Aranda Bringing Intensity, Urgency to Fall Camp: ‘All of Our Chips Are on the Table’

After the opening scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, head coach Dave Aranda spoke at length with the media about the increased intensity and urgency that have been a constant theme throughout practices so far.

“Everybody knows what the prescription is here, what we have to do and what it takes to do that,” Aranda said. “Obviously, with us, all of our chips are on the table. When everything is on the table, you go for it, and I think that’s what the feeling here is.”

Aranda followed that by saying, “If we walk through something and then we practice later that day, let’s see that happen now; let’s not wait for the correction. Let’s get it right the first time, and I think people feel that pressure.”

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Head coach Dave Aranda understands the pressure and expectations going into his fifth year at the helm, where he is firmly entrenched on the hot seat.

On the heels of a despondent 3-9 season that firmly entrenched Aranda on the hot seat going into his fifth year at the helm, the Bears made it an emphasis this offseason to supplement a young roster with an influx of win-hungry veteran talent from the transfer portal.

Over 15 transfers and junior college players found their way to Waco throughout the winter and well into the summer, most notably veterans such as Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn (6Sr.), Texas Tech EDGE Steve Linton (6Sr.), Texas State wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (5Sr.) and Texas Southern defensive lineman Elinus Noel III (RSr.).

“With the transfers like [Dequan Finn], Steve [Linton], [Michael] Trigg, [Ashtyn Hawkins] and all of these guys who are coming in, they’re coming in with one mission – [win],” tight end Matthew Klopfenstein (So.) told the media after a fall camp practice. “A lot of these guys, this is their fifth year, so they’re going all out – they’ve put all of their chips in.”

With a hyper-focused Aranda coaching with his job on the line and a steady mix of newly added veterans in win-now mode, it’s the perfect combination for a squad that urgently needs to get back on the right track and get back into bowl contention.

“[The veterans] are going to do whatever it takes to win,” Klopfenstein added. “It’s been really cool to see them come in and take that leadership role and a lot of us are following. It’s making us stronger. You can just see the energy in the building, the swagger and everything else.”

Another markable change this fall is that Aranda is coaching the linebacker room and will be calling the plays on defense for the first time since he was the defensive coordinator on the 2019 National Champion LSU team. Western Kentucky transfer safety Kendrick Simpkins (5Sr.) believes having Aranda consistently focused on the defensive side of the ball is a positive for everyone involved.

“It’s been great to have the defensive coordinator as my coach,” Simpkins said. “Having a head coach installing [schemes], you don’t want to let them down. You don’t want to make mistakes because that’s the head coach, and that’s another thing that’s going to bring out the best in the whole defense and the team. With the great mind [Coach Aranda] is, it makes you want to get stuff, and it makes you want to go with more effort.”

As for the returning players, reigning Freshman All-American cornerback Caden Jenkins (So.) can sense the urgency and intensity at this year’s fall camp but warns against coming across an angry Aranda.

“I’m going to say that you don’t want to see that,” Jenkins said with a grin. “But it’s best for this team because of last year and the games that we could have won that we lost in the fourth quarter. I feel like he should be on us like that and getting on our butt like that because this program expects a lot more from what we showed last season.”

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DL Treven Ma’ae (RSr.) told reporters that “the standard is elevated” with Aranda coaching the defense.

Returning defensive lineman Treven Ma’ae (RSr.) added that with Aranda coaching the defense, “the standard is elevated.” Ma’ae went on to say, “Boys are playing harder, and we have the best defensive coach coaching us both in our position and [the defense] as a whole.”

At the root of it all, Aranda taking charge on defense and being able to talk and focus on X’s and O’s is where he’s most comfortable and his players see that as well.

“It’s been a big improvement,” safety Devin Lemear (RJr.) added. “He’s such a genius at defense. He’s really detailed at everything, and he likes to explain why we’re doing something. He doesn’t just tell us a [defensive] call; he will give us the reasons why we’re doing it.”

Whether the intensity and urgency that’s being discussed will make its way to McLane Stadium for the season opener against Tarleton on August 31 remains to be seen. However, for Aranda to keep his job and the Bears to get back to their winning ways this fall, intensity and urgency on the field are a must.