DJ Lagway arriving from Florida is the story of Baylor's offseason. Sawyer Robertson is gone, and the quarterback competition winner inherits an offense that already profiles as above average, now paired with a genuine difference-maker under center. Lagway brought 51.0 PPA into a portal class that added Ryan Davis at EDGE from Kansas State and receiver Gavin Freeman from Oklahoma State, while Bryson Washington left for Auburn and tight end Kelsey Johnson departed for Liberty. The offensive line returns 59% continuity and the passing targets only 19%, so Lagway will be asked to make new connections quickly behind a retooled skill group. On the other side, new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman takes over after Dave Aranda left for Kansas State's DC chair, inheriting a defense that graded as roughly average and lost little of consequence beyond safety Mason Dossett to LSU. That stability is the point of spring: with a quiet portal cycle on that side of the ball, Klanderman's install matters more than reinforcements.

JP+ projects 6.3 wins, a number shaped heavily by how the QB transition shakes out behind an offensive line that isn't fully settled and a receiver room with limited returning target share. Special teams should be a real asset all year, which can steal a possession or two in the toughest spots on the schedule — Texas Tech at home, a trip to BYU, and a neutral-site game against Auburn. The easier stretch against Iowa State, Louisiana Tech and Prairie View A&M offers room to build rhythm early. If Lagway's transition happens on schedule and Klanderman's defense hits the stable floor its continuity suggests, Baylor pushes past the projection into bowl contention. If the passing game needs a half-season to gel, 6.3 wins is a fair reflection of where this roster sits.