At the beginning of the Fall camp, just over two weeks ago, Baylor Bears coach Dave Aranda said he wanted to see the group mold from being a collection of individuals into a cohesive team that can compete for championships. And his words were echoed by their star QB, Sawyer Robertson, in a recent presser.
The Bears were dealt a heavy blow when Coach Aranda recently announced that RB Dawson Pendergrass, Baylor’s second leading rusher in 2024, will miss most of the upcoming season with a foot injury. And, as expected, Robertson was asked about the loss of Pendergrass and how the team is planning to step in his absence. “Yeah, they’re going to step up. They have to in all facets of the game, as far as running physically, making the right reads, pass protection, all the stuff. They’ve done a really good job stepping up after Dawson went down because I think they know this is real now. They’ve done a great job. So excited for them,” Robertson answered in a tone filled with calmness beyond his years. But his message was clear – the offense won’t just stand still.
The QB was then pressed on the most underrated skill for any college back: pass protection. It’s the invisible chore that rarely makes highlight reels but wins games on third down. Robertson was blunt again: “You got to learn. I would say that’s one of the harder things to do because depending on your high school coaching, the scheme’s different, the protections are different. That’s probably the last thing that comes along, rather than run or route running. But both of them have come a long way since Dawson went down, and they’re doing great with it.” Translation? The Bears’ new-look RB room isn’t a liability—it’s a work in progress
December 31, 2024, Houston, Texas, USA: Baylor Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson 13 sets up a play during the first half of the Kinder s Texas Bowl between the LSU Tigers and Baylor Bears at NRG Stadium on December 31, 2024, in Houston, Texas. Houston USA – ZUMAp213 20241231_znp_p213_002 Copyright: xLynnxPenningtonx
That confidence pairs with Phil Steele’s bullish forecast for Baylor in 2025. The veteran analyst pointed to the balance of experience and continuity as a recipe for big things. “In 2023, the run game dropped to 115 and the PPG dropped to 23 with 378 YPG,” Steele wrote. “In the first half of the year, the Baylor special teams scored 54 points and the offense just 42. New OC Jake Spavital moved them to the spread offense. My computer was optimistic and called for a jump to 32.8 PPG (over a TD more), and the Bears were right there with 34.4 PPG! This year, they have a veteran OLine, their top two RBs, top 2 WRs, and QB (Sawyer) Robertson all back. This should be one of the top offenses in the Big 12 this year!”
Steele’s math matches the eyeball test—Sawyer Robertson with Bryson Washington and the recovering Pendergrass in the backfield, paired with Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins outside, is as loaded as any group Aranda has had. The real kicker for Baylor may be its defense. Aranda’s calling card unit lagged in 2024, ranking 11th in the Big 12 in both yards allowed per game (386.2) and points allowed (26.7). Even Sawyer Robertson admitted the offense looked forward to “cheering” for them, knowing a breakout would swing the entire league race. With five home games and a schedule that looks favorable in almost every tilt, Steele thinks, “Baylor is a legitimate Big 12 contender and a playoff contender as well.”
What’s left now is health and cohesion. Losing Pendergrass hurts in the short term, but Robertson’s voice suggests the locker room won’t let the setback derail momentum. The Bears have quietly rebuilt their identity, trading the sluggishness of past seasons for an attack that can push tempo, create mismatches, and hold up at the line. And that has made Aranda happy with the depth behind his No. 2 back.
Baylor Bears’ RB room leans on youth after Pendergrass’ Injury
The loss of Dawson Pendergrass stings, no question about it. He was supposed to be the thunder to Bryson Washington’s lightning, and now BU is scrambling to reconfigure a RB rotation that was built on the one-two punch of experience and power. But as Washington reminded everyone this week, there’s no time to sulk. The Bears have Auburn on August 29, and fall camp waits for no one.
“Dawson’s a big part of the offense, but at the end of the day, it’s next man up,” Washington said. “With the brotherhood that we got, it is always bringing another one along. And that’s what we gotta do.” That “next man” could very well be true freshman Caden Knighten, a four-star recruit who nearly hit 2,000 rushing yards with 38 touchdowns in his senior year of high school. Knighten brings a home-run element that Baylor hasn’t consistently had since Abram Smith was running wild back in 2021. But he’s not alone. Michael Turner, another freshman, and redshirt freshman Joseph Dodds are all in the mix.
“I’d say they all got some quickness to them,” Washington added. “Dodds is a little bit bigger, and I feel like he has the exposure — him and Caden Knighten.” Now it’s about sorting out who can shoulder the load when the lights flip on at Jordan-Hare.
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