LEAVING A LEGACY
3/19/2026 2:22:00 PM | Football, My Baylor Story
Josh Cameron: From Walk-On to All-American
In the changing world of college football, with the transfer portal, NIL and roster limits, a rags-to-riches story like Josh Cameron's may never happen again.
But what a story it's been.
A zero-star recruit when he signed with Baylor out of Cedar Park High School as a preferred walk-on in 2021, Cameron developed into an All-American punt returner, one of the top receivers in the country and a legitimate prospect for next month's NFL Draft.
Despite catching 170 passes for 2,353 yards and 28 touchdowns his last two years at Cedar Park and playing in the state championship game as a senior, he was "one of many guys in that 2021 class who were under-recruited" coming out of the COVID pandemic.
"I would say I was a little surprised, just knowing the numbers that I put up," said Josh, one of 17 Baylor players that are slated to go through Pro Day workouts on Sunday. "There was definitely that feeling of, 'What's going on? Why is this happening?'
"But the opportunity that Coach (Dave) Aranda and the staff gave me, that was the door I really just needed to get in to live my dream of playing college football at the highest level possible and getting ready to do what I'm going to do, which is go play in the NFL. That's always been my dream. So, it all worked out in the end, for sure."
Even as a walk-on freshman, Cameron was confident. But he got a little slap of reality right out of the gates when he wasn't allowed to practice for the first few days of fall camp because of inflated roster numbers.
"Obviously, if I was on scholarship, that wouldn't have happened," he said. "But I'm a walk-on, so it is what it is."
His first day back with the team, the other players weren't even sure who this guy wearing a No. 34 jersey was.
"I remember we were doing a little release drill, and people were like, 'Who is this dude?''' Josh said. "But I had a good release and won my rep, and everyone was like, 'Oh, okay, hello! He's kind of smooth.' That was a moment early on where I thought, 'You know what, I'm supposed to be here.'''
Redshirting that season, he did get to play in the final three games, including the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State and the Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss.
"It was an awesome experience, being a little freshman out there, opening kickoff, the Big 12 Championship game," he said. "I can't even hear my breath. That was definitely a surreal moment, something I'll never forget and something that is definitely part of the journey. People can overlook special teams, but it's a huge part of football and a way to make your mark."
Another memorable moment came after spring football in 2022, when Josh was called into Coach Aranda's office.
"I'm thinking, 'Oh, shoot, what's going on?''' Josh said. "You know what a chill guy Coach Aranda is. He just says (in a whisper), 'Yeah, we're going to put you on scholarship.' It was just real quick like that. But my excitement was next level. I was amped-up. I called my parents, and I think they had to pull off the road because they were crying so much."
Although he made four starts as a redshirt freshman in 2022 and ranked among the team leaders with 28 catches for 386 yards, Josh's big breakthrough came as the team's primary punt returner.
"The special teams coach at the time, Coach (Tyler) Hancock, said he had had a guy that was kind of similar to my size that he coached before that was a punt returner," Josh said. "I never really did punt returns in high school. But he came up to me and was like, 'Hey, we're going to try you at punt return. Get some reps and see how it feels back there.'''
And the rest, as they say, is history.
In an otherwise difficult '23 season, when the Bears finished 3-9, Cameron had a 41-yard punt return to set up a score at Cincinnati and a 70-yard return versus No. 25 Kansas State, averaging 15.5 yards per return.
"I was pretty natural at catching, obviously. That's one of my strong suits," he said. "When I got back there, I was really comfortable and I was able to be consistent. That's really what they were looking for is someone they knew they could count on, that wouldn't muff the ball. Just being consistent kind of won me the job."
It was the next year, though, when Cameron had a breakout season and emerged as one of the top receivers and punt returners in the country. A second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 pick, he averaged 20.7 yards per punt return and had a team-high 52 catches for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While he totaled 19 touchdowns over his last two seasons, Josh's first came in his 30th career game, when he hauled in a 47-yard TD pass in a 23-12 loss at Utah.
Before the 2024 season, wide receivers coach Dallas Baker told Josh, "You continue to be you. Be the same person you've always been, the same person who came in as a walk-on, that same chip. You don't need to do anything different."
"I took Coach Bake's advice and just continued to grind away and just be me," Josh said. "After the Utah game, when I scored my first touchdown, I felt like the curse or whatever ended. I had come so close to getting in the zone. But that's when I emerged and was like, 'Finally, I can feel like myself again. Just go out there and be me.'''
While he's obviously developed as a player in his five years, Josh said Baylor is also where his "faith has grown so much throughout my entire journey."
A big part of that journey was meeting his future fiancée, track and field fifth-year senior Joy Wells, back in 2023.
"She was someone that really helped me with my faith walk," Josh said. "We are both equally yoked and both just striving to be better each and every day and make each other better when it comes to our walk. We are just trying to poke and prod and see how we can grow each other better and truly find purpose, which is to spread the gospel and be a faithful steward of the word."
Graduating with a degree in corporate communications in May 2025, Josh said he plans to own his own business one day. But first things first, he's hoping to "build up a good network" during his NFL playing days.
The next part of that journey will come during the April 23-25 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
"I'm really just looking for a team who truly believes in me and somewhere where I can showcase my talent and just take that next step," he said. "The NFL is more about a fit than anything. So, wherever I can best fit to make an impact, that's what I'm looking to do. I was talking to one coach, and he said, 'Now, you're getting paid as a professional to play a kid's game.' Just going into it with that same mindset, for sure."
Because of the door that Baylor opened for him five years ago, Josh said he knows that he's "going to be back all the time, as much as I can be. Baylor means everything to me."
"Whenever I have kids, I know I'm going to be like, 'Y'all are going to have to go to Baylor. You have to continue the legacy.'''
What a legacy and a story it's been.
But what a story it's been.
A zero-star recruit when he signed with Baylor out of Cedar Park High School as a preferred walk-on in 2021, Cameron developed into an All-American punt returner, one of the top receivers in the country and a legitimate prospect for next month's NFL Draft.
Despite catching 170 passes for 2,353 yards and 28 touchdowns his last two years at Cedar Park and playing in the state championship game as a senior, he was "one of many guys in that 2021 class who were under-recruited" coming out of the COVID pandemic.
"I would say I was a little surprised, just knowing the numbers that I put up," said Josh, one of 17 Baylor players that are slated to go through Pro Day workouts on Sunday. "There was definitely that feeling of, 'What's going on? Why is this happening?'
"But the opportunity that Coach (Dave) Aranda and the staff gave me, that was the door I really just needed to get in to live my dream of playing college football at the highest level possible and getting ready to do what I'm going to do, which is go play in the NFL. That's always been my dream. So, it all worked out in the end, for sure."
Even as a walk-on freshman, Cameron was confident. But he got a little slap of reality right out of the gates when he wasn't allowed to practice for the first few days of fall camp because of inflated roster numbers.
"Obviously, if I was on scholarship, that wouldn't have happened," he said. "But I'm a walk-on, so it is what it is."
His first day back with the team, the other players weren't even sure who this guy wearing a No. 34 jersey was.
"I remember we were doing a little release drill, and people were like, 'Who is this dude?''' Josh said. "But I had a good release and won my rep, and everyone was like, 'Oh, okay, hello! He's kind of smooth.' That was a moment early on where I thought, 'You know what, I'm supposed to be here.'''
Redshirting that season, he did get to play in the final three games, including the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State and the Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss.
"It was an awesome experience, being a little freshman out there, opening kickoff, the Big 12 Championship game," he said. "I can't even hear my breath. That was definitely a surreal moment, something I'll never forget and something that is definitely part of the journey. People can overlook special teams, but it's a huge part of football and a way to make your mark."
Another memorable moment came after spring football in 2022, when Josh was called into Coach Aranda's office.
"I'm thinking, 'Oh, shoot, what's going on?''' Josh said. "You know what a chill guy Coach Aranda is. He just says (in a whisper), 'Yeah, we're going to put you on scholarship.' It was just real quick like that. But my excitement was next level. I was amped-up. I called my parents, and I think they had to pull off the road because they were crying so much."
Although he made four starts as a redshirt freshman in 2022 and ranked among the team leaders with 28 catches for 386 yards, Josh's big breakthrough came as the team's primary punt returner.
"The special teams coach at the time, Coach (Tyler) Hancock, said he had had a guy that was kind of similar to my size that he coached before that was a punt returner," Josh said. "I never really did punt returns in high school. But he came up to me and was like, 'Hey, we're going to try you at punt return. Get some reps and see how it feels back there.'''
And the rest, as they say, is history.
In an otherwise difficult '23 season, when the Bears finished 3-9, Cameron had a 41-yard punt return to set up a score at Cincinnati and a 70-yard return versus No. 25 Kansas State, averaging 15.5 yards per return.
"I was pretty natural at catching, obviously. That's one of my strong suits," he said. "When I got back there, I was really comfortable and I was able to be consistent. That's really what they were looking for is someone they knew they could count on, that wouldn't muff the ball. Just being consistent kind of won me the job."
It was the next year, though, when Cameron had a breakout season and emerged as one of the top receivers and punt returners in the country. A second-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 pick, he averaged 20.7 yards per punt return and had a team-high 52 catches for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns.
While he totaled 19 touchdowns over his last two seasons, Josh's first came in his 30th career game, when he hauled in a 47-yard TD pass in a 23-12 loss at Utah.
Before the 2024 season, wide receivers coach Dallas Baker told Josh, "You continue to be you. Be the same person you've always been, the same person who came in as a walk-on, that same chip. You don't need to do anything different."
"I took Coach Bake's advice and just continued to grind away and just be me," Josh said. "After the Utah game, when I scored my first touchdown, I felt like the curse or whatever ended. I had come so close to getting in the zone. But that's when I emerged and was like, 'Finally, I can feel like myself again. Just go out there and be me.'''
While he's obviously developed as a player in his five years, Josh said Baylor is also where his "faith has grown so much throughout my entire journey."
A big part of that journey was meeting his future fiancée, track and field fifth-year senior Joy Wells, back in 2023.
"She was someone that really helped me with my faith walk," Josh said. "We are both equally yoked and both just striving to be better each and every day and make each other better when it comes to our walk. We are just trying to poke and prod and see how we can grow each other better and truly find purpose, which is to spread the gospel and be a faithful steward of the word."
Graduating with a degree in corporate communications in May 2025, Josh said he plans to own his own business one day. But first things first, he's hoping to "build up a good network" during his NFL playing days.
The next part of that journey will come during the April 23-25 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
"I'm really just looking for a team who truly believes in me and somewhere where I can showcase my talent and just take that next step," he said. "The NFL is more about a fit than anything. So, wherever I can best fit to make an impact, that's what I'm looking to do. I was talking to one coach, and he said, 'Now, you're getting paid as a professional to play a kid's game.' Just going into it with that same mindset, for sure."
Because of the door that Baylor opened for him five years ago, Josh said he knows that he's "going to be back all the time, as much as I can be. Baylor means everything to me."
"Whenever I have kids, I know I'm going to be like, 'Y'all are going to have to go to Baylor. You have to continue the legacy.'''
What a legacy and a story it's been.
Players Mentioned
WR
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