Eighteen months ago, defensive coordinator Matt Powledge was on the verge of losing his job at Baylor. Today, he’s the architect behind the Bears’ biggest recruiting coup in years. After nearly getting fired after 2023’s defensive struggles, he just landed four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton, who chose Baylor over Texas, Texas Tech, and LSU.
Carlton represents the program’s most significant recruiting victory since the Art Briles era, and the story behind how Baylor pulled it off reveals just how close they came to dismantling the very staff that’s now delivering elite talent.
Who Is Matt Powledge, and Why Was He Almost Fired?
Jamarion Carlton’s commitment represents a massive recruiting victory for Baylor. According to ESPN rankings, the Temple, Texas native is ranked as the 39th best player in the 2026 class and fourth best defensive lineman.
The 6’5″, 257-pound prospect’s on-field production backs up the rankings hype. As a junior in 2024, he recorded 57 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks while adding one forced fumble for Temple High School.
His 2023 sophomore campaign saw him post 29 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, and seven quarterback hurries in just eight games.
Pete Sousa noted on his show that Carlton represents “one of the biggest gets in the Aranda era, could be the biggest get by the time it’s all said and done.”
Behind this transformation lies defensive coordinator Matt Powledge, who nearly lost his position after 2023. Pete Sousa revealed that after Baylor’s defensive struggles, “if there was one guy that was on the chopping block, it was Powledge because he was the DC that year and it was bad.”
However, Dave Aranda made the crucial decision to keep Powledge despite defensive struggles because of his recruiting abilities. Pete Sousa noted that “He’s like a charisma machine. And I believe that he is so attractive to a lot of these young recruits, and his sales pitch.”
Despite his on-field struggles, Powledge’s recruiting reputation remained strong. As Pete said, “he interviewed for the Sam Houston State head coaching job this past offseason, despite the fact that he was demoted from a play-calling role between 23 and 24. So that tells you all you need to know about his influence in the state.”
How Did Baylor Transform From Disaster to Elite Recruiting?
The contrast is striking between where Baylor was and where they are now.
Pete Sousa said, “If you had told me during 2023, when Baylor football just looked apoplectic and horrible on the field, that a year and a half later, we would be getting talent like this, the best talent we’ve had commit to the school since our Briles, I would have told you, you were nuts.”
Carlton’s commitment is the fourth-highest rated recruit in Baylor history and the highest rated defensive player ever to commit to the school. The only three higher-rated commits were all offensive players who committed to Art Briles.
Pete Sousa credited the coordinated effort by “Kenan Hall, Aaron Hunt, Matt Powledge, and that whole recruiting staff for the Baylor football program.” Their approach has created what many consider the program’s best recruiting momentum since the Art Briles era, with Baylor now holding the highest average recruit star grade in the Big 12 for 2026.
The Bears’ strategy focuses on quality over quantity, targeting particular, high-talent kids rather than casting a wide net. This selective approach has resulted in five four-star recruits in their 2026 class, the most of any Big 12 school, despite having fewer overall commitments than some competitors.
