By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Junior quarterback DJ Lagway was born into a family that bled green and gold. His father, Derek Lagway Sr., was a running back for Baylor from 1997 to 2001.
Lagway’s ties to the Bears remained strong as he grew up. Baylor legend Robert Griffin III posted a picture of himself next to a young Lagway when the transfer signal-caller initially committed to Baylor. Lagway also heavily considered Baylor as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation coming out of Willis High School.
Instead, he took his talents east to Florida. He struggled to protect the football in two years with the Gators, throwing 23 interceptions to 28 touchdowns.
“He had the injury in the off-season, and people just want to turn on the film, press play, and it always go exactly how you want it to, but there’s real life that happens,” Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said before the Seminoles’ matchup against Florida. “You see the arm talent. You see the size, the ability to extend plays. He’s a dangerous player to have to go against.”
Lagway decided to return to his home state and to the school he represented growing up after entering the transfer portal. The four-star transfer sits atop Baylor’s No. 33 transfer portal class. The Bears have 29 players incoming with 33 departing following the 2025 season.
Lagway is not alone as an offensive newcomer. Head coach Dave Aranda and his staff also brought in a trio of three-star wide receivers with starting experience.
“Quarterbacks need weapons,” Griffin told 365 Sports. “It’s not their job to recruit. It’s their job to play. You’ve got to show them they’re stepping into a great situation.”
Colorado transfer Dre’lon Miller leads the group with 52 receptions for 435 yards and four touchdowns in his two seasons in Boulder. The 6-foot-1 receiver has the build to be a physical presence despite limited involvement in the Buffaloes’ 3-9 season.
Following Miller is former Kentucky wideout Hardley Gilmore IV. Gilmore IV flipped his commitment from in-state rival Louisville to Baylor on Jan. 12. He tallied 34 catches for 466 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons as a Wildcat. He ranked second in the team in 2026 with 28 catches for 313 yards.
While trending up in his on-field production, Gilmore IV did have off-the-field issues last offseason. He was charged with misdemeanor assault last January and was dismissed from Nebraska in April for undisclosed reasons — Husker head coach Matt Rhule said at the time that it was “nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that” — leading him back to Lexington.
Rounding out the wide receiver trio is Oklahoma State transfer Gavin Freeman. He broke out for the Cowboys in 2025 with a team-high 53 receptions, 481 yards and four touchdowns despite his 5-foot-8 stature. Freeman flipped to Baylor on Jan. 15, five days after his initial commitment to Tennessee.
The newcomers will have big shoes to fill, as the Bears’ top-five pass-catchers from 2025 have exhausted their eligibility.
Baylor also bolstered its offensive line with six incoming transfers, led by former Texas interior lineman Nate Kibble. The three-star stands at 6-foot-3, 330 pounds. He appeared in three games for the Longhorns after not seeing the field his freshman season.
Pairing with Kibble on the inside is Yakiri Walker, who transferred from Memphis after starting all 13 games at center in 2025. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound lineman allowed four sacks and 28 pressures in 881 snaps.
Three-stars Asher Hale (South Alabama) and Lawson Petty (Incarnate Word) round out the interior offensive linemen.
The Bears also tabbed two offensive tackles. Toledo transfer Cole Rhett started in 24 games over the past two seasons, helping the Rockets rank as the best passing offense in the Mid-American Conference in both campaigns.
Former UAB Blazer Logan Moore started 11 games in 2025 at right tackle. The 6-foot-8, 290-pound lineman was the first commit for Baylor in the portal cycle.
The Bears are looking to revamp the offensive line after center Coleton Price transferred to Kentucky and tackle Sean Thompkins left for LSU.
On the other side of the ball, Baylor also bolstered its secondary in the transfer portal, locking in three safeties and two cornerbacks.
Daniel Cobbs leads the group of safeties, recording 39 tackles and a team-leading three interceptions for Kansas State in 2025. He saw limited action as a freshman with only seven tackles and an interception.
Alongside Cobbs is his Wildcat teammate Colby McCalister, who missed all of 2025 with a knee injury he sustained in the preseason. He played in every game in the previous two seasons and racked up 51 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The final safety, Austin Ausberry, has totaled three tackles in 24 career games. Ausberry spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to LSU for the past two seasons.
The two cornerbacks are Oklahoma transfer Devon Jordan and Kansas State transfer Jayden Rowe. Jordan recorded 13 tackles and a sack for the Sooners in 2025, while Rowe tallied three tackles in his only season for the Wildcats.
The Bears also added four defensive linemen and two edge rushers to strengthen their presence in the trenches. They ranked last in the Big 12 with 12 sacks and are losing linemen Jackie Marshall, who exhausted his eligibility, and DK Kalu, who transferred to Florida.
Former Texas State defensive tackle Kamren Washington leads the interior group after posting 15 tackles and a sack for the Bobcats. Jamaal Whyce Jr. broke out for Marshall in 2025 with 33 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Jordan Mack recorded 10 tackles and a sack at defensive end for Coastal Carolina. Zavion Hardy, the fourth defensive lineman, saw action in one game for the Gamecocks in 2025.
Former Southern Mississippi edge rusher Garrick Ponder is the third-highest rated incoming transfer to Baylor. He tallied 37 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble last season.
Ponder is paired with Kansas State transfer Ryan Davis, the fourth Wildcat to follow former Wildcat defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to Waco. He recorded 14 tackles and four sacks in 2025, and should help strengthen Baylor’s underwhelming pass rush from the previous season.
