Grayson & Colt Talk Spring Football: Biggest Takeaways from Dave Aranda's Press Conference
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Two of our resident experts — Grayson Grundhoefer and Colt Barber — answer some of the top questions surrounding head coach Dave Aranda and the Baylor program as spring football kicks into full gear.
What were your main takeaways from Dave Aranda’s press conference following the first practice of spring football?
Grayson: After listening to the presser multiple times, the biggest thing that stood out to me was the identity of this team, the quarterback room and some individual standouts. Head coach Dave Aranda spoke highly of this team's successful first practice and how this team loves football. You can tell he feels very confident about his squad and the coaching staff he has put together for this season. He has found the right mixture of guys, and it is paying major dividends. He knows expectations are high, but it certainly feels like this team is more capable of meeting those expectations or exceeding them than the 2022 team was following the Big 12 Championship season. There doesn’t seem to be complacency, which was a key storyline to watch following the breakout final stretch of the 2024 season. We will see how things progress but it is certainly encouraging early on.
Aranda mentioned the quarterback room being one of the strongest he has ever been around and specifically mentioned Sawyer Robertson (RSr.), Walker White (RFr.), and Edward Griffin (Fr.) after the first practice, plus Nate Bennett (RFr.) was running with the second-teamers to start camp. This group cares about football and is very invested in getting better. That is massive at the most crucial position on the field. He was specific about how much Robertson has taken over this team and how much the players have rallied behind him. The leadership aspect here all spring camp is going to be key.
Speaking of guys being mentioned, he specifically talked about Brendan Bett (RSo.) as an outlier on the defensive line for his performance on the first day. This is exciting to hear after he missed last season due to being ruled academically ineligible. I have been very high on him since last offseason, and I think he will be a huge “addition” to help replace Traven Ma’ae this fall. Aranda also mentioned the cornerbacks and singled out Tevin Williams III (RSr.). The cornerback position is key as it needs improvement, and it is great to see a veteran stepping up early in camp.
Colt: With the majority of the offense returning from what finished as a top 25 FEI offense (including its leading passer, two leading rushers and three of its top five pass catchers), the expectation was that the defense would need to be the priority of the offseason. It started that way when Baylor brought in seven transfers on the defensive side of the ball and exchanged two more defensive assistants earlier this offseason.
One media session only gives us a starting point, but Aranda compared 2024 to 2025 on Saturday and said there’s already a major difference: “Last year at this time, we were kind of putting together what I think the defense can be.”
Baylor’s 2024 was one of the worst statistically in the Big 12, though it did improve greatly in a few areas, including sacks per game, tackles for loss, third down conversions and turnovers forced as compared to 2023. As much as the offense was given credit during Baylor’s six-game regular season winning streak, Baylor’s defense, holding opposing offenses to 34.6% on third down and forcing 12 turnovers, played a critical role.
If this team wants to surpass the bar of eight wins, it will need to turn a defense that often took one step forward and two steps backward into one that takes two forward and one or fewer backward. It has to start in the spring.
Aranda added, “We're so much further ahead now in terms of what we're doing and how we're playing it. These are the tools we are using within it. Here's what gives us trouble; here are our answers. We're way, way ahead — that's a big difference for me.”
It’s too early to compare this defense to the transition we saw from the 2012 to 2013 defense, the 2018 to the 2019 defense or the 2020 to the 2021 defense, but there are at least similar characteristics. I, for one, will spend my time reading the defensive tea leaves this spring.
Other Spring Football News:
- Aranda's Call Sheet: ‘I’m Excited About This Team; There’s Talent and Potential'
- Photo Gallery: Baylor Football Starts 2025 Spring Practices
- Presser: Dave Aranda Answers 2025 Spring Football Questions
- Insider Notes: Eyes on the Trenches as the Bears Open Spring Camp
- Top 5 Transfers to Watch This Spring: Speed at Wide Receiver, Defensive Playmakers
- Top 5 Storylines Heading Into Spring FB: Difference Makers On Defense, Robertson's Growth
- Baylor's Second-Half Offensive Explosion Leads to Massive Expectations
- Driven By Faith: Baylor Quarterback Sawyer Robertson Bracing For Important Offseason Ahead
