Morgantown in program history, a gutsy win at Houston and a beatdown of the previous hottest team in college football – coming off three straight ranked wins – vs. Kansas, 45-17.

• Baylor lost vs. LSU in the Texas Bowl, giving up a punt and interception return for a touchdown, having its own punt returned for a TD called back, and failing to convert three red-zone chances in the LSU end.



MASON MILLER IMPACT ON O-LINE

• Baylor’s addition of second-year offensive line coach Mason Miller has paid extreme dividends, improving the Bears over the 2023 season into one of the nation’s top units, according to SportSourceAnalytics, seeing the Bears move from 112 in 2023 to No. 6 in 2024.

• After the BYU game in 2024, the Bears settled on a five-man lineup up front, including Sidney Fugar at LT, Ryan Lengyel at LG, Coleton Price at C, Omar Aigbedion at RG and Campbell Barrington at RT. The only schools ahead of Baylor in offensive line efficiency rating were New Mexico, Army, Miami (Fla.), Rice and Southern California.



STAFF ADDITIONS

• The Bears added two new position coaches for 2025, including defensive pass-game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Paul Gonzales, who spent the last 13 years at TCU, and has carved out a reputation as one of the top assistants in college football and a strong defensive mind.

• BU also added Carson Hall from Western Kentucky to coach outside linebackers. Hall spent the last two seasons coaching the defensive line at WKU, which followed two seasons as the assistant defensive line coach at his alma matter, Georgia. While at Georgia he helped the Dogs to a 29-1 record with two national championships, including a 14-0 mark in 2018. Hall played at UGA from 2014-17 and made coaching stops at LSU, Illinois and Valdosta State to open his career.

• Baylor has also added a new assistant coach (linebackers) in Anthony Marciano, a former UIW wide receiver, who spent the 2024 season in a new assistant coach role at Michigan. He was a defensive analyst at Michigan in 2022-23, which followed two seasons as a GA at Florida.

• The Bears also elevated Mark Scott, who had been the special teams coordinator, to assistant coach and kept his duties in leading the special teams unit. Rhett Holcomb, who previously was the analyst working with quarterbacks, has also been elevated to assistant coach, working with the QBs.



PRESEASON AWARDS ABOUND

• Bears are on a total of 14 end of the year award watch lists in the preseason, including Sawyer Robertson and Bryson Washington on the Maxwell Award, which is given to the top player in college football.

• In addition, four Bears have been named a preseason All-American, including Palmer Williams, Josh Cameron, Keaton Thomas and Washington.



                Bears on Preseason Award Lists

                Outland Trophy (Top OL) – Omar Aigbedion

                Blietnikoff Award (Top WR) – Josh Cameron

                Hornung Award (most versatile) – Josh Cameron

                Rimington Trophy (Top center) – Coleton Price

                Davey O’Brien Award (Top QB) – Sawyer Robertson

                Maxwell Award (top player) – Sawyer Robertson, Bryson Washington

                Manning Award (top QB) – Sawyer Robertson

                Wuerffel Trophy (top citizen) – Sawyer Robertson

                Bednarik Award (top defender) – Keaton Thomas

                Butkus Award (top LB) – Keaton Thomas

                Nagurski Trophy (top LB) – Keaton Thomas

                Mackey Award (top TE) – Michael Trigg

                Walker Award (top RB) – Bryson Washington)

                Campbell/ Rose Award (top Texas player) – Robertson, Washington

                Guy Award – Palmer Williams

Preseason All-America – Cameron (Athlon), Thomas (Athlon, Phil Steele), Washington (Athlon), Williams (The Athletic, CBS, Phil Steele, Sporting News)



BEARS IN SEASON OPENERS

• Baylor owns an 82-37-4 all-time record in season lid-lifters.

• The Bears are 92-27-4 in home openers.

• Under Coach Dave Aranda, the Bears are 4-1 in season lid-lifters and 4-1 in home openers.



POWLEDGE NAMED TO 40 UNDER 40

• Baylor football defensive coordinator Matt Powledge was named a member of the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 40 Under 40, which honors 40 coaches in the state of Texas that are under 40 years old.

• Powledge, is in his second stint on the Baylor coaching staff and his third as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He previously spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the safeties coach and special teams coordinator on Coach Dave Aranda’s staff, and was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon in 2022.

• Powledge helped spur the Bears to a strong season in 2024, helping Baylor win eight games and advance to the Texas Bowl. His defensive unit sparked a six-game winning streak to conclude the regular season, the longest such streak in program history.

• The defensive improved drastically in Powledge’s second season as its coordinator, moving up 40 spots in the defensive FEI ratings, and in the national NCAA stats, BU moved up 23 spots in total defense, 31 spots in sacks, 42 spots in pass efficiency defense, 34 spots in scoring defense, 43 spots in rushing defense and 73 spots in third-down conversion percentage defense. His secondary helped BU rank No. 27 nationally in interceptions, an 82-spot improvement from his first year back in Waco.

• The 2024 defensive unit was led by a dynamic pair of inside linebackers, including first-team All-Conference stalwarts, Matt Jones and Keaton Thomas. The duo each charted over 110 tackles, becoming the first pair with 100 tackles in a season at the linebacker post since 2010.

• In his first year as the primary defensive play caller in 2023, while also working with the safeties, Powledge helped mentor freshman All-America cornerback Caden Jenkins. His tutelage saw Carl Williams IV shine after shifting to STAR from his preseason camp position of cornerback midway through the year.



OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS

• Baylor ranked among the best offenses in college football over the October and November of last year, which coincided with the solidification of the offensive line starting group.

• BU checked in No. 5 in the nation in yards per game (481.43) - and second among power-4 schools - No. 5 in yards per play (6.91) - and fourth among power-4 schools - and sixth in college football in points per game (40.8). Among power-4 schools, Baylor ranked fourth in points per game.



BAYLOR IN THE NFL

• As of Aug. 20, the Bears have 19 former players in NFL training camps, including a league-high four with the Las Vegas Raiders.

• Stars from the 2024 roster that are fighting for a spot, include WR Ketron Jackson (Raiders), LB Matt Jones (Raiders), DL Treven Ma’ae (Raiders), WR Hal Presley (Chiefs) and DL Garmon Randolph (Chargers).

• Veteran standouts include Bills LB Terrel Bernard, Bears DT Andrew Billings, Texans DB Jalen Pitre, Colts CB Xavien Howard, Jaguars LS Ross Matiscik, Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton, Packers TE Ben Sims, Falcons DB Grayland Arnold, Raiders DB JT Woods, Patriots RB JaMycal Hasty, Jets OL Xavier Newman, Eagles DT Gabe Hall, 49ers DE William Bradley-King, 49ers LS Jon Weeks, Titans DT James Lynch and Titans LB Blake Lynch.



RG3 ON HALL OF FAME BALLOT

• Baylor football legend Robert Griffin III has been featured on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame, it was announced by the National Football Foundation.

• Griffin is one of three former Heisman Trophy winners featured on the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot, joining Mark Ingram and Cameron Newton.

• The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, Griffin had a historic career for the Bears from 2008-11. He set for tied 54 school records, including 20 career marks, 26 single-season and eight single-game records, including career passing yards, total offense, completions and passing TDs. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2011, helping lead the Bears to a No. 12 national ranking, which came after a 2010 season that saw BU advance to its first bowl game in 16 years.

• Griffin boasts a bevy of awards from his Baylor career, in addition to the Heisman, including Big 12 Male Athlete of the year, the Davey O’Brien and Manning Awards, and freshman All-America honors in 2008. He was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

• The native of Copperas Cove, Texas, Griffin was the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, playing seven years with three teams, including a 2012 Pro Bowl season that culminated in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

• A two-time academic All-American, a three-time dean’s list selection and a 10-time academic honoree by the Big 12 Conference, Griffin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2010. He and his wife Greta, and children Reese Ann, Gloria, Gameye and Gia, have been fixtures in their community, including via the RGIII Foundation, which is committed to helping underprivileged children, military families and victims of domestic abuse.

• Griffin has become a leading voice in sports media following his playing career, and is entering his first college football season as a lead color analyst for FOX Sports, after previously working with ESPN and Netflix.

• The Bears have nine former greats inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, most recently QB Don Trull in 2013. Safety Thomas Everett, head coach Grant Teaff, linebacker Mike Singletary, end Lawrence Elkins, tackle Jim Ray Smith, guard Bill Glass, guard Barton Koch and head coach Morley Jennings all represent BU in the CFB Hall of Fame in Atlanta.



FRONT-OFFICE STRUCTURE

• A key move in the offseason was the organization of a front-office model for all of Baylor athletics and in particular football

• Under the direction of Executive Senior Associate AD Callie Schrank and Athletics General Manager David Kaye, the Bears have reconceptualized how to support roster construction in the revenue share era.

• Longtime Baylor football staffer Aaron Hunt has been elevated to football general manager, and the Bears have added Anthony Mauro as the assistant general manager.

• In addition, the Bears player personnel office includes Director Callie Cameron, associate director Joey Reynolds, and assistant directors Aaron Appleberry and Ed Paris.



RHOADES NAMED CFP COMMITTEE CHAIR

• Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack B. Rhoades IV will serve as the chairman of the 2025 College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

• “I am truly honored to be asked to serve as chair of the selection committee,” Rhoades said.  “It was a privilege to join such a dedicated group of individuals last year, as each and every member of the committee is passionate about college football and focused on ensuring the integrity and excellence of the playoff process. I look forward to continuing our work again this fall.”

• Rhoades will be in his second year of a three-year term on the CFP selection committee after playing a role in the selection of the first 12-team field in CFP history in 2024.

• In his ninth year leading Baylor’s athletics program, Rhoades will replace Michigan Athletics Director Warde Manuel, who served as the chairman in 2024. Previously N.C. State’s Boo Corrigan chaired the committee for two seasons.

• A two-time and consecutive honoree as the nation’s athletics director of the year, Rhoades took over the Baylor Athletics program in July of 2016. He was named the 2019-20 Under Armour AD of the Year by the National Associate of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the 2021 AD of the Year by the Sports Business Journal.

• Rhoades took over the Baylor program after serving in the same role at Missouri (2015-16), Houston (2009-15) and Akron (2006-09). He got his start in collegiate athletics at Yale (1996), Marquette (1997-98) and spent seven years as the Executive Senior Associate AD at UTEP (1998-06).



NATION’S BEST PUNTER

• Baylor boasts the nation’s best punter coming into 2025, junior Palmer Williams. A three-year starter out of Advance, N.C., Williams had a historic season as a sophomore, putting for a school-record 49.35 average on 43 punts, which led the nation among those who punted at least 2.5 times per game.

• Williams, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound athlete, has averaged over 46 yards per punt in his first two seasons, which ranks just shy of qualifying as the best in Baylor career history.

• Williams enters the 2025 season as a preseason first-team All-American by The Athletic, second team by CBS, Phil Steele and the Sporting News, and third team by Athlon.

• Williams had the best punting game in program history at Utah in 2024, booting it six times for an average of 62.7, with a long of 79 and two downed inside the 20-yard line.



JACKIE READY FOR SENIOR STANZA

• A major storyline for the Bears in 2024 was the return to full health of defensive lineman Jackie Marshall. A freak athlete who suffered a season-ending injury during spring practice before the 2023 season, Marshall is regarded by the BU coaching staff as owning the ability to be one of the best defensive linemen in college football.

• A 6-foot-3, 306-pound product of LaPlace, La., Marshall came to the Bears as a middle linebacker and has blossomed in the weight room to become an absolute force and a team leader.

• Marshall benches 425 pounds – second-best on the team, squats 583 pounds – third-best on the team. He came to the Bears as a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from East St. John High School and has put on 71 pounds since arriving.

• On the field, Marshall will anchor a defensive line with senior Cooper Lanz. He enters 2025 with 64 carer tackles, 14 starts, 8.5 TFLs and three sacks.

• Marshall is a preseason all-conference selection by Athlon and Phil Steele.



TRIGG A MATCHUP NIGHTMARE

• Senior tight end Michael Trigg came to the Bears after starting his collegiate career with stops at USC and Ole Miss, where he was a former top-150 recruit out of Tampa, Fla.

• Trigg is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound freakshow, who is a matchup nightmare for any level of defender choosing to cover him.

• He caught 30 balls for 395 yards and three TDs in his debut season at Baylor, despite missing contests vs. BYU and LSU.

• Often a guy who is split out from the line of scrimmage, Trigg has been praised by TE Coach Jarrett Anderson as someone who is improving in his ability to block with his hand in the dirt.

• Trigg enters the season on the watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.



WELCOME TO THE WR CORPS

• With the loss of senior stalwarts Monaray Baldwin, Hal Presley and Ketron Jackson Jr., Baylor’s wide receiver unit is breaking in some new faces under Coach Dallas Baker.

• The Bears were active in the transfer portal and have added three dynamic new additions, including San Diego State’s Louis Brown IV, Alabama’s Kobe Prentice, and Texas State’s Kole Wilson. The trio are poised to make an immediate impact on that unit.

• Prentice played in 36 games with three starts over his Alabama career, catching 60 balls for 780 yards and five TDs, including 31 catches for 337 yards and two TDs in his freshman season. Brown was a summer portal add and has shined throughout fall camp, earning a single-digit number in a voting of his teammates. Brown played the 2024 season at San Diego State, where he had 38 catches for 620 yards and three TDs. Over his time at SDSU and Colorado State, Brown has 97 catches for 1,199 yards and eight TDs. Wilson, who also earned a single-digit number, comes to the Bears with 109 career catches for 1,377 yards and 12 TDs in just two years at Texas State. A 5-foot-9 speedster, Wilson also has averaged 28.9 yards per kickoff return in his career, a role that he is competing for with the graduation of 2024 kickoff return specialist Jamaal Bell.

• In preseason camp the Bears also got another piece of great news, as sixth-year senior Ashtyn Hawkins was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA. Hawkins, an electric 5-foot-10, 168-pound native of DeSoto, Texas, ranked second on the team with 45 catches for 567 yards and five TDs in his debut season at Baylor after transferring from Texas State.

• Combined with All-America receiver and punt returner Josh Cameron, who led the team with 52 catches for 754 yards and 10 TDs, and tight end Michael Trigg, the Bears return three of their top four pass catchers from a year ago.

• In addition to the return of Cameron and Hawkins, and the add of Brown, Prentice and Wilson, the Bears are excited about the progress of sophomore Jadon Porter, who has earned consistent praise from Baker as the next great Baylor WR star. A former four-star recruit out of nearby Lorena, Porter made two catches for 23 yards while playing in a deep WR playing rotation in 2024.



TIGHT-END DEPTH

• Under former OC Jeff Grimes, who was also the TE Coach, the Bears collected tight ends. When new OC Jake Spavital arrived in 2024 for his first season he had to adapt to having eight tight ends on the roster.

• The Bears’ TE depth is led by senior Michael Trigg, who is on the Mackey Award Watch List, given to the nation’s top TE, and is a former top-150 recruit who transferred from USC and Ole Miss, and led the Bears TE’s with 30 catches for 395 yards and three TDs last year.

• BU is also boosted by recently betrothed junior Matthew Klopfenstein, an Arizona native, who had six catches for 62 yards and a TD in 2024.

• Also available include Hawkins Polley, Cody Mladenka and Brody Wilhelm, who will help the Bears replace veteran tight end/fullback Gavin Yates who was lost to graduation.



KNIGHT(EN) MOVES

• With the season-ending injury to Dawson Pendergrass in fall camp, the Bears will be seeking a major impact from true freshman running back Caden Knighten, a 5-foot-11, 212 pound product of Pauls Valley [Okla.] High School.

• Knighten enrolled early in the spring and was an immediate story, showcasing a bruising style and elite athleticism as a former four-star recruit who rushed for 1,883 yards with 617 receiving yards and 38 total TDs as a senior.

• Knighten will compete with fellow four-star recruit Michael Turner, walk-on Joseph Hagman and Joseph Dodds to earn carries behind preseason All-America tailback Bryson Washington.



BROTHERS IN ARMS

• Baylor has a pair of brothers on its 2025 roster, including defensive backs Caden and Cameren Jenkins, and offensive lineman Kaden and Koltin Sieracki.

• The Jenkins are reunited after Cameren started his career in the safety rotation at UNLV in 2023 and played in four games to preserve a redshirt in 2024. He joins his 2023 Freshman All-America brother, Caden, who starred at cornerback in 2023.

• The Sierackis are reunited after Kaden played the last three years for the Bears, redshirting in 2022 and earning a starting job in 2023 and serving as the sixth lineman in 2024. Koltin was a highly recruited prospect out of The Woodlands who redshirted the 2024 season and is poised to be a key member of the rotation in 2025.



SAWDAWG

• Baylor’s season turnaround came as a product of Sawyer Robertson taking the starting QB job from preseason starter Dequan Finn, who bowed out of the season following the Utah start, preserving his eligibility for an additional season that has seen him transfer to Miami (Ohio).

• Robertson starred the moment he took over and finished the year as the fifth-highest rated QBR (83.7) in college football, behind only Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel, Kurtis Rourke and Jaxson Dart. That makes him the highest rated returning QBR in college football in 2025.

• A native of Lubbock, Robertson enters the 2025 season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, who is on the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Wuerffel Trophy and Manning Award Watch Lists.

• The 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt senior who transferred from Mississippi State in 2023, served as a part-time starter in relief of Blake Shapen in his debut season, with Shapen battling injury. He then lost the preseason QB battle to Finn in a tightly contested competition, but the moment Robertson took over in week 3, it was his job and his team.

• Robertson threw for 3,071 yards and 28 TDs on 229-of-368 passing, an average of 255.9 yards per game, while also rushing for four TDs, despite playing on a bad leg for the final four games of the year.

• He threw for 300+ yards in four games in 2024, already seventh-best in program history, and had a 445 yard passing game vs. LSU in the Texas Bowl.

• Robertson was an invitee to the Manning Passing Academy in the offseason, has taken advantage of his NIL opportunities by gifting the entire roster in 2024 Yeti Coolers, and has been the clear physical and vocal leader of the offense entering 2025.

• The son of a paster, Robertson leads out vocally with his faith in God and has been an inspiration to the entire Baylor Family with his God-fearing spirit.



WHO IS AT CORNER?

• The Bears are facing a battle at the cornerback positions, as BU must replace Lorando “Snaxx” Johnson in coverage. Baylor returns starter Caden Jenkins, a 2023 freshman All-America selection, who is battling for a starting job in 2025.

• Other candidates to breakout at CB include redshirt sophomore LeVar Thornton, a lengthy freak at 6-foot-3, 182 pounds, redshirt senior Tevin Williams, who made three starts in 2024 and four in 2023 and has had a great camp and spring, and Ohio State transfer Calvin Simpson-Hunt, a 215-pound physical monster out of Waxahachie.

• The Bears also welcome back Reggie Bush as a valuable piece, and has added transfers in Caldra Williford (Tennessee Tech) and KJ Makins (Houston Christian).

• The CBs have a new position coach in Paul Gonzales, a longtime secondary coach at TCU, and a mind that regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the state of Texas.



ELITE SPECIAL TEAMS, AGAIN

• For the last two years, Baylor has boasted one of the nation’s top-rated special teams units according to FEI Rankings on BCFToys.com.

• The Bears ranked as the nation’s best special teams unit in 2023, before finishing No. 10 in 2024. Ranked No. 4 entering the bowl game, the Bears allowed a punt return for a touchdown that blemished the final tally and pushed BU to No. 10.

• Entering 2025, the Bears return the nation’s best punter, Palmer Williams, and the nation’s best punt returner, Josh Cameron. There is a battle for the placekicking and kickoff job between freshman Rhett Armstrong and redshirt freshman Connor Hawkins, and the long snapper battle will come down to Drake Knobloch and Dylan Schaub.

• FEI Special Teams Ratings (SFEI) are opponent-adjusted possession efficiency data representing the scoring advantage per non-garbage possession a team’s non-offensive and non-defensive units would expect to have on a neutral field against an average opponent.



PENDGRESS OUT FOR THE YEAR

• Baylor suffered a challenging injury in the preseason as junior running back Dawson Pendergrass was declared out for the year.

• A bruising 6-foot-2, 234-pound native of Alba, Texas, Pendergrass formed a dynamic duo with Bryson Washington last year, with the pair ranking as the only power-4 school with a 1,000-yard rusher and a 600-yard rusher in the regular season.

• Pendergrass rushed 121 times for 671 yards with six TDs as a sophomore, which followed a 79 rush, five TD, 338-yard season as a true freshman in 2023. He had a monster game vs. Oklahoma State, rushing just six times for 142 yards and a score.



D-BOB, CARL WILLIAMS LEADS SECONDARY

• The Bears enter the 2025 season with some questions to be answered about the secondary, including at the safety spot, after the graduation of long-time starter Devin Lemear and the spring season-ending injury to Northwestern All-B1G transfer Devin Turner. The leaders of this unit in 2025 are clearly a trio of veterans, including four-year starter Devyn Bobby, standout Carl Williams IV and second-year weapon Kendrick Simpkins.

• Bobby has played in 38 games with 25 starts entering 2025 and owns 169 career tackles with four interceptions. He broke out late in the year, including a two-interception game in a rout of previously red-hot Kansas and had a career-high 14 tackles vs. LSU in the Texas Bowl. Bobby was chosen to represent the program at Big 12 Media Days and has been a vocal and physical leader of the secondary.

• Williams has battled injuries the last two years but is a fixture on the field when healthy. He can play nearly anywhere in the secondary, seeing time at safety, STAR and cornerback.

• Simpkins was limited to five games, preserving a redshirt, in 2024 after transferring from Western Kentucky. A noted pass rusher who has been a weapon at STAR, Simpkins has had a great fall camp and is in position to impact the secondary in a variety of ways. He suffered a quad injury during the Colorado game in 2024 and returned for the bowl game vs. LSU.

• Returners that will see time include Jacob Redding, a former walk-on who has had a great 2024 and fall camp, former WR Micah Gifford, a special teams star who made the transition to safety during bowl practice last year, junior DJ Coleman, one of the best athletes on the team, who could play STAR or safety, redshirt freshman Kris Wokomah, and former four-star recruit and Oregon transfer Tyler Turner. The Bears also added Duke transfer Placide Djungu-Sungu, freshmen Bo Onu and former high school QB Demetrius Brisbon and also has Cameren Jenkins, who redshirted last year.



B-WASH READY FOR ENCORE

• Baylor believes it returns the nation’s best running back in sophomore Bryson Washington, who shattered the program record for freshman rushing yards in just 10.5 games in 2024.

• A native of Franklin, Texas, Washington toted it 175 times for 1,028 yards and 12 TDs, averaging 93.5 yards per game. This came despite missing the first two games of the year and going out after just five carries on the opening drive in the Texas Bowl vs. LSU.

• A physical six-foot, 216-pound tailback, Washington also caught 22 balls for 217 yards and one TD in 2024.

• Washington is on the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker Award, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, and the Maxwell Award, given to the nation’s top player. Washington is a preseason All-America selection by Athlon and is rated by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football as the 11th-best player in the state.

• He had five games with 100+ yards, including four straight late in the year in 2024. He had 296 yards and four rushing TDs vs. TCU, 123 yards and three TDs at WVU, 113 yards at Houston and 192 yards and two scores in a beatdown of Kansas. He had two TDs and 116 yards on just 10 carries in a smashing of Texas Tech in Lubbock.



LANZ MAN SHIFTS OUT

• A stalwart on the defensive line for the last three seasons has been Denton, Texas, native Cooper Lanz.

• A 6-foot-4, 286-pound grinder, Lanz has been forced to play out of position the last two years as the Bears have struggled to find a nose tackle to replace large-body man Siaki Ika, who starred at that spot in 2021 and 2022. Lanz, a former star at powerhouse Denton Guyer, has shifted to less of a nose tackle role in 2025, allowing his size to play better on the outside.

• Lanz has played in 34 games and made 13 starts entering 2025, and earned a single-digit jersey number in a voting of his teammates during training camp. He is poised to team with Jackie Marshall, Devonte Tezino and a cast of characters at NT to support the new-look defensive line.

• New NT options include 376 pound Sam Taumanupepe, a transfer from Texas A&M, Tulane transfer Adonis Friloux, at 346 pounds, and the Bears have seen a emergence of DK Kalu, at 6-foot-4, 309 pounds.



NO BETTER LINEBACKER IN THE NATION

• There is no other linebacker in the nation the Bears would choose to anchor its defense than second-year starter Keaton Thomas.

• Thomas is absolutely the best linebacker in the country, owning an unstoppable motor and work ethic in his 6-foot-2, 229-pound frame. The clear leader of the team, who commands unyielding respect from his teammates, Thomas is a former walk-on safety at West Virginia, who then led the nation’s JUCOs in tackles during one season at Northeast Mississippi CC, before starring the moment he arrived on campus in 2024.

• A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Thomas – despite playing with a hand cast for most of the year – totaled 114 tackles, seven for a loss with 2.5 sacks and an interception returned for a TD. He had four games with 10+ tackles and was named first-team All-Big 12 in a voting of the league’s coaches.

• Last year, Thomas teamed with four-year starter Matt Jones at inside linebacker, and the duo combined for 229 tackles, with each earning all-conference first-team honors. With Jones off to the Las Vegas Raiders, Thomas takes over as the green dot as the defensive communicator and will break in a new ILB co-pilot. Among the candidates include Kyland Reed, who has had a breakout fall camp, 2024 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Travion Barnes, who had 129 tackles at FIU last year, Fresno State transfer Phoenix Barnes, junior Jeremy Evans, and freshmen Kaleb Burns and Ke’Breion Winston.

• Thomas is a member of the Bednarik, Nagurski and Butkus preseason Watch Lists and is a preseason All-America selection by Athlon and Phil Steele.



GRADUATES

• Baylor has 11 players on its roster who have already graduated, including Michael Allen, Josh Cameron, Placide Djungu-Sungu, Adonis Friloux, Tyler Kirkwood, Cooper Lanz, Ryan Lengyel, KJ Makins, Jackie Marshall, Kendrick Simpkins and Devin Turner.



WHO IS BACKING UP SAWYER?

• While there is no question who is the starting QB entering 2025, the Bears have a competition going for who will emerge as the back-up to Sawyer Robertson.

• There is a three-way battle for this job, including Auburn transfer and former highly touted recruit Walker White, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound physical beast; gunslinger Nate Bennett, a 6-1, 184-pound elite arm talent who served as the backup to Robertson last year after Dequan Finn opted to redshirt; and true freshman Edward Griffin, a 6-2, 218-pound grinder out of Coppell High School.

• A native of Little Rock, Ark., White was a four-star recruit who ranked as No. 76 overall in the class by 247Sports, after leading Little Rock Academy to the 6A title game in 2023. He played in a win over ULM at Auburn in 2024 during a redshirt campaign, throwing for 18 yards and rushing for 18 yards.

• Bennett took over as the lead backup after Finn’s decision, and played in three games with a 19-yard completion to extend of his action to preserve a redshirt. He came on in replace of Robertson in a third down vs. Oklahoma State and played off the bench in routs of Tarleton State and Kansas. He has been recognized as an elite arm talent with a confidence and fearlessness with the football.

• Griffin threw for 6,360 yards and 81 TDs – to just six interceptions – leading Coppell to a 12-1 record and a third-round playoff berth in 2024. He has been praised for his intense work ethic and drive to improve during the spring and summer.



WHO STARS AT STAR?

• The Bears utilize the nickel back as the STAR in its defensive scheme under Coach Dave Aranda, allowing versatility in terms of pass coverage, rush defense and pass rush. In 2021, the Bears saw Jalen Pitre stand out at STAR in that versatile role, and the Bears have been trying to replace that elite performance since the Big 12 Championship season.

• In 2023, it was a combination of former LB Bryson Jackson and a safety, and in 2024, Carl Williams IV – when healthy – Kendrick Simpkins and DJ Coleman saw action in that role.

• Simpkins is a noted pass-rush specialist who has returned from injury to have a strong camp. Coleman is an elite athlete who started at STAR in the Texas Bowl vs. LSU, and Williams is a fixture on the field when available, who will play somewhere, whether at STAR, CB or Safety.

• New candidates for the role include true freshmen Bo Onu and Demetrius Brisbon.



EARLY ENROLEES

• The Bears were boosted by having a large chunk of their transfer and freshmen class enroll early to participate in spring practice, including Walker White (Auburn), Devin Turner (Northwestern), Edward Griffin, Kobe Prentice (Alabama), Tyler Turner (Oregon), Leo Almanza Jr., Kole Wilson (Texas State), Jacorey Watson, Bo Onu, Caden Knighten, Calvin Simpson-Hunt (Ohio State), Phoenix Jackson (Fresno State), Emar’rion Winston (Oregon), Travion Barnes (FIU), Ke’Breion Winston, Matthew Fobbs-White (Tulane), Christopher Johnson, Drake Knobloch (Iowa State), Matthew Parker, Harrison Cluff, Joe Crocker (Louisville), Ashton Jones, Samu Taumanupepe (Texas A&M), Taz Williams Jr., Rhett Armstrong and Jackson Blackwell.

















FUTURE COACH MICHAEL ALLEN

• A key story of the 2024 season turnaround was the Bears’ emergence from the idle week to trash Texas Tech in Lubbock, starting a six-game win streak that led to an 8-4 record in the regular season. A piece of that win in Lubbock came on Friday night before the game on Saturday, when walk-on safety Michael Allen addressed the team with a fiery speech that has been credited as a key ingredient towards the season turnaround.

• Allen is exactly what a coach wants out of a walk-on, a leader, hard worker who has great feel for the team. He has been welcomed into coaching meetings over the last two years and has served as a key defensive play call signaler on the sideline. On the field, Allen has carved out a special teams role that sees him as the primary up-man on kickoff returns.

• Allen is the nephew of former New Orleans Saints head cocah and current Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.



DOSSETT DOES BOTH

• Redshirt freshman Mason Dossett is one of the top track & field athletes in the country, while also playing wide receiver. Dossett started his career as a true freshman safety while redshirting and during bowl practice, switched over to WR.

• During the spring, Dossett ran track, running the sixth-fastest time in program history in the 60-meter hurdles (7.82) to finish 10th at Big 12 Indoors. He rank a personal best of 13.79 in the 110m hurdles at Texas A&M to win silver and won his first gold at the Clyde Hart Classic in the 110-meter hurdles.



LINEBACKER DEPTH

• Throughout the preseason, Coach Dave Aranda, who serves as the inside linebackers coach and defensive play caller, has spoken extensively about how excited he is to work with this group of inside linebackers.

• Headlined by preseason All-American Keaton Thomas, who will wear the green dot helmet in 2025, the Bears have a bevy of options behind and alongside the standout. Throughout fall camp, a story has been the emergence of sophomore Kyland Reed opposite of Thomas. Reed, a 6-foot-1, 218-pound athlete played in nine games as a true freshman, including seeing key snaps over the final five games of the year. He was a three-star prospect out of Mansfield Summit High school.

• The Bears also welcomed two huge additions out of the transfer portal, including FIU star Travion Barnes, the 2024 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, and Fresno State’s Phoenix Jackson, a dynamic athlete. Barnes totaled 129 tackles during a historic 2024 season for the Panthers and despite missing the spring due to injury, has had a good fall camp, showcasing an edge and toughness that fits alongside the infectious Thomas. Jackson shined during the spring and earned praise from Aranda that at times he was “unblockable” during the practice season.

• Baylor also welcomes back junior Jeremy Evans, a redshirt junior who has played meaningful snaps early in his career, and adds four-star linebacker Kaleb Burns and Lancaster High School standout Ke’Berion Winston.



EDGE PRODUCTION

• In 2024, the Bears had a pair of standouts splitting time at the EDGE position, including 6-foot-7 cyborg Garmon Randolph and Texas Tech transfer Steve Linton. The duo had a strong season for the Bears but have both moved on, with Randolph in training camp with the Los Angeles Chargers.

• Baylor returns redshirt junior Kyler Jordan, who has been the definition of trustworthy and steady throughout his career, including earning a season-opening starting gig at EDGE last year. BU also has Corey Kelly back, a redshirt junior out of Houston’s Cy Falls.

• Baylor was active in the portal at the OLB post, adding a trio of instant impact players, including Oregon’s Emar’rion Winston, Tulane’s Matthew Fobbs-White and UTEP’s Jaylin Jones. Winston and Fobbs-White have shined in the fall camp, with Winston earning praise for his leadership. The Bears could line up more with two EDGE players on the field because of the depth presented by the three newcomers and the two returners who have valuable experience.



KICKING BATTLE

• The Bears must replace senior Isaiah Hankins at the field goal post and kickoff specialist Jack Stone in 2025 and are engaged in a spirited battle for the position.

• Freshman Rhett Armstrong, a highly touted 6-foot-5 prospect with a big leg, and redshirt freshman Connor Hawkins, are leading the competition for the job. Hawkins won the starting job for the BYU game after the competition with Hankins was opened up following the Colorado game, and he went 5-for-5 in PATs and missed an end of half 50-yard field goal in his only attempt. He also booted two touchbacks in his two kickoff attempts. He starred at Austin’s Liberty Hill as a prep.

• Armstrong was rated as the fifth-best kicker in the class out of Colorado and enrolled early in the spring to start the competition. A three-time all-state selection, he also starred at QB.



WHO IS THE LONG SNAPPER?

• Three-year starting long-snapper Garrison Grimes graduated following the season and moved on to BYU, where he grew up as a high school athlete under his father, former BU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. With his departure, there has been a competition for the long snapper post amongst Iowa State transfer Drake Knobloch and redshirt sophomore Dylan Schaub.

• Schaub was called on to replace Grimes in 2023 after a season-ending injury and preformed well as a true freshman in the key role. Knobloch was a part-time long snapper for Iowa State early in his career.



OFFENSIVE LINE GUNNING FOR MOORE AWARD

• Baylor’s offensive line returns as one of the best units in the nation following a season in 2024 that saw it rank as the sixth-best in the nation according to SportSourceAnalytics offensive line efficiency rating, a year after ranking No. 110.

• The Bears return five of their top six offensive lineman from the 2024 unit and must replace starting right tackle Campbell Barrington, with redshirt junior Kaden Sieracki, a part-time starter at that post over his first two years, having a leg up in the competition.

• Baylor returns starters in LT Sidney Fugar, LG Omar Aigbedion, C Coleton Price and RG Ryan Lengyel. Fugar is often referenced as a turning point for the offense, as his move to left tackle starter coincided with the mid-season run to a six-game winning streak.

• Behind the starting five, the Bears have a pair of true freshmen who have excelled in camp and spring, including Harrison Cluff and Matthew Parker, and Koltin Sieracki has also established himself as a great option at center and guard.



OMAR RUNS HOT

• A theme throughout the year for the Baylor offensive line was the leadership of Montana State transfer guard Omar Aigbedion. The Katy, Texas, native stepped right into the left guard post and started all 13 games, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press. He helped spark the offense to a No. 20 ranking in total offense and No. 19 in scoring offense, allowing the fourth-fewest TFLs and 36th fewest sacks in the nation.

• Aigbedion has been often described by his coaching staff as “running hot,” meaning he can be an intense competitor who is not afraid of getting physical in the running and passing game. He is quick to lead his offensive line unit and has established a group that works well together.



FUGAR TO LT CHANGES SEASON

• Sidney Fugar’s placement at left tackle was a key component to the season turnaround, as the 6-foot-5, 343-pound transfer from South Carolina stepped right into solidify the offensive line under then first-year coach Mason Miller.

• Fugar, a native of Maryland, started the last eight games of the year, which featured a six-game win streak.

• Before Fugar’s move, the Bears were averaging 29.4 points, 146.2 rushing yards and 222.6 passing yards – a total of 368.8 yards per game – with 12 sacks allowed through the first five games. After Fugar made the move, the Bears averaged 37.5 points, 199.1 rushing, 285.5 passing and 484.6 yards per game, allowing 11 sacks over the final eight games.



THE PRICE IS RIGHT

• The Bears return a two-year starter at center in Bowie, Texas, native Coleton Price. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound physical force started all 13 games last year and the last six games of 2023.

• Price allowed only 10 pressures – including just one over the last four games – in 499 pass-block scenarios last year and helped pave the way for an offense that ranked No. 19 in scoring and passing efficiency and No. 20 in total offense, allowing the fourth-fewest TFLs in the nation.

• A feisty competitor, Price is a member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List, given to the nation’s best center.



MEAT IN THE MIDDLE

• Since the departure of wide-bodied Siaki Ika to the NFL, the Bears have been searching for some size at the nose tackle position. BU pushed Cooper Lanz, a technically sound and hard-nosed competitor at 286 pounds, into the nose tackle position as the Bears lacked side at that position.

• That has changed entering 2025 as Baylor has a trio of standouts competing for that spot and have shifted Lanz to more of an edge role. Texas A&M transfer Samu Taumanupepe – sitting at 6-foot-3, 376 pounds – and Tulane transfer Adonis Friloux, at 6-1, 346, are capable to eating up blocks in the middle. A story of camp has also been the emergence of redshirt sophomore DK Kalu, who at 6-4, 309, has been a fixture in the starting rotation in the middle.

• The Bears also welcome unusually strong true freshman Jackson Blackwell into the fold, and have seen other defensive lineman like Trent Thomas, Alessandro Lorenzetti, Ronnie Mageo and Tonga Lolohea fight for reps.



WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE

• Baylor has forced more turnovers than it has allowed in 61 games under head coach Dave Aranda.

• BU has 100 takeaways (65 INTs, 34 FR) and 71 giveaways (44 INTs, 28 FL) in 61 games under Aranda.

• Baylor has scored 16 non-offensive touchdowns in 61 games under Aranda – six kickoff returns (Bell, Reese x 2, Ebner x 3), six interception returns (Pitre x 2, Thomas, McCarty, Walcott, Woods), one punt return (Holmes) and four fumble returns (Vaughns, Jenkins, Hall, Woods).



MCCLANE STADIUM ENHANCEMENTS

• Baylor has enhanced the nation’s best game stadium, McLane Stadium, in the offseason of 2024, completing an eight-figure project, including installation of upgraded and additional videoboards, the construction of new production control rooms, and the addition of a premium hospitality structure.

.• The LED ribbon board displays and the main videoboard display, which were original to McLane Stadium since its construction in 2014, have been upgraded to enhance both functionality and the visual elements of the fan experience. A high-quality video display is being added to the back of the main videoboard structure to add revenue opportunities and enhance the South Plaza experience on game days.

• The south end zone of McLane will become even more of a focal point during games, as a premium hospitality clubhouse will be added beneath the video board, providing a one-of-a-kind experience along with a Berm-view of the action.

• The construction of new production control rooms on the east side of the stadium will allow Baylor to produce multiple broadcasts at one time and fully centralize operations.



PERSON > PLAYER

• A hallmark of Coach Dave Aranda’s philosophy in building a program is placing an importance on understanding that the person is more important than the player. This mantra is executed in everything the program touches on a daily basis. Throughout the football building, signage adorns the walls that emphasize, “better people make better players” and that Baylor will “win with character”.

• Aranda preaches that players focus on today and be authentically themselves in an effort to be comfortable and confident in their roles.



FUDGE CENTER

• On Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, after a weekend move, the Baylor football program officially opened the Fudge Family Development Center, a sparkling new $89.6 million dollar facility that houses all things Baylor football.

• On the strength of a $15 million dollar gift from the Fudge Family, Baylor has built one of the best football development centers in the nation, housing state-of-the-art locker rooms, team meeting spaces, walk-thru rooms, coaching offices, athletic medicine and strength & conditioning spaces. In addition, the facility added 20 yards and revamped the Allison Indoor Facility.



RANKED IN 10 OF LAST 14 SEASONS

• Baylor enters the 2025 season receiving votes in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

• Baylor has been ranked in the AP Top 25 in 10 of 14 seasons since 2010, after going 17 years between national rankings (1993-2010). BU has been ranked in 23 of 25 spots since 2013 (exceptions No. 1 and No. 23).

• Baylor was ranked or receiving votes in 10 of 16 polls in 2022, was receiving votes in the 2023 preseason poll and earned a pair of votes in the Dec. 8, 2024 poll.



FOURTH-MOST WINS IN TEXAS IN LAST 10+ YEARS

• Through championship week of the 2024 season, Baylor has won 105 games since 2011, fourth-most among the state of Texas’ 12 FBS teams during that time.

• BU’s 105 wins in the last 10+ years are shy of Texas A&M (112), TCU (108), Texas (107), tied with Houston (105), and ahead of SMU (91), UTSA (84), Texas Tech (85), North Texas (75), Rice (64), Texas State (54) and UTEP (47).



NICK FLORENCE HEADS TO THE BOOTH

• Former Baylor quarterback Nick Florence will join the Baylor Sports Media Network for the 2025 season as the color analyst for BU football games, joining the legendary Voice of the Bears, John Morris, and veteran sideline commentator Ricky Thompson on the call throughout the season, it was announced by Playfly Sports.

• Florence steps into the role after the loss of longtime Baylor color analyst J.J. Joe, who completed his 21st season in the booth with Morris calling BU games. A Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame inductee in 2006, Joe passed away on Feb. 25 at the age of 54.

•Baylor will honor Joe with a helmet sticker during its matchup with No. 11/11 Arizona State on Sept. 20.

•Florence, a native of Garland, Texas, had a decorated career for the Bears from 2009-12, while helping spur a resurgence in the program that led to a 2012 win over No. 17 UCLA in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Florence, who started the 2010 and 2012 seasons, and had a memorable relief appearance in the 2011 matchup with Texas Tech in Arlington in relief of starter Robert Griffin III, earned All-America honorable mention accolades in 2012.

• Florence was a 2012 first-team Academic All-America selection and the 2012 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the year, who shattered the single-season record for passing yards (4,309) and led the Big 12 and ranked second nationally in total offense (375.2 yards per game). He finished his career ranked second in seven passing categories, including career passing yards (6,301) and touchdowns (41).



THIRD OLDEST NON-KICKER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

• Baylor junior defensive lineman David Marshall is the third-oldest non-kicker in college football. Marshall joined the roster prior to the 2023 season after a junior college season at Navarro College. He previously served in the military.

• Only Arkansas WR Monte Harrison (30) and Kansas LB Alex Raich (27) are older than Marshall in college football.



FEMALE LEADERSHIP IN PROGRAM

• Baylor is one of just three power-4 conference schools in the country with a lead female sport program administrator and a female director of operations, with Deputy AD Jovan Overshown leading the program and Landrie Walsh serving as Director of Football Operations.

• Only Kansas State, Maryland and Baylor qualify in this category, with Kacey Harper serving as the DFO for the Wildcats and Jill Shields as the SPA, and Colleen Sorem (SPA) and Annie Peppard (DFO) in those roles in Maryland.

• There are 11 female DFOs in college football and just six in power-4 conferences, including four in the Big 12.



BEARS LAUNCH BAYLOR+

• Baylor Athletics has launched Baylor+, the official content platform for the Bears. It will offer fans an insider’s look into the experiences of student-athletes and coaches as well as the compelling stories that shape Baylor Athletics. Baylor+ will feature exciting coverage of the current teams in Waco, while celebrating beloved Bears’ Legends and pivotal moments from the past.

• Through an exciting new partnership with Sport & Story, the leading provider of creative storytelling content in college athletics, Baylor+ is unlike anything Baylor fans have experienced before. The platform will be the home for an extensive range of original content covering all of Baylor’s sports programs, with behind-the-scenes access, captivating interviews, never-before-seen archival material and historical documentary films, as well as news and information.



ABOUT BAYLOR

• Baylor is situated on a 1,000-acre campus located on the Brazos River in Waco, Texas, and was chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers. It is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Baylor is a R1 Institution according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

• BU sponsors 19 varsity sports as members of the Big 12 Conference and boasts the 2021 Men’s Basketball National Champions, the 2005, 2012 and 2019 Women’s Basketball National Champions and the 2004 Men’s Tennis National Champions, in addition to 88 Big 12 Conference Championships in the league’s 26-year history.



ONE STANDARD. ONE ACCORD.

• Baylor unveiled a mission statement under Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack Rhoades in the fall of 2018, “One Standard. One Accord,” which is centered on the distinct purpose of Preparing Champions for Life through academic achievement, athletic success, spiritual growth and character formation.



FOOTBALL HISTORY

• The Bears are entering their 124th season of football in 2025. The Bears have fielded a varsity team every year since 1899, save the 1906, 1943 and 1944 seasons.

• BU has won nine conference titles, including in 2021, with three Big 12 Championships and six Southwest Conference Championships.

• Baylor’s first season came in 1899-1900, a 5-1 record under Coach R.H. Hamilton that included two wins over Toby’s Business.



- BaylorBears.com -




--
Brent Ingram | Associate AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 210-845-8651

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