By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Editor
Fifth-year wide receiver Jayden McGowan had only one catch under his name since 2024. He made a 7-yard reception in Charlotte’s 2025 season opener against Appalachian State before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
He made his long-awaited return to the field in Baylor’s season opening loss to Auburn.
“It’s been so long since I was able to play ball,” McGowan said. “[I] ended up missing the whole last season, so I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to play again.”
It was not the reception he expected. He did not record a catch while returning one punt for minus-3 yards.
McGowan burst onto the scene for the Bears (3-1) against Prairie View A&M in Week 2. He found the end zone twice for his first receiving touchdowns since being a Vanderbilt freshman in 2022.
“Coach Aranda and Coach [Spavital] gave me the shot to play,” McGowan said after his performance against the Panthers. “I was able to make the most out of my opportunities.”
His momentum didn’t stop there. He caught a pair of touchdowns for the second straight week in Baylor’s win over Louisiana Tech, projecting him to have his best season as a receiver.
“I’m just coming in and fitting in whatever role Coach [Spavital] has for me,” McGowan said. “I’m excited to do whatever I can do to help the team.”
Those two breakout performances came from the connection between McGowan and junior quarterback Nate Bennett. McGowan spent most of his time in the fall getting second-team reps while he continued to recover from his knee injury, allowing him to bond with Bennett before the season.
“We’ve had a lot of reps together,” Bennett said. “He came in a little later, so fall camp, [we] had a lot of reps together. He’s got special speed, so those deep routes and making people miss … get the ball in [his] hands.”
McGowan’s receiving overshadowed his returning for the first time in his career. He only fielded four punts for 31 yards in Weeks 2 and 3. He displayed his usual strength in the Bears’ conference opening victory over Colorado.
He returned seven punts for a season-high 130 yards against the Buffs.
“Keep giving me those and one of them is going to break,” McGowan said. “The guys on the punt returns have done an amazing job holding up. They’ve given me good punts with lots of space, but the guys have held up for a long time.”
“I want to return the ball no matter what,” McGowan said. “Just secure possession for the team, that’s the main thing. But as a competitor, I want to return it every time.”
That’s the impact Aranda expected of McGowan when he was recruited. McGowan was named the third-team All-SEC kickoff returner in 2022 and 2023 with Vanderbilt. He returned 35 kickoffs for 845 yards across both seasons, as well as five punts for 34 yards in 2023.
He also fielded five kickoffs for 97 yards and five punts for 33 yards in his lone season at Boston College before transferring to Charlotte for 2025.
Aranda did not ignore the highlights from the college journeyman.
“He’s been at a couple of schools,” Aranda said. “You look at film from a couple schools ago … unbelievably dynamic film.”
McGowan ranks second on the team with 185 receiving yards while remaining the primary return man for Baylor through four games in 2026.
McGowan and the Bears face off against Arizona State at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
