Baylor's Gavin Freeman Tops Big 12, Leads Jeremiah Smith, Just Behind Malachi Toney in Key Stats

Pound for pound, Gavin Freeman might be one of the best current college football players. Sure, he doesn't have total yardage or touchdown count that Malachi Toney or Jeremiah Smith have, as they both sit at 1,000+ receiving yards and 13 TDs each. But, even though Toney has more receptions with 73, Freeman has one more reception with 63 than Smith, who has 62.

Big 12's Undisputed Top Target

63 receptions is 4th nationally and 1st in the Big 12. Freeman though, has a dozen more receptions than Joseph Williams (Colorado) in 2nd place in the Big 12 at 51. ASU's Reed Harris may have a dozen more total yards than Freeman at 804 but Freeman's 792 places him at 2nd most in the conference, but has had 15 less receptions at 48 (3rd most in the Big 12).

High Volume, High Octane

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Averaging 12.6 yards per reception means that pretty much any time Freeman touches the ball, a first down is going to happen. And it's not that Freeman is just catching the ball and getting tackled immediately, Freeman typically catches the ball near or very near the line of scrimmage and relies on his incredible YAC abilities. Second only to Malachi Toney nationally by the smallest of margins, both Freeman and Toney average 6.5 YAC yards once they've secured the ball.

Some Teams Like a Big TE for a Safety Net, Baylor Chose to Opt for Speed

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Typically, most teams would utilize a tight end as a check-down receiver. Baylor did just that in 2025 with Michael Trigg, and it helped the Bears to have a top 25 passing offense (if only their defense could have helped out). The Bears this season though, have Gavin Freeman as that option. And he's been quite successful at it.

Out of Freeman's 63 receptions, 41 of them have moved the chains and 3 others have scored a touchdown. First in the Big 12, and 7th nationally in terms of impact catches (first downs & TDs), Freeman has been among Baylor's most consistent players all season.

Freeman is a Human Highlight Reel

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- Baylor Football (@BUFootball) October 7, 2026

Whether he's catching a pass at the line of scrimmage and proceeding to gain 20+ yards (including a hurdle) like against Colorado, burning a safety on a deep throw as he's been able to do on a few occasions this season, or catching a medium length pass and turning it into a 77 yard touchdown like against UCF just this past Saturday, Gavin Freeman is a stud on this Bears team. Line him up anywhere, give him any route to run, and give him a chance to make an opposing defender miss; the rest is pure football viewing pleasure.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/baylor as Baylor's Gavin Freeman Tops Big 12, Leads Jeremiah Smith, Just Behind Malachi Toney in Key Stats.