Prairie View Vs Baylor: Baylor hosts Prairie View A&M without DJ Lagway
The prairie view vs baylor matchup is set for Baylor’s 2026 home opener, but the Bears will play without starting quarterback DJ Lagway. Nate Bennett is set to make his first career start for Baylor, while the available reports do not establish the game’s final result or Lagway’s return date.
Baylor hosts Prairie View A&M without DJ Lagway
Baylor is scheduled to host Prairie View A&M at McLane Stadium in Waco on Saturday, Sept. 12, with kickoff listed for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The game is the first meeting between the programs, according to SicEm365’s game thread.
Lagway is unavailable after injuring his right ankle during Baylor’s season opener against Auburn. He landed awkwardly while attempting to hurdle a defender and continued playing with a large wrap around the ankle, but reports later confirmed that he would not suit up against Prairie View A&M. Baylor has not determined how long he will need to return to action, Sports Illustrated reported.
Bennett, a third-year quarterback, entered the game with zero career starts. He had appeared in five games during the previous two seasons, according to Sports Illustrated, and is taking over the offense with Lagway sidelined. El-Balad also reported that Bennett would start in place of Lagway.
Baylor is also without senior safety Jacob Redding, who suffered a torn ACL before the season opener and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. Sports Illustrated listed several other Baylor players as unavailable for the game, including wide receivers Chase Collier, Ashton Jones, Jadon Porter and Taz Williams Jr., defensive back Jacob Redding, and offensive lineman Koltin Sieracki.
How the matchup reached this point
Baylor opened the season with a 17-16 loss to Auburn, according to SicEm365. Lagway played in that game but injured his ankle during the contest, creating uncertainty around his availability for the home opener.
Baylor coach Dave Aranda initially described Lagway as day-to-day on Monday. By Friday, reports were leaning toward him missing Saturday’s game, and his absence was subsequently reported as confirmed. The sequence left Bennett preparing for his first start rather than entering as an experienced backup.
Prairie View A&M began the 2026 season with a 49-30 loss at Tarleton State before responding with a 52-14 victory over Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic, SicEm365 reported. The Panthers are identified in the reports as an FCS opponent and the defending SWAC champion.
What remains unresolved
The reports establish Lagway’s absence for this game but do not establish how many additional games he might miss. They also do not provide a final score or confirm the outcome of Baylor’s meeting with Prairie View A&M.
The immediate confirmed change is at quarterback: Baylor is handing the offense to Bennett for the home opener, with Lagway’s status beyond Week 2 still uncertain.