Baylor is losing one of its most reliable defenders, with linebacker Keaton Thomas officially entering the transfer portal. It’s a big loss, plain and simple. Thomas played a ton of snaps this season and led the Bears in tackles. He was one of the few guys who showed up every week and made plays in the middle of a defense that struggled to stay consistent.
Thomas finished the year with 99 tackles, and he didn’t do it by chasing inflated numbers. He filled gaps, cleaned up breakdowns, and was the kind of linebacker you could trust to be in the right spot. Baylor doesn’t have a ton of depth behind him, either, which makes this one sting a little more. You don’t just swap him out and expect the same results.
The timing is interesting, too, though, because Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine just entered the portal, and a lot of people think Baylor’s going to make a strong push there. Romaine played under new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman in Manhattan, and the fit makes a lot of sense. If he does end up in Waco, that’s a solid move for both sides. He had a breakout season and would be a comparable player to Thomas. But that’s not done yet, and even if it happens, Thomas leaving is still a major shift.
Joe Klanderman has a good track record of developing linebackers, and if he brings in Romaine, that’s a strong piece to build around, but Thomas was already on the roster and already doing the job. There’s a lot of work ahead for Baylor’s defense. New scheme, new voice, and now one less veteran in the room. Losing a player like Thomas this early in the offseason adds another thing to sort out before spring ball. There’s always movement this time of year, but this one is going to be felt.
Keaton Thomas is out, and we’ll see if Baylor finds a way to bring someone in who can match what he gave them this year.
