Offense vs. Defense: Which Unit Is Baylor’s Safer Bet in 2026?

Two of our resident experts — Colt Barber and Grayson Grundhoefer — answer some of the top questions surrounding head coach Dave Aranda and the Baylor program heading into spring football.

We’ve heard from both OC Jake Spavital and DC Joe Klanderman so far this spring, and it’s clear that both coaches are working with a ton of new players, as they try to implement their systems. Which do you think is a safer bet: defense or offense being a top 40 unit?

Colt: I love Joe Klanderman’s track record of doing things in the Big 12, but I love Jake Spavital’s overall track record, including two years at Baylor. Spavital didn’t meet my personal expectations in 2025, but Baylor’s offense was still adequate. That’s two years in a row, including once in 2024 with a lot of new faces and installing a new scheme, that he got production.

I do have concerns about the offensive line, and there is not nearly the amount of skill talent we saw a season ago, but there is enough talent that suggests, in Spav’s scheme with at least a competent quarterback, that he should reach that top 40 mark. 

But back to Klanderman, I guess you could say I’m hopeful, though cautiously optimistic, that he puts together a low-floor defense that plays well with Spav’s offense. He understands how to evaluate for the Big 12 and attacked the portal with that in mind. He also has a number of returning guys who can mesh well with the new guys. 

Can he put it all together in year one? I’m not sure. But he’s fielded similar defenses in the Big 12 for the last several years. He just won’t have the stability and the development pipeline he had in Manhattan, which he was accustomed to.

Grayson: Offense being a top 40 unit with ease. That is the safe bet. Since Jake Spavital arrived at Baylor, the offense has been in the top 33 in scoring both years, and the advanced metrics have had them in the top 37 as well. This trend should continue pretty easily with DJ Lagway coming in, the offensive weapons still on the roster and a revamped offensive line. I feel pretty comfortable thinking that Jake Spavital will find a way to make this group strong enough to put points on the board consistently while having some massive production weeks.

On defense, Joe Klanderman has his work cut out for him. The trends have been really bad since the Big 12 Championship season: 8th (2021), 52nd (2022), 103rd (2023), 63rd (2024), 83rd (2025). This means Klanderman would need to get the defense to play at a level they have not played even close to in the past four years. This isn’t impossible in the transfer portal era, but it's much tougher to bet on. This hire was pretty incredible given where Baylor was at heading into the offseason. If the group can just reach the top 50, then Baylor will be very competitive this season in the Big 12; if not, it will be another tough season.