Quick Hitters From Dave Aranda's Dinner at Rudy's

On Wednesday night, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda spoke with John Morris at the Baylor Coach’s Show at Rudy’s in Waco. Here are some notable items that were discussed.

• Aranda started by talking about how much he loves the makeup of this current team. He mentioned how much he loves the group as a whole and loves the coaching staff.
   
• He also discussed how hard December was personally. Aranda hinted that some of the exits from last year’s roster were a good thing for the program overall. 
   
• Reiterated how huge the portal additions were and noted that wide receiver Ketron Jackson (Jr.) and linebacker Mike Smith (Sr.) are game-changers and some of the best players on the team.
   
• Aranda compared additions out of the portal to getting an old dog that’s been around the block, as opposed to getting a puppy that requires so much work and effort and has little experience.
   
• Tony Anyanwu (Jr.) was one of the standouts from fall camp, according to Aranda. He said that Anyanwu struggled personally throughout his Baylor career but has really matured on and off the field.

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Aranda reiterated Wednesday that Arkansas transfer WR Ketron Jackson is a “game-changer.” 

• Aranda also praised Richard Reese (So.). He said that Reese was really close to Juice Johnson, the former running backs coach, but has embraced the competition with Dominic Richardson (Jr.) and the new coaching from AJ Steward. Aranda believes Reese can reach a whole new level this season.
   
• He mentioned that Blake Shapen (RJr.) has a lot of confidence in this receiver room. Aranda said that the receivers will have to beat man-to-man coverage against Texas State and that Shapen will have to step up this week. The Bobcats are very aggressive on defense and try to create chaos.
   
• He said that Baylor’s defense will look more like Aranda’s previous defenses from other schools. He talked about the lack of trust in last year’s defense and why they routinely ran soft coverages. This year will be the opposite with a ton of press coverage.
   
• Aranda also said that people love playing for first-year defensive coordinator Matthew Powledge. Powledge is very genuine, and people want to play for him.
   
• Aranda said Texas State’s offense reminds him a lot of the “Briles Era” at Baylor. He believes there’s a lot of excitement around that program and is impressed by the transfer portal haul they brought in.