Sawyer Robertson’s road to QB1 in Waco hasn’t followed the typical arc of a breakout Big 12 signal-caller. A Mississippi State transfer bred in the late Mike Leach‘s Air Raid ecosystem, Robertson arrived at Baylor Bears with big expectations and a curiosity for coaching nuance. In a league defined by firepower and flash, Robertson is more about finding answers—whether it’s breaking down disguises pre-snap or picking the brain of a defensive head coach like Dave Aranda. But what really makes Robertson different is how openly he embraces the journey.

On Next Up with Adam Breneman, the Baylor QB1 gave fans a rare window into the conversations that have shaped him—and the one game he’s been waiting two years to replay. Before the stats, before the NFL buzz, before even the trust that comes with QB1 status, Sawyer Robertson found something deeper at Baylor: mentorship. His relationship with Aranda isn’t just built on weekly game plans or Saturday results. It’s rooted in mutual respect. “Aranda is really good about… because as a defensive-minded guy, it’s easy for me to sit here and complain like—we’ll put in a really cool new screen and then the first time we run it, it just gets blown up. And you’re like, ‘How did that happen?’” Robertson shared.

“But Aranda really has been really, really good for me. Just in the developmental side as a quarterback. The looks I get to see in practice are very challenging. They’ve made me better.” That defensive friction is intentional. Aranda doesn’t spoon-feed his QBs. He forces them to adapt, to read complex coverage shells, and to survive live bullets in practice. The result is a more seasoned pocket presence and a quarterback who understands not just what defenses are doing and why. “We have our player one-on-one meetings where he has us answer a list of questions,” Robertson continued.

“And I’ll never forget one of the times, you know, just asking him when he was at LSU, we had a conversation about Joe Burrow. He was talking about Joe like when he was doing a conditioning test, how Joe Burrow would go out there and win every single one of the conditioning runs. And that’s just the kind of competitor he was. He wanted to win everything.”

For a guy trying to make his own imprint, the Burrow story landed hard. Not as pressure—but as clarity. Sawyer Robertson threw for 3,071 yards and 28 TDs with just eight interceptions in 2024, but his progress wasn’t measured by stats. It was about evolving. Watching film more deliberately. Taking hits with purpose. Winning in sprints just to show he could. That mindset has started to shape his locker room presence too. His teammates know what NIL means to him—it’s not a flex, it’s a tool. A way to lead without saying too much. The soft-spoken Texan has become Baylor’s metronome. Still, for all the emotional and mechanical strides, Robertson’s circled one date: Utah.

“Honestly, like one that people probably aren’t expecting. I’m really excited to play Utah,” he said. “The reason I’m excited for that game is I actually made my first start against Utah two years ago. It was the year we went three and nine. Really rough year. That was my first career start. I threw two interceptions. We lost the game. Didn’t play well. And so I’m really excited for that one just because it’s kind of going to be a full circle moment for me. I’m excited to kind of get my get back.” There’s more riding on that moment than redemption.

Analysts see something shifting with Robertson. ESPN’s Jordan Reid tabbed him among the “best of the rest” in a post-elite QB tier. Draft analyst Matt Miller recently called him his “top sleeper QB in the 2026 draft class.” There’s chatter around his footwork, especially rolling to his left, and the suddenness he’s developed in tight windows—traits that separate high-volume system passers from real Sunday players. The comp whispered a similar underdog college story who climbed fast—just like the current No. 1 overall pick and Heisman winner.

Sawyer Robertson could be this year’s Cam Ward

If you blinked, you might’ve missed it — but Todd McShay didn’t. When asked who could be this year’s version of Cam Ward, the transfer-turned-NFL-riser who took a leap with Miami, McShay didn’t hesitate. His answer? BU’s Sawyer Robertson. The one not cracking most top-15 QB lists for the 2026 NFL Draft. The one still shedding his “Leach product” label and quietly growing in Dave Aranda’s system. But for McShay to name-drop Robertson means something. It’s a reminder to stay locked in on the margins — where late bloomers often roar.

“Robertson” and “meteoric rise” haven’t exactly been used in the same sentence — yet. But just like Ward, whose Washington State tape caught fire after years of under-the-radar flashes, Robertson’s projection is becoming less murky. There is a path. And when someone as experienced and credentialed as McShay sees it, there’s reason to take it seriously. That’s especially true for a guy entering his final college season.

McShay pointed out that Robertson’s deep ball isn’t always pristine, and his arm strength isn’t in the Josh Allen-Justin Herbert zip code. But then again, neither was Ward’s. What they share is that “plus-arm talent,” twitchy movement outside the pocket, and what McShay calls “subtle athleticism.” A late bloomer? Sure. That’s Cam Ward déjà vu.