Baylor Football Report Card: How Each Position Graded in Win VS. UCF

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Baylor Football Report Card: How Each Position Graded in Win VS. UCF

Baylor Bears running back Ryelan Morris — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Grant Peterson · Baylor Bears On SI

Sat, October 31, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC ·

6 min read

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In Dave Aranda's first game out as head coach, the Bears left Orlando with an impressive 41-9 win over UCF.

Several position groups stepped up, giving Baylor plenty of positives to build on moving forward. Here's how each position graded against the Knights.

Quarterback: A

DJ Lagway looked great , completing 16 passes for 319 yards and throwing four touchdowns. He also added 23 rushing yards. This was a completely different version of Lagway than what we had seen over the past few weeks.

He looked healthy, used his legs effectively, and played with much more confidence. He also made several impressive throws downfield, showing what he is capable of when he's playing at his best. One of the biggest takeaways was that he didn't throw any interceptions.

If Lagway can consistently play this way, then Baylor's offense has the potential to be much more dangerous moving forward.

Wide Receivers: A

Baylor had six different receivers record at least one reception . Freeman led the way with five catches for 114 yards, while Jadon Porter finished with two receptions for 74 yards.

Dre'lon Miller is someone we haven't seen much from this season, but he made a few big plays against the Knights, catching two passes for 44 yards.

This offense has needed other guys to step up in the receiving room, and they did just that against UCF.

Running Backs: A

This group finished with 161 rushing yards, with Ryelan Morris leading the way with 82 yards on 11 carries. Morris averaged an impressive 7.5 yards per carry. Michael Turner finished with 41 yards on 12 carries, Caden Knighten had 31 yards on seven carries, and Dawson Pendergrass added seven yards on his lone carry.

The running game was improved this week, as the Bears have struggled to establish any momentum on the ground throughout the season.

Tight End: A

Tony Livingston caught two passes for 25 yards, and both receptions resulted in touchdowns. Matthew Klopfenstein also added a reception of his own for five yards and a touchdown. The three touchdown catches were the biggest factor in this group's high grade, and overall, the tight ends put together a solid performance.

Offensive Line: B-

kaden sieracki — Oct 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears tight end Hawkins Polley (86) celebrates with Baylor Bears offensive lineman Kaden Sieracki (74) after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the third quarter at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The run blocking was better than it has been. After struggling consistently throughout the season, this group was finally able to provide some help to the rest of the offense.

The penalties will need to be cleaned up , and although they gave up three sacks, their improved play and the offense's overall success earn this group a decent grade.

Defensive Line: A+

jamaal whyce — Oct 30, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Central Florida Knights quarterback Keyone Jenkins (12) is sacked by Baylor Bears defensive lineman Jamaal Whyce Jr. (99) during the second quarter at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another dominant game for the defensive line. They held UCF to just 66 rushing yards, and their pressure bothered the Knights' offense throughout the game, helping hold them to just nine points. Baylor totaled seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss, with this unit playing a big part in both numbers. This has been Baylor's best position group all season, and they continue to impress.

Linebackers: A

travion barnes — Oct 30, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Central Florida Knights running back Duke Watson (26) is tackled by Baylor Bears linebacker Travion Barnes (5) during the second quarter at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The linebackers played a big role in limiting UCF's rushing attack. They were active around the ball and did a good job preventing UCF from finding much success on early downs. Overall, this group helped contribute to another strong performance from the Baylor defense.

Secondary: A

Levar thornton — Sep 12, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears cornerback LeVar Thornton Jr. (25) in action against the Prairie View A&M Panthers during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The passing game was a struggle for most of the game for the Knights. UCF finished with 215 passing yards, but much of that production came as they were forced to throw more after falling behind by a large margin. Devon Jordan came away with another interception this week, continuing to make plays in the secondary.

Overall, this group did a good job limiting UCF's passing attack and keeping the Knights out of the end zone.

Special Teams: B

Rhett Armstrong made two of his three field-goal attempts and converted all five extra points. Palmer Williams also had five punts, averaging 41.4 yards per punt. Although Armstrong missed one field goal, this was a decent overall performance from the special teams unit.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/baylor as Baylor Football Report Card: How Each Position Graded in Win VS. UCF .

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