Baylor was 3-9 in 2023 – the second consecutive losing season and third in four years of the Aranda era. The other season was a historic 2021 campaign that resulted in a program-record 12 wins and wins in the Big 12 championship game and the Sugar Bowl. That season was led by a strong group of leaders, a stout defense, and an offense capable of scoring points in bunches. The Bears scored 31.6 points per game while allowing 18.3 in the magical run of 2021. They scored 23.1 and allowed 33.3 per game in a disappointing 2023 season that included a 1-7 record at McLane Stadium.
When the dust settled after a season-ending loss to West Virginia, Aranda went to the Baylor brass, including athletic director Mack Rhodes, with a three-part plan. Aranda would return to what he’s done best in his career: calling the defense. He’d also hire an innovative offensive coordinator with head coaching experience and increase the push for NIL to help bolster the program through the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail.
“The playmakers and influx of scheme and tempo will be exciting on offense,” Aranda said in the spring. “Defensively, we’re going to be 11 guys on the same page.”
The scheme and tempo on the offensive side of the ball starts with new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. The Kliff Kingsbury disciple made his name as a play caller at Texas A&M before becoming the head coach at Texas State. He spent the 2023 season as the offensive coordinator at Cal. The Golden Bears scored 30.2 points per game last season, which was nearly a touchdown more than the year before Spavital arrived. He’s a former quarterback and the son of a coach.
“We have enough talent to win like we did in 2021. We just need to find the leaders to help remind us how to win.
“Spav,” as he’s known, likes to throw the football, and the Bears brought in a new quarterback from the portal in Dequan Finn. The sixth-year senior from Detroit, Michigan, played in 45 games over five seasons at Toledo, throwing for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns in that time. He added 1,840 yards and 25 touchdowns as a runner. Finn was the 2023 Mid-American Conference (MAC) MVP, the first at Toledo since 2017. He prevailed this week after a battle with the returning Sawyer Robertson for the starting spot as the Bears looked to replace Blake Shapen, who transferred to Mississippi State after the season.
And the weapons at the quarterback’s disposal will be improved. The best wide receiver on the team might be Ketron Jackson Jr. He was third on the team last year with 28 catches for 489 yards, but the former Arkansas standout was great in the spring and should flourish under Spavital. The same can be said for slot receiver Monaray Baldwin, if he can stay healthy.
Baylor added fellow slot receiver Ashtyn Hawkins, who played for Spavital at Texas State, from the portal. Josh Cameron and Hal Presley are also options at wide receiver. Ole Miss transfer Michael Trigg and Baylor sophomore Kelsey Johnson need to replace the production lost at tight end when Drake Dabney transferred to TCU.
“The playmakers and influx of scheme and tempo will be exciting on offense.”
The running back room might be the strength of the offense with a three-headed stable of Dominic Richardson, Richard Reese, and Dawson Pendergrass. Reese was excellent as a freshman in 2022, but he struggled to stay healthy and consistent as a sophomore. Pendergrass was a breakout star last year. They’ll run behind an offensive line that returns four starters and added a few portal options, including Texas A&M interior lineman Colton Thomasson and South Carolina tackle Sidney Fugar. Alvin Ebosele, Gavin Byers, and Campbell Barrington are names to know.
The strength of the defense is likely in the secondary because of cornerback Caden Jenkins and nickel Carl Williams IV. The Bears added Arkansas transfer Lorando Johnson, who Baylor fans will remember from a previous stint in Waco. The deep safety positions are in good hands with juniors Devyn Bobby and Devin Lemear returning. Players such as Kendrick Simpkins, Chateau Reed, and Isaiah Dunson provide depth and experience on the backend of the defense.
Aranda is back at home coaching linebackers and scheming up ways to stop Big 12 offenses. Matt Jones returns after an All-Big 12 season with hopes of becoming a better leader for the team. The program has high hopes for transfer linebacker Keaton Thomas. Brooks Miller, Josh White, and Jeremy Evans are also improving ahead of the season.
“We have enough talent to win like we did in 2021,” Jones said. “We just need to find the leaders to help remind us how to win. That starts with me. I’d say the biggest difference between 2021 and the last two seasons wasn’t talent or scheme – it was a lack of leadership.”
New faces along the defensive line might dictate the success of the Baylor defense. The Bears added Western Kentucky’s JaQues Evans and Texas Tech’s Steve Linton to help returning linebacker Garmon Randolph create pressure. They also added Texas Southern nose tackle Elinus Noel III after the spring to help Cooper Lanz and Treven Ma’ae in the interior of the defensive line. Sophomore Trey Wilson is a breakout candidate at defensive end.
No team in the Big 12 has won more conference titles than Baylor now that Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC. Only Kansas State can match the three won by the Bears, and all three of those titles have arrived in Waco since 2013. This program knows what it takes to win the conference, and with the expanded playoffs, that’s a golden ticket to the College Football Playoff.
Aranda isn’t worrying about that, though. He’s focused on duplicating the recipe that led to the success in 2021.
“Our goal is to win and play our best when it matters most,” Aranda said. “There are games on the road that’ll be tough to win because this conference is so evenly matched, but we’re going to give it everything we have.”
