Baylor Bears will enter its season opener against Auburn football without a key piece of its backfield, Dave Aranda announced on Saturday. That makes QB1 Sawyer Robertson’s job more difficult to marshal his offense. His dual-threat capabilities will certainly need to go into overtime to make things happen. Coach DA already had “high demands” on his quarterback’s shoulders.

The offense still has plenty of firepower. Dave Aranda made it clear after the team’s first scrimmage of fall camp that leadership, the kind that holds teammates accountable, is going to be just as important as any play design. He pointed to Josh Cameron’s progress first. “Josh Cameron’s done a good job of leading. I think it’s uncomfortable for him to probably get in people’s faces and say strong words at times, but it’s needed and he’s doing that.” Then came the pointed challenge to Sawyer Robertson:

“Sawyer has always had a gift of bringing guys together and he’s doing that today still, but he’s also able to call guys out. And I think the calling out part is important. I think sometimes when you’re around a bunch of nice guys, the nice guys can be taken advantage of. And so to have the ability to kind of be yourself and have your heart wide open like how God made you, but to be able to call out the BS, I think that is a really strong leader. And we’ve got some guys that are fitting that role.”

That’s more than coach-speak. Dave Aranda is essentially asking his QB to flip the switch and become both unifier and enforcer. This Baylor roster has the makings of a contender, but contenders don’t get there on talent alone. The Bears play in a conference where high-powered offenses are the norm, and the margin for error comes down to execution and accountability. Robertson’s role will be as much about setting the tone as it is about setting his feet in the pocket.

Pressure is obvious when you are the No. 35 most important player in CFB on ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s ’40 most important players’ column. As the column notes, “We’re going particularly quarterback-heavy in this section, but, well, this is a quarterback-heavy conference. And over the course of 2024, Robertson might have been the conference’s best. (He had the best Total QBR, at least.) He threw for 3,071 yards at an explosive 13.4 yards per completion, and he returns last season’s top two receivers, Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins. Baylor could have its best offense in a decade, which would give a work-in-progress defense quite a bit of margin for error.” Those numbers aren’t just pretty on paper. They’re the blueprint for why Baylor’s ceiling might be higher than it’s been in years.

The twist is that Robertson didn’t even start last season as QB1. He was behind Toledo transfer Dequan Finn, who suffered an injury and struggled, opening the door for Robertson to take the reins. Once he did, he didn’t blink. With Josh Cameron’s size and contested-catch ability, Michael Trigg’s mismatch potential at tight end, Ashtyn Hawkins’ route-running artistry, and Bryson Washington’s versatility, this offense is loaded with weapons that can stretch defenses horizontally and vertically.

But not everything is going well. The injury bug has got to Baylor as well. They lost Dawson Pendergrass to a season-ending injury. This is where leadership meets opportunity. BU isn’t just chasing a Big 12 title. They’re within reach of the program’s first CFP appearance. To get there, Robertson will have to wear two hats. The guy teammates rally around and the one who holds their feet to the fire.

“It’s too bad,” a frustrated Dave Aranda

When Baylor fans got the news on Dawson Pendergrass, it wasn’t the kind of preseason update anyone was hoping for. Dave Aranda didn’t sugarcoat it. “He’s out for the year. Yeah, it’s too bad. So that’s a definite misfortune. So he’s going to have to have surgery on his foot.”

The injury is as serious as it sounds. Asked for more clarity, Aranda explained, “Yeah, I mean he’s going to have to have surgery on his foot and it’s going to take the majority of the season to come back from it. And so, you know, we’re hoping for better news with seeing the doctor and the x-rays and that. But I think it’s something that Dawson’s wrapping his mind around and we’re all here to support him.” Pendergrass wasn’t just any back, he was Baylor’s second-leading rusher in 2024, pounding out 671 yards and six touchdowns on 121 carries.

Losing that production means more work for the rest of the RB room. Bryson Washington, last year’s leading rusher, is back and will likely see his workload spike. Aranda says he feels good about the depth: “We’ve got some young players that are now going to be pressed into playing a little bit earlier than maybe they were thinking… A lot of times they surprise you with what they can come up with. But we’ve got a good room, talented players, and so I expect for them to step up.” It feels like the Baylor Bears can surprise the rest of the league if things line up their way.