Baylor Bears steal OL from Memphis in transfer portal

Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears landed a solid player for the offensive line, acquiring Yakiri Walker from the Memphis Tigers.

Walker announced his commitment to the Bears on Thursday, per 247Sports insider Matt Zenitz. Hailing from DeSoto, the lineman left the Tigers after one season of being their starting center. He had previous stints with UConn and Colorado before going to Memphis for the 2024 campaign.

Walker stood out as a three-star lineman with an 81 score on 247Sports coming out of high school. He ranked 129th among the interior offensive linemen and 297th in the entire 2021 class.

What’s next for Baylor after landing Yakiri Walker

Dave Aranda and Baylor get a valuable presence in the trenches with Yakiri Walker making his way to the Bears.

Walker started in every game for Memphis throughout the 2025 campaign at center. However, he gave up 28 total pressures this season, along with four sacks, and committed eight penalties. The Tigers ended the year on a four-game losing streak despite finishing with an 8-5 record. Walker will hope for better success in the Bears’ trenches.

Aranda completed his sixth season with the Bears, having a 36-37 overall record since starting in 2020. He achieved three years of having the program be bowl eligible in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

The 2025 campaign was a down year for Baylor. They finished with a 5-7 overall record, going 3-6 in Big 12 Play. The Bears ended the year at 11th place in the league standings, being above the Kansas Jayhawks and UCF Golden Knights while trailing the Cincinnati Bearcats and TCU Horned Frogs.

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