By Grant McTaggart | Sports Writer
Senior safety Jacob Redding entered Baylor football at the bottom of the totem pole.
Redding joined the Baylor roster as a walk-on, largely overlooked by major programs despite earning unanimous First Team All-District honors at New Braunfels High School. His freshman season saw him see the field in only three contests, finishing the year without a single recorded stat.
“I always feel like there’s something to prove,” Redding said. “I’ve always had something to prove. Kind of the underdog mentality kind of my whole career.”
After establishing himself as a reliable contributor on special teams during his sophomore campaign, Redding experienced a breakout junior year. He finished the 2025 season as the team’s leader in interceptions, providing several game-changing plays for the defense.
Redding is now stepping into a larger leadership role as one of the veterans in a safety room that has gained experience and depth during the offseason. After spending much of his career working to prove himself, Redding feels like he is ready to become a more vocal presence on the field.
“I think being the outspoken leader is a step I can take, being like the field general,” Redding said.
Redding has not forgotten the outside opinions that have followed him throughout his career. His dad will send him articles about what people say about him and tell him, “This should fuel you.”
Rather than allowing those opinions to determine how he views himself, Redding said he has learned to rely on his own confidence.
“It’s just a matter of knowing your real identity and having a real confidence in yourself and not letting other people define who you are and what you do,” Redding said.
That mindset has helped create what Redding describes as an underdog mentality. Even after earning more playing time and becoming one of the veterans in the room, he said he still approaches the game as if he has something left to prove.
Proving himself is no longer Redding’s only responsibility as he enters his senior season. His focus has shifted toward helping the entire defense rather than simply earning his own snaps.
“My goal is to do whatever the team needs, my room needs, whatever the defense needs to win football games,” Redding said.
That contribution can take several forms. Redding may be needed to make plays on Saturdays, communicate across the secondary or help younger players develop throughout camp.
“Whether it’s making plays, whether it’s off the field leading guys, just making myself as useful as possible,” Redding said.
Redding is not the only veteran taking on that responsibility.
Baylor’s safety room has developed a mix of experience, competition and depth during the offseason. Tyler Turner, Kansas State transfer Colby McCalister and sophomore Bo Onu Jr. are among the players competing in a group that believes it has taken a step forward since spring practice.
“There is experience and a great culture in the room,” Turner said.
Turner believes being an experienced player also means taking responsibility for the development of the younger safeties.
“Help the younger guys learn their job, help them develop, and help everybody around me get better as much as I can,” Turner said.
That emphasis on development has carried into fall camp.
Turner said the safeties are now able to focus more closely on details they worked on during spring practice, instead of spending practices installing everything from the beginning.
“In the spring we got all the big stuff done and so now it’s just the little details and getting everything right and tuning up for the season,” Turner said.
McCalister has also noticed the progress.
“This defense is night and day from where we were in the spring,” McCalister said.
The increased depth gives Baylor several options at safety heading into the season. Redding said the Bears have “four or five guys” in the room capable of taking significant snaps and making plays on Saturdays.
That competition means playing time may be earned throughout camp, but the players see the depth as an advantage rather than an obstacle.
“Whoever you throw out there, anybody could play,” Onu said.
The strengthened safety room has allowed Redding to focus on becoming a leader rather than worrying only about his own role.
That approach also fits the larger message surrounding Baylor’s fall camp. The Bears are focused less on individual expectations and more on what must be accomplished as a team.
“We’re here to win football games,” Redding said. “We could feel this was a meaningful practice. It wasn’t just day one of camp.”
As Baylor’s safeties continue competing for snaps, the room believes its combination of experience, leadership and depth has put it in a stronger position entering the season.
His underdog mentality has not disappeared. Instead, it has evolved. The same mindset that once pushed him to prove he belonged at Baylor now pushes him to become someone his teammates can depend on.
