Baylor enters 2025 season with an early setback in its backfield. Running back Dawson Pendergrass has sustained a season-ending foot injury just a couple of weeks before the Bears’ opener against Auburn, a blow that HC Dave Aranda described as a “misfortune.” With Pendergrass sidelined, HC Dave Aranda can’t pressurize RB1 Bryson Washington to carry the offense alone, and that’s where the Baylor Bears’ depth under RB2 will be judged.

Head coach Dave Aranda talked about the depth of the RB room following the season-ending injury to Pendergrass. He pointed out that Joseph Dodds, Michael Turner, and potential immediate contributor Caden Knighten might be stepping onto the field quicker than expected. The story begins with Washington, Baylor’s 1,000-yard rusher from last fall, a bruising back whose style is as straightforward as a freight train. But without Pendergrass, the safety net is thinner.

Aranda’s own words paint the picture of a coach leaning on depth that is still proving itself. “I feel good. I think Mike’s going to be fine. We’re counting on Mike. Mike’s shown really good things. Caden continues to show good things. Dodds, who we missed last year, has continued to improve. I think that’s someone that has done well these last two scrimmages. Making people miss and breaking tackles. I’m confident with Dodds’ improvement. I’m excited about how electric Caden can be. I think Mike can be someone that’s just a way physical dude. We just have to get Mike back and get him in the flow. I feel good about where we’re at.”

That’s a carefully layered assessment, but it comes with urgency. Dodds, who missed last year, has been a quiet riser in camp, finally flashing the ability to turn contact into yards. Michael Turner brings the physical dimension Dave Aranda referenced, a runner who can punish defenders at the second level if he finds his groove. Then there’s Knighten, who might already be the most tantalizing athlete in the room. At 220 pounds with track sprinter speed, Knighten runs like a seasoned pro. His nickname “Nightwing,” gifted by senior Omar Aigbedion, already feels fitting for someone who can glide past defenders in the open field.

A two-time Oklahoma 100m state champion, Knighten’s 10.7-second times hint at game-breaking ability that Baylor hasn’t had in recent memory. He’s raw in certain aspects — his admission about needing to clean up pass protection shows the typical freshman learning curve. But Knighten has already drawn Aranda’s praise in both fall scrimmages, which makes it increasingly likely the freshman will be forced onto the field earlier than planned.

1000 yds rusher Washington, meanwhile, is still the engine. “Bryson brings a downhill quality,” Aranda said at Big 12 Media Days this summer, per KBTX. “He can finish runs at the second level. He’s got great vision, and so there’s an RPO read component to the majority of our runs. So the line’s kind of firing out on Monday and then on Wednesday, he’s able to kind of see the cut or see the crease or see the lane, and he doesn’t miss very many of those.” That vision, paired with Robertson’s arm and legs, could stabilize the offense early, especially against Auburn to open the season.

The calculus is simple but brutal: Washington will be the hammer, Robertson the decision-maker, but Baylor’s ceiling depends on whether Dodds, Turner, and Knighten can form a safety net sturdy enough to absorb the loss of Pendergrass.

Sawyer locked in, Dave Aranda’s offense ready to roll

BU heads into the 2025 season with a steady hand at QB1 and plenty of muscle up front to protect him. Sawyer Robertson, now firmly QB1 in Waco, made it clear he’s carrying the same edge he had last year, just with a little more spotlight this time around.

“I was ready to roll last year, still obviously ready to roll this year,” Robertson said. “It’s different in the circumstances, but mindset-wise and everything else, it’s the same. I’m ready to get after it.” That’s the type of answer you want from your leader — confident, calm, and not blinking at the challenge.

Of course, Robertson’s confidence pairs nicely with a group of offensive linemen who are battle-tested and, as Dave Aranda points out, deeper than ever. Baylor returns four starters in the trenches, but the key isn’t just continuity. It’s the fact that they’ve got legitimate competition breathing down their necks in camp. “It’s the most depth of any team I’ve been a part of….. There’s dudes right behind them that are pushing them, trying to take that job,” Aranda said. “I think their aggressiveness and their ability to communicate are the two things that separate them.” If Baylor’s depth proves as sturdy as Aranda believes, the Bears could be in line for a good season.