The portal is technically closed and most of the top players that entered have found new homes ahead of the spring semester. We’ll break down each of the 13 FBS portal classes across the state of Texas, continuing with a Baylor Bears program coming off their third losing season in the last four years. They must compete in the Big 12 for Dave Aranda to save his job and that means this portal class must produce more hits than misses. 

Overview

The Bears have added 22 new faces via the transfer portal as Dave Aranda enters Year 7 of his tenure. The offense lost its leading passer, rusher, and receiver to the NFL draft or the transfer portal after 2025, but Baylor has done a great job replacing that production with upside, headlined by former five-star prospect and Mr. Texas Football, DJ Lagway from Florida. Baylor also signed a trio of talented wide receivers and five offensive linemen. New defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman arrives from Kansas State with a big job in front of him. He’s retooled the defense with 13 signees, including six along the defensive line. 

Still, the losses on the field have hurt Baylor’s ability to retain players. The Bears lost starters such as OL Coleton Price (Kentucky), edge rusher Matthew Fobbs-White (Virginia), S DJ Coleman (Florida), RB Bryson Washington (Auburn), and LB Keaton Thomas (Ole Miss).
Class Grade: C+

Three Key Additions

QB DJ Lagway, Florida: The former Willis High School star entered 2025 with high expectations after throwing for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns to nine interceptions as a true freshman in 2024. Injuries have hampered his development, however, as he suffered through an up-and-down 2025 that ended with 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. OC Jake Spavital has a long track record with talented quarterbacks and he’ll need to harness Lagway’s immense potential while cutting down on the mistakes. Lagway, whose father, Derek, played running back at Baylor, is the most talented QB to play at Baylor since RG3. Whether he reaches that potential likely determines the Bears’ fate in 2026. 

DL Jordan Mack, Coastal Carolina: The only run defense in the Big 12 worse than Baylor’s last season was Colorado. The Bears allowed 197.17 yards per game and 30 rushing touchdowns in a disastrous 2025. Klanderman’s first job is to improve that aspect of the Baylor defense and he added eight players along the front seven to help with that project. Mack might be the best of the bunch. He’s a huge body at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, which should help Baylor plug some holes in the run game. 

LB Garrick Ponder, Southern Miss: The 6-foot-2, 250-pound transfer is a playmaker at the second level. He recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025 for a Southern Miss team that was a Cinderella story in the Sun Belt Conference this year. The Bears need to create more negative plays as a defense and that’s Ponder’s specialty. 

Two Sleepers

DL Kamren Washington, Texas State: Washington is a run stuffer who comes over from Texas State, where he recorded 15 tackles, including four for loss and a sack last season for the Bobcats. His impact is measured beyond the box score, however. He’s a 6-foot-2, 293-pound defensive tackle who can handle double teams and free up linebackers to roam. Washington is an Arlington native who started his career at Sam Houston. 

DE Ryan Davis, Kansas State: Davis follows his old defensive coordinator from Kansas State and he could provide some big plays for a Bears defense that lacked those in the past. He only recorded 14 tackles in nine games for the Wildcats last year, but four of those were sacks and 5.5 were behind the line of scrimmage. He also knocked down four passes. He can be a third-down specialist and excel on obvious passing downs off the edge. 

Transfer List

• QB DJ Lagway, Florida
• WR Hardley Gilmore, Kentucky
• WR Dre’lon Miller, Colorado 
• WR Gavin Freeman, Oklahoma State 
• OL Logan Moore, UAB 
• OL Asher Hale, South Alabama 
• OL Nate Kibble, Texas
• OL Bishop Rhett, Toledo
• OL Yakiri Walker, Memphis 
• DL Jordan Mack, Coastal Carolina 
• DL Ryan Davis, Kansas State 
• DL Jamaal Whyce, Marshall 
• DL Kamren Washington, Texas State 
• DL Daemian Wimberly, UTSA 
• DL Zavion Hardy, South Carolina 
• LB Garrick Ponder, Southern Miss
• LB Kedrick Walker, Georgia State 
• CB Devon Jordan, Oklahoma 
• CB Stilton McKelvey, New Mexico State 
• CB Jayden Rowe, Kansas State 
• S Colby McCalister, Kansas State 
• S Daniel Cobbs, Kansas State