A year ago, Baylor’s linebacker room entered the season with big expectations but ultimately struggled to find consistency as the Bears’ defense stumbled through a disappointing 2025 campaign.
This fall, similar questions persist, as the Bears' top three options at the position — Travion Barnes, Kyland Reed and Kaleb Burns — all return from last year’s squad. The hope, however, is that the linebacker unit can take a step forward with a simplified scheme under first-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman.
“This is practice No. 12, and it’s hard for me to remember a practice that they didn’t come out there and be physical or where they didn’t practice fast or bring forth the effort,” third-year linebackers coach Jamar Chaney told the media during Wednesday’s press conference. “That’s always good when you’ve got a group that can be consistent throughout practices and just trying to get better, compete with each other, compete with the offense and continue to get better. I’m very excited about them.”
Barnes, a fifth-year senior, didn’t have the smoothest start to his Baylor career. After earning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors at FIU in 2024, Barnes transferred to Baylor but missed most of the offseason while recovering from an injury.
When he finally returned to the field, Barnes was still working his way back into shape and ultimately suffered a season-ending injury on the opening possession against Arizona State. Now healthy, Barnes is poised to lead the Bears’ defense as the starting middle linebacker.
“I feel pretty much back to normal,” Barnes said of recovering from his injury. “I'm just ready to go. I’m excited to play for the guys to my left and right, my right and left.”
With Keaton Thomas, the leading tackler from a season ago, off to Ole Miss, Barnes is also expected to help call Baylor’s plays, essentially acting as the quarterback of the defense, which looks a little different under Klanderman than it did last year.
“I wouldn't necessarily say it changed any — I'm still playing the same position,” Barnes said. “They asked me to step up and be more vocal. I really wasn't a big vocal guy. I'm always the type to just watch, but now I just became way more vocal with the guys and stuff like that.”
Chaney discussed the differences under a new scheme with Barnes calling the defense, saying, “They have a green dot, and [Klanderman] probably talks a little more to those guys than Coach Aranda did. It’s a little more information and communicating for them to make sure everybody else is getting what Coach Klanderman is giving to them, but they’ve attacked that well.”
Another key piece in the linebacker room is Reed, a rising junior, who Chaney has been very “impressed” with this fall, as he looks to build upon an inconsistent sophomore season, where he played in all 12 games with eight starts, and finished with 50 tackles, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.
“He's grown a lot,” Chaney said of Reed. “He came in and was a young guy in an old room with guys like Matt Jones, Josh White, Brooks Miller, but you could tell he was really mature at that time, being able to learn the defense and win a spot as a backup with all those guys there.”
Chaney added, “He’s continued to thrive and get better. He always wants to know more. He wants to be good. It's very important to him. You’ve got to calm him down sometimes. But that's good for a coach to have to calm you down instead of trying to hype you up and speed you up.”
There’s no doubt as to which player has the most potential in the linebacker room, and it’s Burns, the former four-star recruit from Cy Falls High School, who was rated as the fifth-best linebacker prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, according to On3.
“The sky's the limit for Kaleb,” Chaney said. “I expect him to go out there and have a big year. He’s one of the most athletic linebackers I’ve probably been around. [We have to] find ways that we can get him on the field and do what he's really good at. He has grown a lot. He's still only 18 years old.”
Burns played in all 12 contests last season as a reserve linebacker, totaling 18 tackles, 1.5 for loss, two quarterback hurries and an interception. Last fall, Burns was still trying to adjust to the speed of the collegiate game and played a bit out of control at times, which is understandable for an 18-year-old, but the talent is undeniable.
“He’s got amazing instincts,” Reed said when asked about Burns. “He’s able to float to the ball. One part of his game he got better at is being more intentional about details. He’s pairing his instincts with the details now, so it's all coming together.”
Barnes chipped in, adding, “He’s like the Energizer Bunny. He doesn’t stop moving. For someone so young, he’s vocal and understands the game.”
Burns, who turns 19 on Aug. 20, is ready to build off the early opportunities he got as a true freshman and take the next step this fall.
“I [want] to dominate,” Burns said. “I know what I have to do to be that guy. Just putting the work in every day, knowing who I’m going against every day, winning my leverage every day and getting better every day to prove to myself that when I go out there for Game 1. I’ve put in the work.”
Burns is also motivated to help put Baylor’s losing ways behind them and wants to get the Bears back to winning with a sense of urgency, saying, “We want to attack. We can’t wait up and let the other team strike first. We know last year, we didn’t meet expectations. This year, we have to meet expectations and prove ourselves.”
Baylor also expects Kedrick Walker, a senior transfer from Georgia State, to factor into the linebacker rotation. It’s Walker’s fourth school in four years, as he’s spent time at Bethel Community College, Hutchinson Community College and later Georgia State, where he played in all 12 games last year, totaling 57 tackles, 6.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks.
“He brings a sense of toughness,” Chaney said of Walker. “He’s physical. He's smart. He’s played a lot of football. Experienced guy. Very mature. He brings that to the table. He's probably one of the most physical guys we got out there. He likes to hit stuff and fill gaps, get off blocks, man, and talk a lot of trash while he's doing it at the same time. He’s very appreciative to be here just because of the journey he’s taken to get to a program like Baylor.”
Part of the reason for the linebackers’ inconsistencies last season was that the Bears' defensive line struggled to keep blockers from reaching the second level. The hope is that this fall, with a defensive line anchored by Indiana transfer Hosea Wheeler and Marshall transfer Jamaal Whyce, the job of the linebackers will be much easier, with less traffic in their faces.
“They can be as good as they want to be,” Reed said. “Just seeing them every day put in the work, the sky’s the limit. They can make plays. They can stand in for the run, rush the passer; they get to the ball. They’re high-effort guys, and you can’t ask for more from them.”
