Meet the Single-Digit Guys: Newcomers highlight Baylor Football’s 2026 leaders
For almost a decade now, single-digit numbers have told a story for Baylor Football, and it’s one Baylor fans easily recognize: Single-digit guys are leaders, voted on each year by their teammates. It’s a badge of honor, like a helmet sticker, embodied by past stars such as Jalen Pitre and Terrel Bernard.
As the 2026 season kicks off, a new group of Baylor players have earned the nod from their teammates — six of whom made their presence known quickly, receiving the honor in their first year with the program. On the field and off, get to know the players who will be counted on to lead this year’s team:
Hosea Wheeler (0), sixth-year defensive lineman — A massive defensive lineman (6-3, 306 pounds), Wheeler has climbed his way up the ranks in college football, ascending from junior college to Western Kentucky to playing an important role on last year’s national championship squad at Indiana. He’s a veteran who has played in 46 career games, and he should be a big part of Baylor’s improved defensive line. Away from the field, he spends time with his 240-pound (!!) dog, a Boerboel named Jamal, and occasionally maintains a skill he picked up in middle school: playing the clarinet.
Dre’lon Miller (1), junior wide receiver — In Miller, Baylor welcomes a Colorado transfer who was one of the nation’s top 100 recruits out of Silsbee High School in southeast Texas. There, he earned first-team all-state honors in both football and basketball — and while football is his focus now, he’s still confident he could get it done a mile down the river at Foster Pavilion. At Colorado, he was a versatile wide receiver who was able to transition to running back when the team needed him. Miller is also proud of his cooking, with shrimp or honey-glazed salmon as his go-to recipes.
DJ Lagway (2), junior quarterback — The biggest name to come to Baylor this offseason, the Bears’ QB1 was destined to be a Bear after his father, Derek Lagway (BSED ’01), starred here as a running back nearly three decades ago. A record-setting high school quarterback recognized as the top QB in his class, he went to Florida for football initially, and even had the chance to go to schools like LSU or Arkansas as a baseball player. His skills aren’t limited to athletics; Lagway also knows basic American Sign Language, which he demonstrated to accompany Christian songs in church as a child.
Jadon Porter (3), junior wide receiver — A local product, Porter grew up in nearby Lorena, Texas. He was a top-25 national player out of high school who played his high school games less than 15 miles from McLane Stadium. Porter caught his first career touchdown against TCU last year, and is expected to play a bigger role in his third year as a Bear. If Porter weren’t playing football, he’d like to be a video game streamer (maybe a role on Baylor’s e-sports team?) or get into real estate.
Louis Brown IV (4), fifth-year wide receiver — Brown already has a taste of life as a Bear, playing in four games for last year’s squad before redshirting. A veteran who came to Baylor from San Diego State, he has played in 33 career games and scored eight touchdowns, including his first as a Bear in the win over Samford last season. Away from football, he’s drawn to nature. While hiking at places like Waco’s Cameron Park is his main diversion, he also loves fishing and is working to improve his skills with lures and lines.
Travion Barnes (5), fifth-year linebacker — Barnes was on his way to being a top defensive performer for last year’s Bears’ squad before an ankle injury in the Big 12 opener ended his season. In the moments after the injury, he memorably encouraged his teammates and the Baylor crowd before being carted off. This year, the former FIU defensive star is again expected to be a key piece of the Baylor defense, earning numerous preseason recognitions. The Florida native hopes to follow his father into real estate when he’s done with football.
Gavin Freeman (6), fifth-year wide receiver — As a starter last year at Oklahoma State, Freeman was a versatile performer who had 481 yards and four touchdowns receiving, while also serving as a kickoff returner, punt returner, and occasional running back. He comes from an athletic family (his father played football at OU, and his sister plays collegiate volleyball), and he quickly adapted to college athletics, scoring a touchdown on his first career touch. Freeman took gymnastics and wrestled as a child, and is a mixed martial arts fan who likes the gritty side of the game.
Devon Jordan (7), junior cornerback — A defensive back who drew consistent praise from coaches in the lead up to the season, he’ll make the transition to starting at Baylor. At Oklahoma, he played in 25 career games, including 13 games last year as the top cornerback off the bench for a team that made the College Football Playoff. As the oldest of 10 siblings, he says the experience of being an older brother prepared him for leadership. Jordan is an animal lover whose pets have included a hedgehog, rabbit, and bearded dragon.
Jacob Redding (8), senior safety — Perhaps the best known returning player on this list, the lifelong Baylor fan has made the climb from walk-on to starter, and his key interceptions last year against SMU and Kansas State were game-changers (and a literal game-winner in the case of K-State). His Baylor ties run deep, with memories of attending games like the 2013 win against Oklahoma as a 10-year-old. He came here as a preferred walk-on in 2023 and has since played in 27 games, earning a starting role as a redshirt sophomore last season.
Ryan Davis (9), senior defensive end/linebacker — A 6-foot-4 senior transfer from Kansas State, Davis boasts a form of institutional knowledge despite being in his first year at Baylor. That’s because at Kansas State, he played for Baylor’s first-year defensive coordinator, Joe Klanderman, and brings to Waco a deep understanding of the defense that he contributed to with 6.5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss. “No loafing,” he says, is a go-to Klanderman phrase that has stuck with him. A Phoenix native with a bent towards music when he’s not playing football, Davis is expected to be a key pass rusher for the Bears.
There they are: 10 players — six newcomers, five seniors, five underclassmen, a national champion, and all of them leaders — who you should get to know well on the football field this season.
Sic ’em, Bears!