Baylor senior safety Jacob Redding will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury, a major setback for a defense that was counting on him to help anchor the back end. He is also out for Baylor's opener against Auburn.
The loss is especially significant because Redding was expected to build on a strong third season in Waco under Joe Klanderman. A former walk-on, the 6-foot-1, 198-pound safety had earned a bigger role and was in position to take another step forward after a productive 2026 campaign.
What Baylor is losing
Last year, Redding played in 11 games and made nine starts. He finished with 53 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups. His PFF numbers also show a well-rounded season, with a 75.2 defensive rating, an 81.4 run-defense mark, an 80.0 tackling grade and a 69.8 coverage grade.
That production made him one of Baylor's more proven defensive pieces entering the year. Losing him now is a massive blow for a unit that needs reliable players in place for a very important season for the program.
Next man up in the safety group
Baylor's safety corps is still described as deep, with proven commodities and other players competing for more playing time. That gives the Bears some options, but it does not fully replace what Redding brought.
Players such as Colby McCalister and Daniel Cobbs, along with Tyler Turner and Micah Gifford, are among the names in the mix for more responsibility. Baylor also has Devin Turner in the safety conversation, though he tore his ACL at the end of spring.
The next few weeks will tell Baylor a lot about how the secondary holds up without one of its most established starters. For a team trying to make a strong early statement, especially with Auburn on the schedule, the timing of this injury makes the challenge even bigger.
