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Baylor’s 2024 season wasn’t perfect, but it served its purpose as it returned to a bowl game and built the foundation for what could be a really good season in Waco this fall.
With a full offseason of development and a key transfer haul, the Bears enter 2025 with something real to build on and a roster that’s better aligned with Dave Aranda’s vision.
Whether that translates to wins with a brutal schedule is the next question.
Quarterback Stability
For the first time since Aranda took over, Baylor has stability at quarterback over two seasons as Sawyer Robertson returns off of tremendous breakout season.
“It’s very different knowing that I’m the guy going into fall camp,” Robertson said. “It’s been a different mindset and being able to lead and have the freedom to lead is something that’s been really cool for me.”
Robertson showed elite level play at times last season but it was after an injury to Dequan Finn that he took over the job. This year the offense is being built around his skill set under coordinator Jake Spavital. That’s an undervalued aspect of the upcoming season.
“I think this offense gives me the freedom to be myself and also freedom to be creative... we’ve got so many guys that can make plays.”
Behind him, redshirt freshman Nate Bennett has quietly put together a solid camp. Transfer redshirt freshman Walker White is another name that could potentially be ready to go if Robertson were to go down.
Defensive Transfers Filling in Nicely
Baylor landed impact players that fit specific needs and the hope is that many are ready for starting roles.
Samu Taumanupepe (Texas A&M) and Adonis Friloux (Tulane) are 376-pound and 346-pound presences at nose who should solidified the middle of the defense. After years of patchwork play post-Apu Ika, the position may finally be settled.
Matthew Fobbs-White (Tulane) brings a terrific pass-rush profile with his 91.2 PFF pass-rush grade. He was 25th nationally in pass rush win rate and is expected to be a true pass rush specialist off the edge.
Emar’Rion Winston (Oregon) is a more well rounded addition at OLB. He’s been a vocal and team leader since arriving and has played behind and with some of the best OLB talent in the country at Oregon.
Phoenix Jackson (Fresno State) and Travion Barnes (FIU) give Baylor immediate help at linebacker to replace First-Team All-Big 12 player Matt Jones. Jackson’s versatility may allow him to play WILL or STAR. Barnes, the 2024 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, brings instincts and physicality. These two with returning First-Team All-Big 12 linebacker Keaton Thomas is the foundation of the defense.
In the secondary, Tyler Turner (Oregon) will be leaned on heavily after Devin Turner, who was expected to start after transferring from Northwestern, suffered a season-ending knee injury on the final day of spring camp. Turner is talented but he and returning starter Devyn Bobby need to stay healthy in 2025.
Jake Spavital, Dallas Baker Build Up Receiver Room
With Monaray Baldwin, Hal Presley and Ketron Jackson gone, Baylor hit the portal to bring in six new receivers. Three of those look to be ready for impact in the fall, with some other underclassmen brought in to bolster depth and be ready for the future.
Kobe Prentice (Alabama) brings SEC experience and explosive potential. In three seasons with the Crimson Tide, he totaled 60 catches for 780 yards and five touchdowns. He arrived in the spring and is a great fit in the slot for the Bears.
Kole Wilson (Texas State) adds versatility and speed. The former Incarnate Word and Texas State standout has over 1,600 career yards and 13 touchdowns. He’ll see action in multiple places of the offense.
Louis Brown (San Diego State), a summer addition, was initially viewed as a depth piece but could be a contributor in the fall. He’s a big-bodied target with toughness and could be a depth compliment to Josh Cameron.
Jake Spavital and Dallas Baker needed to build depth at receiver after transitioning from a former wide zone scheme, and they have done so pretty well. Especially with good news to start fall camp.
The Return of Ashtyn Hawkins
While much of the offseason attention focused on Baylor’s transfer additions, one of the most significant developments came from the NCAA as Ashtyn Hawkins was officially cleared to play in 2025.
Hawkins gives Baylor a proven slot receiver with proven quickness and separation skills. Hawkins posted a first down or touchdown on over 79.1% of his 43 receptions last year. He played 76.0% of his snaps in the slot in 2024, and if Cameron and Brown can occupy the outside, that number could go up.
His return helps balance out a retooled receiver room.
“Ashtyn, you know, just his quickness and ability to separate — that’s something that you just can’t teach,” said senior wideout Josh Cameron. “It’s a huge help to the room to have him back.”
Hawkins gives Sawyer Robertson a go-to option in the slot that he is very familiar with. Excluding the Kansas game he left with injury after one reception, in Hawkins final six games played of 2024, he caught 28 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns from Roberston.
Hall and Gonzales Impact
Baylor also made significant changes to its defensive staff. Carson Hall (OLBs) and Paul Gonzales (safeties) were added this offseason and have already had an impact.
“There’s a maturity there with those guys,” Aranda said at Big 12 Media Days. “There’s a directness, a clarity, a confidence that has been really refreshing and needed.”
Gonzales, a longtime TCU assistant, steps in to lead a group now reshuffled after the Devin Turner injury. Hall, coming from Western Kentucky, is tasked with elevating a position group that’s been inconsistent and injury-riddled the last two years.
“I think both of those hires were crucial,” Aranda added. “There’s a higher level of detail and intensity now.”
What’s Different in the Locker Room
Wide receiver Josh Cameron, one of the team’s most respected voices after climbing through the ranks as a walk-on, sees a major shift in team culture heading into 2025.
“I think everyone knows what we’re playing for this year. It’s a lot more than just trying to bounce back.”
He praised Robertson’s leadership and added:
“The connection we’ve built off the field has translated to on the field. He’s stepped up. It’s his team now.”
Challenging Schedule
Baylor opens at home against Auburn, then hits the road to face SMU and Arizona State a couple weeks later. In total, 11 of 12 opponents are from Power Four conferences, including multiple returning playoff teams. No breathers.
That’s made the staff very intentional about depth and situational development throughout fall camp. The hope is that by midseason, this team can be in position to compete for the league title and not too beat up.
Special Teams Must Stay Special
In 2024, Baylor’s special teams quietly ranked tops tin the country and it wasn’t by accident. From kickoff coverage to punting and placekicking, the Bears consistently flipped field position and stole hidden yards in games that often came down to one or two possessions.
Now, with a tougher schedule and a still-developing offense, special teams will once again need to be the difference-maker.
Palmer Williams returns as one of the top punters in the country, and Josh Cameron is an All-American field them. Kick off return is still up in the air but it’s a unit that’s been recruited to, not just determined.
Aranda emphasized in the spring that “special teams have to be a weapon, not just something that’s survived.
Final Outlook
The 2025 season is about showing that Baylor has the infrastructure to compete long-term in the new-look Big 12. There was a downslide from in 2022 and 2023 that was preventable with avoidable bad decisions with the transfer portal. It was corrected, and Baylor shifted back quickly.
There’s belief inside the program that the Bears have the right combination of quarterback play, defensive improvement, and culture shift to surprise people.
“It’s more real this year,” Aranda said. “The expectations, we’ve embraced them. The foundation is there. Now we’ve got to build something on top of it.”
