​Frisco — Kyler Jordan admits it’s tough to watch his alma mater splinter into several high schools, but the Lubbock-Cooper product will always have the Pirates in his heart over the Patriots. It was at LCP where Jordan first distinguished himself as an athlete, excelling in both football and baseball. Growing up in Lubbock, the pull of Texas Tech was strong, yet Jordan chose to chart his own course, signing with Baylor out of high school instead of following the Red Raiders.
Joey McGuire served as the primary recruiter for Jordan at Baylor, a few weeks before McGuire accepted the head coaching job at Texas Tech. Now entering his fifth and final season of college football, Jordan has remained loyal to Baylor, just as he will always root for his old Lubbock-Cooper program.
“Out of high school I took a big step of faith leaving Lubbock and getting away from home,” Jordan told The Star during Big 12 media days. “The whole reason I did that was to push myself further. I feel like going to Baylor has helped me grow as a man and strengthen my faith tremendously. Those two things are incredibly important to me, and just being here is such a blessing.”
Jordan and Coronado alum Sawyer Robertson even got to share time as Baylor teammates, rooming together for a period. Their bond was already strong from years of competing against each other and attending the same church, Victory Life, a connection that deepened in Waco with the Bears.
This season, Baylor will have a different quarterback at the helm in Florida transfer DJ Lagway, a highly touted recruit expected to rise to the level of his reputation. Lagway’s decision to switch schools for a change of scenery—and the Gators’ offseason coaching change—gave Jordan a chance to reflect on why he stayed with Baylor throughout his collegiate journey. He credits Dave Aranda’s influence both as a person and as a leader for his continued commitment to the Bears, even amid the program’s ups and downs on the field.
“The things Coach Aranda preaches every day are things I want to embody as a person,” Jordan said. “One of the main mottos that has stuck with me is that how you do anything is how you do everything, and I don’t think that could be more true.”
As Baylor heads into the new season, Jordan and his teammates carry significant stakes. His time at Baylor will come to a close in one fashion or another, and Aranda’s tenure will be closely scrutinized as the 2026 campaign unfolds. Yet, the Bears are embracing a do-your-job mentality as they prepare for the challenges ahead.
“As a leadership group, there were about 20 of us in the spring who sat down and brainstormed what we wanted to stand on,” Jordan explained. “The motto we settled on was kill or be killed.” For a program that has seen its share of upheaval and high expectations, that mindset sums up Baylor’s approach as they push into the season, with Kyler Jordan squarely in the middle of the drive to prove themselves and honor the paths they’ve chosen.