Coincidence? Baylor football has four 'Jamarion' commits in 2026 recruiting class

USA Today

4 days ago

Baylor football has assembled quite the recruiting class for the 2026 season: The class not only has talented players, but also a weird coincidence.
The Bears gained a commitment from high-end four-star defensive lineman Jamarion Carlton on Thursday, July 10, which in of itself seems like a normal occurrence in the recruiting calendar. However, with his commitment, it marked the fourth player whose first name is "Jamarion" to join Baylor's 2026 recruiting class.
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Carlton joins four-star cornerback Jamarion Vincent, three-star linebacker Jamarion Phillips and three-star cornerback Jamarion Richardson, all of whom hail from Texas.
There also aren't many instances of players named Jamarion in the sports world, outside of Alabama running back Jamarion "Jam" Miller, or NBA G-Leaguer Jamarion Sharp, who played collegiately at Western Kentucky.
There are only eight players named Jamarion in 247Sports' database for 2026, seven of whom have reported scholarship offers and two of whom aren't rated on the star system. The only other player named Jamarion who has publicly committed is four-star edge rusher Jamarion Matthews, who committed to Alabama.
According to the Social Security Administration, the name Jamarion peaked as the 418th-most popular male name in 2005. Jamarion didn't rank within the top 1,000 for any year after 2020 in terms of popularity.
In short, the chances of the coincidence are incredibly slim.
who wants to add to the Jamarion gauntlet? #JamarionU pic.twitter.com/ZonVkSXCmd
Carlton became the school's fourth highest-rated recruit ever upon his commitment, as he ranks as the nation's No. 39 overall player, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. He's also the No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 5 player in Texas. Vincent is also a top-end recruit, tabbed as the No. 189 player in the country and No. 18 cornerback. He's the No. 11-ranked player in Baylor history.
Here's a look at how each of the Baylor commits ranks, according to 247Sports Composite:
It's not the first time there has been a glitch-in-the-matrix type roster coincidence. The Dallas Mavericks of the NBA had three players (J.J. Barea, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton) with the same birthday of June 26, 1984. They were also all point guards.
Baylor's 2026 recruiting class, which ranks 39th nationally with 15 commits, might just be defined by how the Jamarions perform in their college careers.