Aranda's Call Sheet: ‘We’re Looking To Take The Next Step’
On Wednesday, head coach Dave Aranda gave his first-ever press conference on National Signing Day. Aranda discussed NIL’s impact, what he sees from the 2025 recruiting class and the hot streak Baylor closed the season with.
WACO, Texas – Wednesday officially marked National Singing Day for the 2025 recruiting class. The group of 21 Baylor signees, including five four-star prospects, is arguably the most talented recruiting class Dave Aranda has brought to Waco during his tenure as head coach.
One of the key themes concerning this year’s recruiting class was “resurgence.” The coaching staff wants the incoming Bears to be integral parts of the program and its continual upward rise in the coming years.
“I’m very impressed with our group of young men who are coming, their quality of character and their ability to perform on the field,” Aranda told the media on Wednesday. “In talking to them this morning, the excitement and the ability to take the next step as a program is something that they see, and it's something that they want to be a part of and have their imprint on.”
Despite Baylor’s sluggish start this fall, the commits remained loyal to Aranda and the coaching staff’s vision for the program's future. Following the second bye week of the season, the Bears turned a corner and rattled off six straight wins, solidifying what the coaching staff had been preaching to the recruits. Since August, Baylor has not suffered a single decommitment.
“I can think of countless guys that want relationships, quality people and everything that Baylor offers; they want all of that and to be an effective winning team,” Aranda said. “They were pushing for it and rooting for it, and so to finally see it, and then say, ‘Hey, I can be a part of that and take it to the next step,’ is something they were all very much waiting for.”
Not only did Baylor’s mid-season turnaround help solidify the recruiting class, but NIL played a major role in high school recruiting for the first time since Aranda took over in 2020.
When Name, Image and Likeness deals were first allowed in 2021, the discussion surrounding NIL usually came at the “finish line” for prospective transfers. Now, according to Aranda, NIL “gets you into the door” for high school prospects.
“The ability to get into the game [is the difference],” he said. “For the longest time, we weren’t in the game, and you can look no further than me for that. To get into the game is the biggest thing, and it enables the recruiters to recruit.”
For many years, Aranda wrestled with the idea of allowing NIL to be at the forefront of his program. It wasn’t until he was on the hot seat following a 3-9 season last fall that he decided to change how Baylor distributed payouts to its players, switching from an everyone gets the same amount format to allowing the top performers to earn more.
He noted on Wednesday that his decision was long “overdue” and gave context to his hesitancy with NIL, “The concern always to me was just the transactional nature of all of it. Not at all [against] that kids would get money. Not at all [against] that we're paying players or any of it. Now, you could get where coaches are thinking, ‘Hey, I can buy this kid, I can sell this kid and I can get rid of this kid.’ That's where it's headed. I'm not a fan of that at all.”
Aranda remains adamant that he doesn’t want money to define his program in the ever-shifting landscape of college athletics.
“You can’t let it change you,” he said. “As long as you focus on the kids and who they’re becoming, then you won’t slip to the transactional part of it, but it’s very hard to do, especially when you want to win everything.”
When Aranda ultimately tweaked his philosophy last December, he knew Baylor needed more speed and playmakers and wanted an elite recruiter with connections to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Aranda then hired SMU’s Khenon Hall, an ace recruiter with deep roots in the Metroplex, to become Baylor’s running backs coach and associate head coach.
Hall, a 2006 graduate of South Oak Cliff High School, was a pivotal piece in Baylor’s 2025 recruiting class and helped land four-star defensive lineman Kamauryn Morgan (South Oak Cliff), four-star wide receiver Taz Williams (Red Oak), four-star running back Michael Turner (North Richland Hills) and four-star running back Caden Knighten (Pauls Valley, Oklahoma).
“Working to get where NIL is really competitive was part of that, and then getting someone that can identify and bring in that skill and talent was the other part, and Khenon fit that bill for us,” Aranda said. “He’s been loyal. He’s been effective in communication, in partnership with other coaches and in bringing guys along. He’s a guy that I think the best is yet to come from him.”
In addition to Hall, Aranda replaced offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes with former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital. Spavital spent a year as Cal’s offensive coordinator but was eyeing a return to the Lone Star State.
Aranda wanted to switch from Grimes’ power-run scheme to Spavital’s high-flying spread offense, which allows playmakers to shine regularly.
“The currency was, ‘Hey, we have a system that your player can be productive in.’ There’s a system here where you can catch 80 balls, catch over 1,000 yards, catch 10 touchdowns, rush for over 1,000 yards and all of these other things,” Aranda said. “I think that was the third piece we really needed to unlock that area was the offensive system. Then, we could sell it, use it and multiply it.”
Morgan and Williams also assisted the Bears on the recruiting trail this cycle. They constantly badgered fellow prospects, whether on social media or in person, to take Baylor seriously and join the program’s “resurgence.”
“When [players recruit], you can go from being uncool to cool again, and you get out of the way and let the cool kids do it,” Aranda said. “That’s really what was happening there. Their leadership within the class is something I’m very appreciative and thankful for. Their ability to make plays and academic prowess is strong, but their leadership is the No. 1 thing. They led this class from the minute they jumped in.”
Aranda also secured an important commitment from 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle Jackson Blackwell. The three-star local product from Lorena grew up as a Baylor fan and always dreamed of playing at McLane Stadium. Still, the Bears had to fend off a litany of other Big 12 programs — Houston, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Arizona — who wanted to lure Jackson away from Central Texas.
Moving forward, Aranda believes Blackwell’s commitment will help pave the way for Central Texas prospects to be more inclined to stay home and choose Baylor.
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to do that, despite efforts in the past,” Aranda said. “I love everything he’s about. He’s such a great fit here, on and off the field. The system fits him. He’s going to be someone that grows into a captain-type role. He’s someone who can probably play sooner rather than later too. I’m excited for him. Once he gets here, he’s going to take off.”
With National Signing Day in the books, the big task in the meantime is handling the transfer portal, which opens on Dec. 9. Baylor is expected to keep its core group of players, but Aranda noted that the Bears will be looking to add depth in some important spots.
“We’re looking to aid our defensive secondary, and we have to replace some key components on the defensive front,” he said. “We’re going to need to be able to bring in a receiver and we’re going to need to be able to add some depth on the O-line.”
On the field, the Bears are riding a six-game winning streak and are awaiting a bowl pairing that will be announced on Dec. 8. Aranda wants his squad to end the season on a high note and show the rest of the country that his program is headed in an upward trajectory.
“We’re looking to take the next step,” he said. “We’re looking to win this next game. We’re looking to have a really successful offseason. We’re looking to get some of these young players ready to go in spring ball and with whatever transfer portal additions we have. We’re looking to start next year really strong. We want to be on the incline, and that takes every day trying to win that day and looking for a fight. That’s the attitude very much within that building.”