Baylor Outpacing Texas and Texas A&M in Lone Star State Recruiting
When it comes to recruiting within Texas, Baylor is currently outshining both Texas and Texas A&M.
Texas is known for its football culture, with the sport nearly regarded as a religion. As a result, major college programs flock to the state to recruit the top high school talent. While Texas and Texas A&M, as SEC programs, have the ability to recruit nationally — even pulling prospects from places like New York — they aren’t currently dominating in their own backyard. 
Other Texas programs like SMU, TCU, Houston, and Baylor, while not part of the SEC, are recruiting within the state far better than their bigger counterparts. A recent piece by Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman highlights that Texas has 10 in-state commitments for the 2026 class, and Texas A&M has 9. In comparison, TCU’s class is made up entirely of Texas recruits, Texas Tech has 16 in-state commits, SMU has 15, Houston has 13, and Baylor has 12.
Baylor’s head coach, Dave Aranda, emphasized the importance of keeping their recruiting focus on Texas. “We try to make our class primarily made up of high school players, especially Texas high school players,” he said at the THSCA convention. “Having a team with a majority of Texas players is very essential to us.”
While Baylor’s class has just four out-of-state commits, its roster is filled with top Texas talent. The Bears have secured four four-star recruits, all from Texas, including edge rusher Jamarion Carlton, wide receivers Jordan Clay and London Smith, and cornerback Jamarion Vincent. These players understand the state’s football culture and what it takes to succeed in the Big 12.
Baylor is focused on finding hidden gems within Texas, and their success or failure in this area will play a major role in determining Dave Aranda’s future in Waco.
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