Dave Aranda and the Bears made some major adjustments in the offseason after a disappointing 5-7 season in 2025. With many new faces on the offensive side and a revamped defense led by new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, coach Aranda looks to get himself off the hot seat list.

Auburn is entering this matchup with new head coach Alex Golesh as the Tigers hope to get the program back on the right track. With both teams making significant offseason adjustments, there are plenty of questions heading into this game.

Quarterback Matchup

After two seasons at Florida, former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway is set to make his Baylor debut against Auburn. After struggling to find consistency with the Gators, Lagway looks to make a statement and establish himself as the leader of this Baylor offense. A big positive is that he will be returning to a similar style of offense that he played in high school, where he was extremely successful.

One of the biggest things I’ll be watching for in his debut is how fast Lagway will be able to settle in and play confidently with this new group of receivers. Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital recently mentioned that when he sees him playing confidently, he is one of the best quarterbacks that he has ever seen. Lagway will have to limit turnovers after throwing 14 interceptions in 2025.

On the other side, Auburn has a talented quarterback of its own in Byrum Brown. The South Florida transfer not only brings experience to the Tigers, but he also followed his head coach, Alex Golesh, to Auburn. The two will continue working together in the SEC after having impressive offensive production in 2025.

Brown’s ability to make big plays with his legs will give the Bears’ defense another challenge. Lagway will have to limit mistakes and give Baylor's offense a chance to keep up with Auburn. Quarterback play could ultimately be the deciding factor in this game.

Baylor's Defensive Front VS. Auburn's Rushing Attack

After struggling mightily against the run last year, Baylor has a new look on the defensive front. Joe Klanderman was brought in from Kansas State to help improve this defense, and he started by bringing in several talented and experienced players through the transfer portal this offseason.

Players such as Hosea Wheeler, Jamaal Whyce, Ryan Davis, Kamren Washington, Jordan Mack, and Garrick Ponder were all brought in through the portal and give the Bears plenty of depth on the line, which is something they lacked last season.

Auburn will be led by Jeremiah Cobb at the running back position. Cobb returns to Auburn for his senior year after putting up solid numbers in 2025. Baylor transfer Bryson Washington will also be lined up in the backfield for the Tigers and will be facing his former team. Washington was the Bears' leading rusher in both 2024 and 2025.

Along with Auburn's talented running back room, the Bears will also have to account for Brown's ability to make big plays with his legs. The Baylor defensive front will have to be physical at the line of scrimmage if they want to avoid another disastrous performance against the run.

Can Baylor's Inexperienced Offensive Line Hold Up?

Throughout the offseason, there have been a lot of questions about this Baylor offensive line. With only one returning starter, there are some concerns about how they'll perform against Auburn.

Transfers Nate Kibble, Logan Moore, and Asher Hale will be starting along with the Sieracki brothers. With limited experience together as a unit, they'll have to figure things out quickly.

Although Auburn lost some of their key defensive line players to the NFL and the transfer portal, I still think this will be one of the better units that Baylor will face this season.

The line doesn't need to be elite, but it needs to be reliable enough for the offense to operate. It will be critical for them to give Lagway enough time to make plays while also establishing a solid run game.

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