So is portal period officially done?
Baylor Football
Did Baylor Do Enough in the Portal? Grading the Defense and Looking Ahead to Spring
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Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Two of our resident experts — Grayson Grundhoefer and Colt Barber — answer some of the top questions surrounding head coach Dave Aranda and the Baylor program as the transfer portal period has wrapped up, and we look ahead to spring football.
What grade would you give Baylor’s defensive transfer portal haul? Plus, where’s your overall optimism level with Joe Klanderman’s group heading into spring football?
Grayson (Grade: B+): The addition of Indiana transfer Hosea Wheeler pushed this from a B-/C+ range to this B+ grade. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder has played a ton of nose tackle and defensive tackle during his career, including 420 snaps in that role for the team that just won the National Championship. He does not fit the mold Dave Aranda has been looking for with these 330-plus-pound guys who eat up blocks but don’t penetrate much aside from Apu Ika, who was a freak.
Wheeler is not just a roadblock, as he has shown some flashes of pass rushing to go along with holding up extremely well against the run. He is better than anything Baylor has had at nose since Ika moved on to the NFL, and shoot, the other nose tackle type Baylor got, Marshall transfer Jamaal Whyce, is also far better than what they have had in that role. These two are going to be so impactful on the interior of the line, which makes me feel like the linebacker should play better because of what they have in front of them. This was a huge need, and Baylor addressed it.
The concerns I still have are pass rushing plus development at linebacker and safety. Baylor did some things in these areas, but these are all still question marks that keep this haul from being in the A territory. I like the pieces they brought in, but they will need some development from multiple guys on the roster, along with other guys having substantially more production than in their careers up to this point.
Overall, I wish the coaching staff had added one more proven pass rusher, potentially a more solidified linebacker and another versatile safety who could play nickel. But overall, the main thing missing for me is one more dude that’s a true game-changer; aside from that, I thought Baylor did awesome, assuming Wheeler is ruled eligible.
Colt (Grade: B): Hosea Wheeler is the headliner if he’s approved for an extra year. That piece matters more than anything else in this class. The other defensive line additions are intriguing and will produce, but Wheeler is the guy who can raise the ceiling. He brings experience, physicality and a level of consistency that allows everyone else to slot into roles that make sense.
The cornerback room took a real step forward with the addition of Devon Jordan from Oklahoma. Putting him opposite LeVar Thornton gives Baylor something they’ve been chasing for a while, which is balance. Baylor has battled injuries there the last few years, so that still looms, but I have some confidence that Baylor can really have a strong cornerback group.
Safety might quietly be the most underrated part of this class. Daniels Cobbs and Colby McCalister from Kansas State are quality adds and fit what Baylor wants to do on the back end with new DC Joe Klanderman. They bring experience and toughness and pair well with the returning production already in the room. But the real key is still Devin Turner. If Turner is right, coming off the ACL injury that forced him to miss 2025, that room looks completely different. He’s the tone setter. His return raises the ceiling more than any single safety transfer could, in my mind.
Linebacker is still where I’m most concerned. That room has the most unanswered questions and probably the least margin for error. That said, getting Travion Barnes back after his early-season injury in 2025 helps settle things a bit. Similar to Turner at safety, Barnes gives you a known quantity and eases the pressure on everyone else to be something they’re not. It doesn’t eliminate concern, but it makes sense why Baylor didn't add more than it did.
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