Baylor starting quarterback Sawyer Robertson sits down with Adam Breneman for a raw and inspiring conversation ahead of the 2025 college football season. In this episode of Next Up, Sawyer opens up about his unlikely journey—from growing up a baseball-first kid in Lubbock, Texas, to playing for Mike Leach at Mississippi State, and eventually earning the starting job at Baylor. He reflects on the moment he took over as QB1, the adversity he faced battling injuries, and the breakthrough game that proved he was built for this stage.

Sawyer shares unforgettable stories about Coach Leach, including how Leach once read “The Little Engine That Could” to the entire team to boost their confidence after a tough loss. He also discusses his leadership evolution, how he prepares each week as the starting QB, and why playing multiple sports shaped him into the competitor he is today. With remarkable honesty, Sawyer talks about the lowest moment in his career—when Coach Leach passed away—and how his faith carried him through it.

He gives fans a unique look into his relationship with Coach Dave Aranda, what NIL has really meant to him as a team leader, and the game he has circled this fall. He even shares what life after football might look like, his goals for this season, and the advice he’d give to his 18-year-old self walking onto campus for the first time. Most importantly, he explains his “why”—the deeper purpose that drives everything he does.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro

1:28 - Taking over as a starter

2:19 - Ups and downs as a starter

3:14 - Sawyer’s breakthrough moment

4:34 - Battling adversity & injuries

5:48 - Sawyer’s recruiting process

7:20 - Mike Leach

10:12 - Playing at Baylor

11:00 - Playing baseball

12:22 - Sawyer’s scouting report

13:50 - Sawyer’s Leadership Progression

15:20 - Path to being a starter

17:31 - Relationship with Coach Aranda

19:12 - Game week prep

22:55 - Overcoming adversity

25:50 - Family 

27:48 - Offseason development

28:44 -  A game circled on the schedule 

29:32 - Who Sawyer Robertson is

30:35 - NIL as the starting QB at Baylor

32:46 - Life after football

33:44 - Goals for this season

34:50 - Advice to 18-year-old Sawyer

36:02 - Sawyer’s why

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans. 

Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports. 

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.