Waco is usually pretty quiet in January, but the Brazos River might as well be boiling right now.
Dave Aranda is still the head coach at Baylor. For some fans, that’s a relief; for others, it’s a source of genuine frustration after a shaky 5-7 finish in 2025. But regardless of how you feel about the coaching staff, the baylor football transfer portal activity this month has been nothing short of a total roster lobotomy.
Baylor is losing almost everyone. Honestly, when you look at the numbers, it's staggering. We are talking about a program that is returning maybe five or six regular starters from last year’s squad. The rest? Gone. Some graduated, sure, but a massive chunk just packed their bags for the portal.
It feels like a high-stakes experiment. Aranda is essentially trying to build a brand-new Big 12 contender in about six weeks.
The Great Exodus: Who Left Waco?
It’s hard to overstate how much production just walked out the door. The defense, which was supposed to be Aranda's calling card, took some of the biggest hits.
Keaton Thomas, the linebacker who basically lived in the opponent's backfield and led the team in tackles last year, is headed to Ole Miss. That one hurts. Then you’ve got DJ Coleman (Safety) off to Florida and Coleton Price, a guy who started 31 straight games at center, committing to Kentucky.
You can't just "replace" 31 starts at center. That’s the kind of experience that keeps a quarterback from getting killed.
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And speaking of the offense, Bryson Washington—the guy who was the lone bright spot in the run game with over 800 yards—is gone too. He’s headed to Auburn. It’s a trend we’re seeing across the board: Baylor develops talent, but they’re struggling to keep it when the bigger NIL checks or "prestige" programs come calling.
Other notable departures include:
- Emar’rion Winston (Edge): Led the team in sacks, now at Arizona State.
- Samu Taumanupepe (DL): A massive human being who just committed to Florida.
- Cameren Jenkins (Safety): Another key piece of the secondary.
- Walker White (QB): The former Auburn transfer who never really got his shot in Waco.
The DJ Lagway Wildcard
If there is a reason for Baylor fans to stay awake at night—in a good way—it’s DJ Lagway.
The Florida transfer is the crown jewel of this baylor football transfer portal cycle. Let’s be real: getting a guy who was the No. 1 QB recruit in the country just a couple of years ago is a massive coup. He’s got the arm, the size, and the "it" factor that Baylor has lacked since the 2021 Sugar Bowl run.
But—and there’s always a "but" in the portal era—it hasn't been a smooth ride. Even after his verbal commitment on January 8th, reports surfaced that he was still taking visits. That’s the new reality. A commitment isn't a marriage; it's more like a "soft maybe" until the paperwork is actually processed and the player is on campus for spring ball.
If Lagway sticks, the Jake Spavital offense could actually be lethal. If he flips? Well, the backup situation is... let's just say "untested."
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Rebuilding the Trenches from Scratch
Aranda knows he can’t win with just a flashy quarterback. He’s been hitting the portal hard for big bodies.
They’ve picked up Logan Moore from UAB and Asher Hale to try and patch up an offensive line that looks like a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing. On the defensive side, landing Daemian Wimberly from UTSA was a smart move. He’s a guy with four tackles for loss last year who brings some much-needed aggression to the front four.
But it’s a lot of new faces. You've got Devon Jordan coming in from Oklahoma to help the secondary and Stilton McKelvey from New Mexico State. These aren't just depth pieces; these guys are being brought in to start on Day 1.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Cycle
A lot of folks look at 30+ players leaving and think the program is in a death spiral.
It might be. But there's another perspective. Aranda is under immense pressure from President Linda Livingstone and a frustrated donor base. After the university decided to retain him—despite a $15 million-plus buyout and the resignation of AD Mack Rhoades—Aranda realized he couldn't just keep doing the same thing.
He hired Joe Klanderman from Kansas State to run the defense. He’s leaning into the "lawless land" of 2026 recruiting. This isn't about building for three years from now; it's about surviving September.
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The logic is simple: the guys who left were part of a 5-7 team. If the chemistry was off or the talent wasn't quite Big 12 championship level, why not just flip the whole roster? It’s risky. Incredibly risky. But at this point, Aranda doesn't have much to lose.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following the baylor football transfer portal and wondering what this means for your Saturdays in the fall, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the O-Line Chemistry: Skill players get the headlines, but this team will live or die by how quickly Logan Moore and the other portal additions gel. Without Coleton Price at center, the communication needs to be perfect by the spring game.
- The "Lagway Factor" is Everything: If DJ Lagway is the starter, the floor for this team is a bowl game. If he isn't, the floor is much, much lower. Keep an eye on the official enrollment dates.
- The Schedule is Unforgiving: The Big 12 doesn't care that you have 20 new starters. Early games will be ugly while these guys learn each other's names, let alone the playbook.
The reality is that Baylor is now a "Portal Program." The days of three-year development are mostly over in Waco. It's a new world, and Dave Aranda is betting his career that this group of transfers can do what the last group couldn't.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, keep refreshing the commitment trackers until the January 16th window fully settles. The roster you see today might still look different by tomorrow morning.
Next Steps for Fans: Check the official Baylor Athletics site for the spring roster release to see which "verbal" commits actually made it to campus. You should also monitor the NIL collectives—like the GXG—as their ability to retain the remaining five starters will be the next big hurdle before August.