Aranda, Aigbedion Talk Offensive Line: 'Competition Pushes You To Be Your Best'
With the countdown to kickoff winding down for Baylor football, one key benchmark for the coaching staff and the program as a whole is the second scrimmage of fall camp, where position battles are won, and players scratch and claw to make an impact and climb the depth chart.
A consistent theme throughout fall camp, especially last Saturday at McLane Stadium, was the competition between the offense and the defense. Safety Carl Williams IV (So.) said it best, noting that a “good competitive culture is going around right now.”
Competition, by all accounts, was something that wasn’t necessarily stressed throughout fall camp last year, in particular, on the offensive line. This time around, fifth-year head coach Dave Aranda isn’t making that same mistake.
This offseason, the Bears brought in over 20 transfers and five offensive linemen to compete for starting spots, including Montana State transfer Omar Aigbedion (Jr.), who is currently battling for the starting left guard position.
“We had a very competitive scene out here; both sides of the ball were trying to win,” Aigbedion told the media in attendance after Saturday’s scrimmage. “Competition pushes you to be your best. We compete on the field, and then we're best friends off the field.”
Aigbedion, originally from Katy, Texas, played two years at Montana State and started 12 games last fall, earning Second-Team All-Big Sky honors. He was Pro Football Focus' top-rated offensive guard at the FCS level with an 89.6 PFF grade, including an 89.7 run-blocking grade.
“It's been a great experience [being at Baylor],” Aigbedion said. “[Coach Aranda and Coach Spavital] have been able to build my game and take it to the next level. The boys [on the offensive line] have been very welcoming. So far, so good. I have no complaints.”
While the Montana State transfer may say he’s had no complaints, it hasn’t been the smoothest ride for Baylor’s offensive line unit over the last 12 months.
After a bad showing in the 42-31 loss to Texas State in the 2023 season opener, the Bears shuffled the starting unit up front multiple times throughout the year, throwing redshirt freshmen Alvin Ebosele, Coleton Price and Kaden Sieracki into the fire earlier than anticipated.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season, offensive line coach Eric Mateos left for Arkansas, and Baylor hired Chris Kapilovic from Michigan State. But Kapilovic would eventually move on, joining Kalen DeBoer, Nick Saban’s successor, at Alabama. Aranda pivoted and hired Tarleton offensive coordinator Mason Miller to coach the O-line.
Since Miller’s hiring in late February, the Bears have continued to beef up the offensive line, adding Colton Thomasson (Texas A&M, RFr.), Sydney Fugar (South Carolina, RJr.), Colin Truett (Chatanooga, 7Sr.) and Ka’Marii Landers (Copiah Lincoln CC, Jr.).
Despite the numerous additions, the offensive line remains Baylor’s most significant question mark on paper, though Aranda believes the O-line should receive credit for its performance in Saturday’s scrimmage.
“The unheralded group [from the scrimmage] was the offensive line,” Aranda said afterward. “The improvement from last week to this week is what you would expect, and it’s good that we’re on that path. I’m excited about what can become with [them] because we’ve got some weapons to get the ball to.”
Despite Aigbedion's arrival before the spring semester, he talks like a true veteran and can sense how Baylor’s offensive line appears in a much better place than last fall.
“I say the biggest strength of this [O-line] group is togetherness,” he said. “As an offensive line, if you don't play five as one, you don't have a good offensive line. I feel like that's really where we’ve taken that next step from last season. We're all together. We all want to see each other succeed, and I can't wait to go to war with these boys.”
Other offensive playmakers, such as running back Dawson Pendergrass (So.), have also noticed a difference in the tone and energy of the O-line this fall camp.
“We have many leaders on the offensive line, including Omar [Aigbedion], Coleton [Price] and many more,” Pendergrass said. “They always give their all and bring up people; you can tell they care a lot about it.”
On the other side of the ball, the defensive and offensive lines compete fiercely against each other in practice. Reportedly, during the scrimmage, Aigbedion had a moment where he showed some edge in a fiery way, something that was missing from Baylor’s roster last fall.
“I usually line up against Cooper [Lanz] or Jackie Marshall; every day, they've been giving me great work, and I've been doing the same,” he said. “[They’re] my arch-enemy on the field, but we’re best of buds afterward. There’s some talking [on the field], but we never bring it into the locker room.”
Aigbedion and the rest of the offensive line can’t wait to face players in a different-colored jersey and return to the field to settle any doubts about the capability of this year’s squad.
“Being [at McLane], we get a taste of what we’re going to see on Saturdays, so I had a great time,” he said. “Now that we’re less than two weeks away, I couldn’t be more excited.”
Baylor kicks off the 2024 season at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31 with a home matchup against Tarleton at McLane Stadium.