Baylor's wide receiver room has taken a bit of a turn for the worse during fall camp after second-year wide receiver Taz Williams Jr. suffered a broken collarbone in fall camp.
Head coach Dave Aranda commented after the practice, saying that "He's gonna have surgery on it, and he'll be back in a couple of weeks," Aranda said. "He went up for a pass and fell down on his collarbone and broke it".
Even though it sounds like he will be back soon, his time off the field means a lot of extra work for everyone else in the rotation. We are going to look at a few receivers I have in mind who will need to step up in Taz's place and be that reliable backup piece when the season starts.
The six-foot-four redshirt freshman is a very different physical comparison to Taz, but offers Baylor a true vertical threat to all teams with that kind of size and frame. Jones could be a serious threat on the outside when it comes to those 50/50 type of balls.
With Williams sidelined for the next few weeks, this allows wide receivers coach Dallas Baker to really test and see what Jones can do. It's a massive chance for him to show how he can stretch the defense and lock down a spot in the rotation, giving Jake Spavital's fast-paced offense a dangerous deep threat.
Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Ashton Jones (87) against the Arizona Wildcats at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jadon Porter is probably the most reasonable replacement for Taz, as he's already familiar with the offense. He finished last season with 9 catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, showing to be an efficient slot catcher with a 9.4-yard average per reception. With Williams out, the team will likely be leaning on Porter's experience to keep the passing game moving, especially after seeing action in 11 games last year as a key part of the rotation.
Sep 13, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jadon Porter (83) in action against Samford Bulldogs cornerback Malik Thornton (21) during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I think this is the perfect opportunity for the true freshman, hometown project to get a shot to prove his ability to be effective in his first year of college. Smith has some crazy raw athleticism and breakaway speed that will threaten anyone's defense.
Of course, leaning on a true freshman has a lot of risk, such as a steep learning curve and possibly a lot of mistakes. But letting Smith take these immediate camp snaps gives Spavital a chance to speed up his development and see what this local kid is all about, and whether he is ready to become one of Baylor's big-time playmakers right away.
Follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/baylor as 3 Baylor Football WRs Who Need to Step up for Injured Taz Williams Jr. .
