Aranda's Call Sheet: ‘I’m Excited About This Team; There’s Talent and Potential'
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Spring football started on Saturday, March 22, and there's tangible optimism and excitement surrounding head coach Dave Aranda's program once again. Coming off an 8-5 season in which Baylor showcased an elite offense and an improved defense down the stretch, expectations are high as most of the key players on the 2024 roster have returned.
"I thought this was by far the cleanest first practice that we've had in any facet of a spring, fall camp, season, you name it," Aranda told the media on Saturday. "Expectations are higher, and there are for sure things we can clean up and get better at, but I thought we hit the ground running. I'm excited to be able to see the steps this team takes to get better."
Throughout last season, Aranda repeatedly stressed how much his squad loved football and how strong the care factor was. The early returns say that Aranda senses a similar level of dedication that has carried over into the 2025 team.
"I can think of the '21 year where football really meant a lot, and I think of last year, and then I think of this team and the beginnings of this team," he said. "It's hard to say in college football nowadays that this is your team, but at this stage, this team loves football … You have guys that are way invested, and it shows up when you start playing."
The sixth-year head coach noted that last year's squad showed flashes and glimpses of its potential in early-season practices, but not everything gelled until mid-October when the team won 59-35 over Texas Tech in Lubbock.
With much of last year's roster returning, Aranda anticipates that swagger from the second half of the season will remain strong this spring, especially after the Bears finished the year winning six of their final seven games.
"What [winning] does is build confidence, like, 'Oh, I can do this. I'm capable of this. We're capable of this. Let's roll. Let's go.' Once you get to that part and you have guys coming back, you have the opportunity to raise the standard even more," he said. "The expectations for sure go up when you have guys returning, and we welcome that … There's a confidence, and guys know they can do it — that's half the battle."
The raised expectations begin with redshirt senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson, a potential dark-horse candidate for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. In his first season as the starting quarterback, Robertson threw for over 3,000 yards and combined for 30 touchdowns both through the air and on the ground.
"There's confidence with him and confidence in him," Aranda said of Robertson. "There's equally or greater confidence with guys [who believe in] him. There's such a belief in what he can do. When he talks, people listen. He's a great leader and mentor in that quarterback room. Defensively, guys have a ton of respect for him and the dog, the learner and the communicator he is. We're blessed to have him. He's put in a lot of time and effort to make this a great spring."
Aranda spoke highly of the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster, noting that three-star freshman Edward Griffin was one of the team's top performers on the first day of practice and is a "football maniac." Aranda also mentioned that redshirt freshman and former top-50 prospect Walker White "did some good things."
"Our quarterback room, I'd put up as one of the strongest ones I've ever been around in terms of [type of] people, athletic ability and care factor," Aranda said.
Defensively, Aranda didn't offer a ton of names to look out for but mentioned that he will continue to work closely with the linebacker room and that the defense is significantly further ahead than it was a season ago when he first took over as the de facto defensive coordinator.
"At this time a year ago, we were kind of putting together, 'This is what I think the defense is going to be.' 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," he said.
One of the areas on the team that needs the most improvement is the secondary. Last season, Baylor allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (234) in the conference.
Shortly after the Texas Bowl loss to LSU on Dec. 31, Aranda parted ways with cornerbacks coach Kevin Curtis and hired TCU's Paul Gonzales to fill the position. Aranda noted that the spring is the perfect time to straighten issues out and strengthen other aspects of the program.
"On some parts of our teams, there's strong identities," he said. "We want to be able to lean into those identities. I think [with] the new year, new people, there can be this wrinkle or that wrinkle, but the identity really ain't changing."
Aranda added, "But I think there are other facets of the program where we need an identity, and we're searching for one. This is the time to get that established. The build-up from winter to spring is, 'Hey, this is the problem that's identified. This is how we're going to fix it. Here's the drills. Here's the tools.' Now it's about applying it."
Lastly, Aranda said that there won't be a traditional spring game in 2025. The idea of moving away from a spring game has become a common theme across college football, primarily to keep players from entering the transfer portal. Still, he'd like the "showcase" to be at the Fudge Football Development Center so the fanbase can see the updated facilities and a squad he's excited for and believes has "the talent and potential."
"We're going to do what we did last year. It was more of a showcase, and we had one-on-ones, and we had people at the facility," he said. "In a similar vein, what I think is happening with spring games is a consequence of what is happening in college football in general."
Other Spring Football News:
- 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
