Football News: 7-20-2026

[Dudley Dent]

Auburn Football News: 7-20-2026

Early Prediction: What Will it Take for Auburn to Beat Alabama in 2026?:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/early-prediction-what-will-it-take-for-auburn-to-beat-alabama-in-2026

Auburn Misses On Four-Star Defensive Lineman, Commits to Ohio State:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/auburn-misses-on-four-star-defensive-lineman-commits-to-ohio-state

ESPN FPI predicts the outcomes of Auburn football's 2026 schedule:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/07/19/auburn-football-schedule-prediction-espn-fpi-2026/90974239007/

Where does Auburn football truly stand among the SEC's elite programs?:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/07/18/auburn-football-ranking-sec-alex-golesh/90965849007/

Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/thoughts-on-sec-media-days-in-tampa-and-the-auburn-baseball-roster-288413945/

Caldwell Column: Still living my dream:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/talking-auburn-football-as-we-get-closer-to-sec-media-days-in-tampa-288398704/

Media days primer: Biggest storylines for Auburn's SEC opponents:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-tigers-football-sec-media-days-schedule-2026-288401875/

Scouting the Baylor Bears ahead of Auburn football's 2026 opener:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/07/19/auburn-football-opponent-preview-baylor-bears-season-opener-sec/90967091007/

 

***************************

Early Prediction: What Will it Take for Auburn to Beat Alabama in 2026?

By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI

The situation is simple: the Auburn Tigers have lost six Iron Bowls in a row, and have, in fact, not beaten the Tide since Gus Malzahn was fired from the program in late 2020. Two coaches, Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze, have made their attempts, but Kalen DeBoer and the Tide have stood strong and consistently come out on top.

Alex Golesh, the Tigers’ newest head coach, has been clear that this is a trend that he not only hopes to change, but expects to do so. It would certainly be impressive for Golesh, a first-year SEC head coach, to take down DeBoer, especially on his home turf, but the Iron Bowl seems to be something of a realm of infinite possibility, and the Auburn Tigers are certainly looking to capitalize on a little bit of magic later on this year.

So, what will it take for the Tigers to beat the Tide come November?

Of course, the Tigers’ offense will need to be able to capitalize on key opportunities, unlike last year’s team, which lost all but one of their one-score games. Seeing as this is the final game of the regular season for the Tigers, Byrum Brown and the Tigers’ offense should be, and will need to be, dialed in and working as a unit if they want to put up any significant number of points against what is expected to be a strong Alabama defense.

I have significantly less concern for the Tigers’ defense, though, to their credit, the Tide possess some of the top playmakers in the country, especially at wide receiver, so the Tigers’ secondary will need to have a career matchup while the frontline forces the Tide’s quarterback (who has yet to be named) into uncomfortable situations. This is something Auburn’s defense did quite well last year, to the point where the below .500 Tigers came within an arm’s reach of the win, before Cam Coleman’s fumble, along with an entire game of horrific offense, sealed their fate and the loss.

More importantly for me, though, the Tigers will likely need to enter the Iron Bowl firing on all cylinders–and I don’t just mean taking it to Samford the week before. The Tigers will face one of the toughest stretches in the country this year, playing Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss all in a row, but then they will get what the SEC considers to be a bit of a break, as they will take on Arkansas and Mississippi State.

In my opinion, winning both the Arkansas and Mississippi State games, regardless of the outcome of the prior four matchups, will be crucial if the Tigers want to have the right momentum to take down the Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium. After all, history has shown that this legendary matchup rarely comes down to rankings or win totals; rather, the outcome is the result of who has the right momentum and, maybe, just a little bit of magic.

Auburn has already implemented an Iron Bowl-themed part of their practice into regular operations, which I expect to continue throughout the rest of the offseason, though it will be interesting to see if Golesh keeps the Iron Bowl pressure up throughout the regular season.

I will be the first to admit that the world does not see the Tigers as having a high chance of taking down the Tide–ESPN’s FPI gives Auburn just a 22.4% chance–but if Golesh can get his team headed onto Saban Field with the right momentum and offensive rhythm, the world may be surprised as to just how scrappy the Tigers really can be. After all, they have beaten longer odds before.

*************************

Auburn Misses On Four-Star Defensive Lineman, Commits to Ohio State

By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI

It seems as if the Auburn Tigers’ slow recruiting in the month of July is a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future, as on Saturday, Karlos May chose the Ohio State Buckeyes over the Tigers, who were reportedly in second place in the race. This one stings a little extra for the Tigers, who were leaders in his recruitment for quite some time.

https://x.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/2078563675586121764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2078563675586121764%7Ctwgr%5E8e8b4ed602f50d73e733e23db0bca9f11ca73af7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Ffootball%2Fauburn-misses-on-four-star-defensive-lineman-commits-to-ohio-state

In fact, at one point, the Tigers stood with over a 90% chance to land May, though a visit to Georgia seemed to get May’s mind back on the market, and Ryan Day and the Buckeyes capitalized on that. At the time of May’s commitment, Auburn had fallen to just over a 3% chance to land him, which was still second place, as the Buckeyes led with over a 90% chance.

May, a four-star lineman, is a significant miss for the Tigers, as he would have been the top-rated defensive line recruit in an already strong Tiger 2027 room. With that said, the Tigers do already have two four-star defensive line recruits in their class, so the room is safe, even if it will go without May in 2027.

The Tigers’ two current defensive line recruits, Nate Kamba and Donivan Moore, are a pair of four-stars who both rank within the top-35 defensive linemen in the 2027 class, with Moore holding a slight edge in rankings at No. 26.

This year, the Tigers are set to rely on a mix of Jourdin Crawford, a sophomore; Dallas Walker, a senior; Cody Sigler, a senior; and Malik Autry, a sophomore; to hold down the defensive end of the trenches, though Kamba and Moore may have to step up, despite their youth, in 2027, as both Walker and Sigler possess waning eligibility.

As it stands, the Tigers’ 2027 class is currently rated as the 11th-best in the country, while Ohio State ranks just ahead at No. 7. Notably, the Tigers are the highest-rated class in the country that has yet to land a five-star recruit, which is either a result of a series of misses from Alex Golesh or a new recruiting strategy. If it is, in fact, a new strategy, it is certainly a bold one, and we’ll have to wait and see if it pays off.

Regardless, the Tigers will now have to move forward without May, unless they want to divert resources into a flip effort. Ohio State is not famous for letting top recruits go easy, though, so if the Tigers truly want May, it will take a lot of extra effort from Auburn and its coaches.

*************************

ESPN FPI predicts the outcomes of Auburn football's 2026 schedule

By Jac Myrick
Auburn Wire

The Auburn Tigers look to break their streak of five consecutive losing seasons this season under new head coach Alex Golesh.

ESPN's Football Power Index places Auburn No. 22 in their preseason rankings and predicts the Tigers' matchups for the approaching 2026 season.

The recently released 2026 ESPN FPI, a metric used to show teams' strength and prediction of performance, placed the Tigers with a 69.8% of finishing with six wins. Which games will the Auburn Tigers win in 2026? Here is a look at how ESPN expects the Tigers' season to shake out.


Baylor
Chance of winning: 68.3%
Location: Atlanta, Georgia (Neutral)
Opponent's 2025 record: 5-7

Southern Miss
Chance of winning: 91.4%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 7-6

Florida
Chance of winning: 52.1%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 4-8

Vanderbilt
Chance of winning: 65.2%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 10-3

Tennessee
Chance of winning: 34.7%
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Opponent's 2025 record: 8-5

Georgia
Chance of winning: 15.6%
Location: Athens, Georgia
Opponent's 2025 record: 12-2

LSU
Chance of winning: 32.7%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 7-6

Ole Miss
Chance of winning: 32.0%
Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Opponent's 2025 record: 13-2

Arkansas
Chance of winning: 77.5%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 2-10

Mississippi State
Chance of winning: 67.5%
Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Opponent's 2025 record: 5-8

Samford
Chance of winning: 99.0%
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 1-11

Alabama
Chance of winning: 22.4%
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Opponent's 2025 record: 11-4

Season overview
FPI rank: No. 22
Projected record: 6.6 wins, 5.4 losses
Strength of schedule: No. 15
SEC Champion chances: 1.4%
College Football Playoff chances: 12.0%

***************************

Where does Auburn football truly stand among the SEC's elite programs?

By Taylor Jones
Auburn Wire

The Auburn Tigers are one of college football's winningest programs. However, to new fans of the sport, that fact may be hard to believe.

Auburn football has experienced five-straight losing seasons and has fired five coaches since the 2008 season. Still, Auburn fans continue to be avid supporters of the program and deserve a winning team to cheer for. That is the mindset of USA TODAY columnist Blake Toppmeyer's latest summer ranking, where he breaks down each SEC program and ranks them 1-16 in terms of branding and historical success.

Toppmeyer elected to go away from the "preseason poll" model and instead has focused on the historical significance of each program in the SEC. In this ranking, Auburn checks in at No. 8 behind Florida and ahead of Texas A&M. Toppmeyer says Auburn has proven itself a top program in this sport and needs to pull out of its recent rough patch to return to its best days.

"These are dark days for Auburn," writes Toppmeyer. "The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk."

The first step in Auburn regaining its identity as one of the SEC's flagship programs is to find early success under first-year head coach Alex Golesh. Golesh brings a winning brand of football over to the Plains after posting several seasons of offensive success at UCF, Tennessee, and USF before earning his break as a head coach in the SEC, and has brought several of the coaches and players that made his recent stay at USF a success.

Golesh will aim to turn around a program that has lost seven games in each of the last five seasons and has not won a bowl game since 2018. Not only has Auburn struggled as a whole in recent memory, but the Tigers have been on a lengthy losing streak against their top rivals, Alabama and Georgia. Auburn has lost six-straight Iron Bowls and has lost nine games in a row to Georgia. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are mainstays in the College Football Playoff picture, and Auburn hopes to join them in the near future.

Alabama takes the top spot in Toppmeyer's ranking, followed by Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and LSU. Missouri headlines the bottom five of the ranking, ahead of Mississippi State, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.

***************************

Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

By Jason Caldwell
Auburn 247


Tampa connections abound for Auburn

It's the opening day of SEC Media Days and there are some obvious connections for Auburn as the Tigers prepare to take the stage on Tuesday. Coach Alex Golesh led the USF program here in Tampa the last three seasons and was instrumental in putting the Bulls back on the map after struggles under Charlie Strong and Jeff Scott.

With four straight losing seasons and an overall record of just 8-37, Golesh helped USF to 23 wins in three years and three straight bowl games. A big reason for that was the play of quarterback Byrum Brown. Both will be front and center on Tuesday representing the Auburn program back in Tampa.

But there are more connections for just this team alone. Auburn brought a boatload of transfers from USF along with a bunch of coaches and personnel. One of those guys is Jeris McIntyre, who grew up in Tampa and was a successful head coach at his alma mater Tampa Catholic before getting into college coaching with Gus Malzahn at UCF.

I also think about other connections to Tampa. While there are other towns that might be more known for its alumni base, Tampa has been the home to some very strong Auburn folks over the years. I don't know as many any longer, but my sister lived in Tampa for more than 25 years and during that time I got to be around some great Auburn people at the Tampa Bay Auburn Club gatherings.

Two of the ones that I'll never forget are John and Millie Jacobs, the parents of Jay Jacobs. My sister got to be great friends with them and made several road trips to games with them over the years. Another was Jim Carroll. He had Carroll Air Systems in the Tampa Bay area and was a huge Auburn supporter.

This is the time to celebrate Auburn's appearance at SEC Media Days, but also some pretty strong connections to the Tampa Bay area as well.


Auburn baseball roster thoughts

On Sunday, coach Butch Thompson and the Tigers added a commitment from RHP Brayden Bergman from Baylor. Coming back from an injury that cost him all but one inning in 2025, he has steadily improved this year and is pitching well in the Cape Cod League this summer.

This is a guy that has all the tools to be a huge addition for the Tigers if he can continue his progression. Before his injury, he was ranked as the No. 46 player nationally in the 2024 class by Perfect Game and was the No. 1 RHP in the State of Texas. That's very elite company.

I can't help but think of a guy like Landon Sims when looking at Bergman's stuff. He's upper 90's with a fastball that rides at the top of the zone. Sims made a living off doing that and in 2021 put up huge numbers for Mississippi State as they won a national championship.

There's no telling what Bergman's role will be for the 2027 Tigers, but if he can become a guy that finishes games, this Auburn staff should once again be among the best in the country.

Offensively, the guy I'm anxious to see get to work with new hitting coach Nick Ammirati is Bub Terrell. There is no question that the upcoming junior is about as talented as a player can be at this level. Can he find the consistency that he hasn't shown to this point?

That begins with just putting the ball in play more. Even with 83 strikeouts last season, he hit .290 with 16 home runs and 13 doubles. You're not going to get a hit every time you put the ball in play, but Bub batted .445 in at-bats that didn't end in a strikeout. Eliminating just half of those strikeouts could mean hitting .330+ and hitting 20+ home runs. He's also 8-12 in stolen bases in two seasons, but getting on base more could open up the running game for him. That's something Ammirati wants out of his offenses and Bub could be a big beneficiary if he can put it all together.

*************************

Caldwell Column: Still living my dream

By Jason Caldwell

I still pinch myself because I get to do this as my job.

If I could go back to 10-year old me and tell him that he would have a job around Auburn sports and have that job for nearly 30 years, he wouldn't believe it.

But that's where we are as I get ready for SEC Media Days and year number 28 on the beat covering the Auburn Tigers.

My family was always all Auburn and that's how I grew up, but with my dad working at Avondale Mills in textiles, we didn't have season tickets or come to all the games. The first time I came to a game was the season opener in 1979 against Kansas State. I was 7 years old and still have the program from that day.

But I don't remember much about that game. The memories I have of my early Auburn football experiences all came on Saturday afternoons when we would go cut wood and listen to the game on the radio. We still had a wood burning heater in my house, so cutting firewood on Saturday was one of the things we did during football season until it got to hunting season. That was my first connection to Auburn until Inside The Auburn Tigers.

My grandmother got me a subscription to the magazine from the very first issue and I was hooked from that point forward. I knew the players, hometowns, stats and more from every team and it was my passion.

I didn't really begin to go to a lot of games until my high school years when a few friends and an older brother of one of those friends all got season tickets. I think the first year we did that was 1987. We got to see some great games for those few years until I got to college and was able to start going on my own.

We would park at the old Eagle Cage beside the Haley Center. Our tailgates consisted of mom's fried chicken, somebody else's mom making brownies, and a cooler of Coke and Dr. Pepper. They can have the big tailgate setups, there was nothing better than those days of throwing the football and waiting for the game to start.

One thing we did was go to bowl games. We went to the Citrus Bowl against USC after the 1986 season and both of the Sugar Bowl games the next two years against Syracuse and Florida State. The last one as a group was the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa against Ohio State in 1989. I remember that game because of the hit on Stacy Danley that is still the biggest I have witnessed to this day.

Those are the memories I have this time of year as we get ready for another season of Auburn football. I remember more of what happened in 1987 than I probably do from two years ago. For some reason, those older memories remain and are just core memories for me. I can still feel the stadium shaking when Reggie Slack hit Shayne Wasden for the touchdown pass to beat Florida in 1989.

Now it's time to begin another season. This is always the time where you should be excited about a team and its possibilities. There's a lot of unknown about this Auburn roster, but it sure feels like the type of coaching staff and team that wants to be physical and hard-nosed.

Those are the types of teams I grew up watching and that have been the most successful at Auburn over the years. Time to run it back.

*************************

Media days primer: Biggest storylines for Auburn's SEC opponents

By Nathan King
Auburn 247

The circus is almost here.

SEC Media Days week is here, with the festivities getting under way Monday in Tampa. Alex Golesh, quarterback Byrum Brown, safety Champ Anthony and kicker Alex McPherson will take the stage Tuesday to represent Auburn.

While Auburn fans will primarily be focusing on their Tigers as fall camp and the 2026 season approach, here's one storyline for each of their SEC opponents that we expect will be prevalent during the week.
The video player is currently playing an ad.

FLORIDA: Sumrall's finally in the league

It felt like just a matter of time that Jon Sumrall would find his way to an SEC head-coaching job, whether that was taking over for Mark Stoops at Sumrall's alma mater, returning to his home state to coach Auburn, or maybe continuing his recent Louisiana success in Baton Rouge. But Florida was ultimately the choice for Sumrall this past coaching cycle, after elongated flirtation with the Auburn job. The initial response from Gator fans was brutal, since Sumrall brings a similar profile from the Group of Six as their former coach, Billy Napier. It seems things are going better since then, and Sumrall has a lot of talent on his roster in Year 1 to be a competitive team right away. Many assumed amid Tulane's tremendous 2025 campaign that Sumrall would be at SEC Media Days come 2026, and there should be a ton of interest with the event being held in Tampa.

Florida at Auburn: Sept. 19


VANDERBILT: Can the Commodores win without Pavia?

Directly tied to the Commodores' highly successful past two seasons, including a program-record 10 wins last year, was Clark Lea's decision to take New Mexico State's entire offensive operation through the coaching ranks and the portal. Diego Pavia, last year's Heisman runner-up, was the engine, but now he's gone. Tim Beck is still the offensive coordinator, and there's a lot to build off of, but can Vandy maintain a winning SEC season without its do-it-all QB? Five-star freshman Jared Curtis is the highest-rated signee in program history, but former New Mexico State backup Blake Berlowitz might have the edge due to his familiarity in the system.

Vanderbilt at Auburn: Sept. 26


TENNESSEE: Who's the starting quarterback?

Obviously there will be a lot of talk about quarterback competitions this week, and one of the league's most crucial will be in Knoxville this fall. By all accounts, Tennessee looks to have a very strong roster heading into Year 6 under Josh Heupel, with lots of offensive weapons back, and an experienced defense under new management with Jim Knowles. But do the Vols have a QB? Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre will continue to compete with 5-star freshman Faizon Brandon in the preseason. If Tennessee has a competent passer, it's probably a playoff contender. If it doesn't, the Vols could fall short of their goals again.

Auburn at Tennessee: Oct. 3


GEORGIA: Is there enough at wide receiver?

It's been a few years since the Bulldogs had some true, game-changing threats in the passing game. Gunner Stockton led this offense with his arm last season, sure, but now there are even more question marks about the receiver position. Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion was a big portal pickup, but who else is there for this passing game? In terms of proven production, there's not much. Georgia will hope that the running game can return to form to ease that pressure, as the Bulldogs had an uncharacteristic 2025 season, ranking No. 64 nationally in yards per carry.

Auburn at Georgia: Oct. 17


LSU: Can the Tigers contend in Year 1?

The marriage of Lane Kiffin's modern offense and roster-building success with LSU's resources and support probably spells bad news for the rest of the SEC. Kiffin did nothing but win at Ole Miss, retooling his teams with tremendous transfer success year after year, and now he brings the No. 1 portal class to Baton Rouge. So is LSU a national title contender right away? The Bayou Bengals certainly have the roster and the talent, and a lot will probably depend on the health of Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt. Of course, Kiffin's decision to leave Ole Miss will probably dominate a lot of the headlines and questions at media days, too.

LSU at Auburn: Oct. 24


OLE MISS: What will the offense look like without Kiffin?

Speaking of college football's one true diva, the Rebels' last couple months of the 2025 season were like something out of a movie. Kiffin left after a dramatic saga, but Ole Miss just kept winning, all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The program rallied behind new coach Pete Golding, and it seems that was more than just getting swept up in the moment, as stars Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy spurned LSU to stay in Oxford. Can the Rebels keep rolling on offense, though? Kiffin took offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who's been replaced by John David Baker, who had been on that Kiffin staff for a few years already.

Auburn at Ole Miss: Oct. 31


ARKANSAS: Can Silverfield avoid the SEC cellar?

We mentioned the disgruntled feeling in Gainesville when Sumrall was hired — which came and went pretty fast — but that was nothing when compared to the response to Silverfield's hire at Arkansas. Coupled with the narrative that the Razorbacks had Alex Golesh ready to go but couldn't seal the deal, Arkansas fans (at the least the vocal majority) were displeased with Silverfield, but that obviously doesn't matter now. He won 29 games over the past three seasons at Memphis, and the bar really can't get much lower at Arkansas, which went 2-10 last year. For Silverfield's own good, he probably needs to make at least a bit of a splash in Year 1 to give that fanbase something to latch onto moving forward in his tenure.

Arkansas at Auburn: Nov. 7


MISSISSIPPI STATE: Can Zach Arnett make the difference?

Mississippi State's fired defensive coordinator wound up at Auburn, as Coleman Hutzler was hired as Golesh's edge rushers coach. The Bulldogs' offense hasn't been perfect in the first two seasons under head coach Jeff Lebby, but they didn't have much of a chance with a dreadful defense. Now, one of the program's most adored names is back, as Arnett was hired by Lebby to take over as DC. Arnett was regarded as one of the best coordinators in the conference in his previous stint in Starkville, and he held the program together to the best of his ability after Mike Leach's passing. There's a lot of reason to believe Lebby's offense is ready to click in Year 3, but the biggest help would be an improved defense run by Arnett.

Auburn at Mississippi State: Nov. 14


ALABAMA: Who's at QB, and does it matter?

After one season of Ty Simpson, Alabama and Kalen DeBoer have an important QB decision on their hands heading into Year 3. Keelon Russell is the golden boy, ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class, while former Washington transfer Austin Mack has more experience in DeBoer's system. Alabama's run of quarterbacks has been superb for more than a decade, but this is a big decision for DeBoer to keep the Crimson Tide on a playoff path in Year 3 — and make good on that contract extension he received in April.

Auburn at Alabama: Nov. 28

***********************

Scouting the Baylor Bears ahead of Auburn football's 2026 opener

By Phillip Jordan
Auburn Wire

The Alex Golesh era at Auburn will get its start on the field when the Tigers play the Baylor Bears in a neutral-site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

It is a rematch of the two programs from the 2025 season opener that saw the Tigers win 38-24 in Waco, Texas. Both teams had disappointing seasons following that game, with both teams posting identical 5-7 records.

For Baylor, this will be a pivotal game for head coach Dave Aranda, who needs a big season in his seventh year as the head coach.

Here is a look at the Tigers’ first opponent of the 2026 season.


D.J. Lagway leads new-look Bears offense

On offense, the Baylor Bears have a lot to replace from a unit that was one of the best in the Big 12 last season. Not only will they need to replace quarterback Sawyer Robertson, but they will also need to find some new playmakers at wide receiver. The Bears ranked third in the Big 12 with 451.1 yards per game and fifth with 31.1 points per game. The strength was the passing game behind Robertson, who led the conference in yards with 3,681. His top target was wide receiver Josh Cameron for 69 receptions for 872 yards and nine touchdowns.

The quarterback question was answered through the transfer portal by signing former Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway. He had his struggles like the rest of the Gators last season, but his could be attributed to the injuries that prevented him from participating in fall camp for Florida. Baylor is hoping that Lagway can live up to his potential as a five-star recruit when he was signed by the Gators in 2024. There are plenty of questions about what surrounds Lagway. With Cameron off the NFL, the Bears will need to find a new go-to receiver. At running back, they will need to replace Bryson Washington who transferred to Auburn. Caden Knighten seems to be the top candidate for that role after rushing for 469 yards and one touchdown in 2025.


New defensive coordinator for the Bears

The defense for the Bears was a big contributor to the disappointing 2025 season. Baylor ranked 15th in the Big 12, allowing 32.6 points per game and was No. 12 in yards allowed at 392.1. They really struggled stopping the run by giving up 197.1 yards per game. When Auburn defeated Baylor last season, the Tigers had 307 total yards on the ground led by quarterback Jackson Arnold with 137. Now with Byrum Brown at quarterback, along with Washington and a returning Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn could look to replicate that success.

Due to the struggles last season, Aranda hired Joe Klanderman from Kansas State to be Baylor's new defensive coordinator. To address the struggles of the defensive line, Baylor signed former Indiana defensive tackle Hosea Wheeler. They also signed a pass rusher from Southern Miss with Garrick Ponder. Baylor returns experienced defensive backs LeVar Thornton Jr. and Jacob Reddings in the secondary.