By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer, Braden Murray | LTVN Sports Director
Josh Cameron, in the words of Baylor head coach Dave Aranda, is a “really good-natured” guy.
LTVN’s Braden Murray explains how the former walk-on became an X factor on the Bears’ offense.
So it shocked Aranda — and everyone else on the field — when, during a stagnant Tuesday practice with several offensive miscues, the former walk-on wide receiver slammed his helmet into the turf and let out a string of expletives.
“He threw his helmet down, and he just said all of the S-and F-words you can imagine,” Aranda said. “And just said it in such a violent and frustrated way, like we all were. And he got everybody’s attention. And they all kind of stood up, and he flipped the practice around for the offense.”
The outburst worked. The Bears came out firing against Texas Tech, hanging 59 points to secure their first conference win of the year and ruin the Red Raiders’ hopes of a happy homecoming. The passion and determination Cameron exemplifies were on full display at Jones AT&T Stadium that night.
“So, that’s great growth right there with Josh,” Aranda said of the practice episode. “I imagine, if we’re making a Disney movie about it, you probably choose different words. But I think it got their attention. And for him to go stand up in that moment and take charge like that, that’s the growth in him.”
Cameron played the best game of his college career on Saturday, catching six passes for 75 yards and three touchdowns and nearly housing the first punt return of his career. (The touchdown call on the field was overturned after replays.) In 2023, the redshirt junior never reached 50 yards receiving in a game; this year, he’s already done so four times, and he leads the Big 12 in touchdown receptions (six) and punt return yards (185) during conference play.
“The trust continues to build on itself,” redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson said after Saturday’s victory. “And like I said, 50/50 balls with him aren’t really 50/50 balls. And that’s a good feeling as a quarterback. And then when he’s having a game like that, you see some of the other guys start to get like, like Hal [Presley] and Monaray [Baldwin]. And so I’m just super proud of all of them in that entire room. … They’re warriors, and you can win with warriors.”
In 30 career games before Robertson took the starting quarterback job this season, Cameron caught 52 passes for 683 yards (22.8 yards per game) and one touchdown. In the five games since, he’s already snagged 21 passes for 279 yards and six touchdowns. The pair’s immediate chemistry has paid dividends for the No. 4 scoring offense in the Big 12.
“It’s super tight,” Cameron said of his relationship with Robertson. “The ability for him to just trust me out there. I mean, [it] just shows a lot for him to throw the ball up to me. I want to have his back, basically — whenever the ball is in the air, it’s my ball, it’s nobody else’s ball. That’s just the relationship that we had. I want to make him right at all times.”
Aranda points to Cameron as someone who “does everything right” — an NFL-caliber talent who plays hard even when no one is watching. Players like that shift cultures and model what a program could become.
“To have someone that does everything right and does everything right when no one’s watching, so, you don’t have to be there, kind of taking roll or checking boxes.” Aranda said. “Josh is going to do it right. I think for some of our guys, that’s not a thing. That’s only a thing when I’m getting watched or I’m getting looked at. For Josh to be that way all the time, and then to be the playmaker that he is, gives us hope that we can create more people like Josh. That’s such a positive thing.”
Cameron’s seven touchdown receptions this season are the most of any Baylor receiver since Tyquan Thornton in 2021. He’s on pace to become the Bears’ first-ever walk-on with double-digit receiving touchdowns in a season. It’s history in the making for the Big 12’s most electric walk-on.
“I didn’t even know that, to be honest, but that’s real cool,” Cameron said. “I think, just always putting my head down and just remembering kind of the journey I’ve been through. I think it just always motivates me to just keep on going. We still have a whole lot of season left. I just want to keep on stacking that. Just keep on going and never just feel satisfied.”
The Bears will be back in action for their Homecoming game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-4 Big 12) at McLane Stadium.
