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Baylor loses massive defensive lineman after one season with the Bears
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Baylor loses massive defensive lineman after one season with the Bears

Originally posted on Baylor Bears on SI  |  By Trent Knoop  |  Last updated Jan 8, 2026 3:31 PM ET

Dave Aranda made an emphasis to bring in some defensive linemen to fill holes in the 2025 transfer portal cycle. But after one season, both starting edge rushers Matthew Fobbs-White and Emar'rion Winston left for the transfer portal, and according to a recent report, so has nose tackle Samu Taumanupepe.

Taumanupepe came to Baylor this past season after spending his first two years at Texas A&M. Taumanupepe struggled to see valuable playing time with the Aggies, 22 total snaps on the defense in two years. But things didn't get much better for him at Baylor.

This season, the 376-pound lineman saw just 27 total snaps in seven games on the defense. When Taumanupepe was in the game, he struggled against the run. According to Pro Football Focus, Taumanupepe has one of the worst run defense grades with a 46.1 grade. The most snaps he saw in a single game was in Week 2 against SMU, when Taumanupepe was on the field for 10 snaps.

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The Texas native was a three-star prospect coming out of high school. He was ranked as the No. 888 player in the nation and No. 96 defensive lineman. So far, high-level college football hasn't worked out for Taumanupepe, and he could explore opportunities in the Group of Five.

Baylor must add some more linemen

With the loss of Taumanupepe, Baylor has now lost eight total defensive linemen from last season to the portal. And that's not counting Jackie Marshall and Cooper Lanz graduating. On top of Fobbs-White and Winston transferring, DK Kalu and Kamauryn Morgan are both gone -- two players who saw a lot of playing time.

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So far, the Bears have brought in three transfer linemen via the portal, but with all the attrition, there must be more. Edge rusher Ryan Davis has been the big splash for Baylor on the defensive side of the ball. The productive edge rusher from Kansas State will likely earn a starting spot next season, and it will be interesting to see how Dave Aranda replaces all the attrition.

More From Baylor On SI


This article first appeared on Baylor Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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