Aranda's Call Sheet: Baylor Continues to Forge Identity as Spring Ball Wraps Up

As head coach Dave Aranda took the podium to wrap up spring practices on Saturday, he spoke extensively about the challenges that come with adding over 40 new players to the roster. Despite all the newness, he’s been incredibly impressed by how quickly the team is coming together.

“Moving [spring practices] back has allowed us to really get to know the team as people, and I think it’s helped us push people hard to get the best out of them as players,” Aranda said. “Both players and coaches have really bonded in that. There’s been a lot of hard coaching, but there’s been a lot of benefit to it.”

Aranda later spoke of the new additions specifically, noting, “They really love football, and they know what Baylor is about, and they want what Baylor has to offer — I think those were the two big key things. We hit on way more of those than we lost. I’m really impressed with our guys.”

On paper, getting everyone on the same page can be an incredibly daunting task in most situations, but redshirt senior edge rusher Kyler Jordan noted that this is the best spring he’s been a part of, despite the difficulties that come with building a team through the transfer portal.

“With the way the portal is now, it makes it really hard to build a team, and I think this spring has been really, really good for us,” Jordan said. “We haven’t built a team yet, but we are definitely building one. We did a great job getting guys who wanted to be here, who want to win. It’s evident how competitive it’s been all spring.”

To keep people consistently accountable, Aranda created a leadership committee of 18 players this offseason to help establish a team identity and further foster the program’s culture.

When asked what exactly that looks like, Aranda said, “It’s been working through, ‘Hey, what kind of team do we want to be? If that’s the case, what kind of practice does that type of team do? How do we want to be? What does our going to school look like? What type of production are we looking to get out of community service hours this semester?’”

He continued, “Also, having them give their opinions so that we can hold them accountable to the goals they want, and I think that’s really been a strong thing this offseason. I’m looking forward to that continuing.”

As for the actual play on the field, when Aranda was asked about his overall thoughts on what the Bears accomplished this spring, he noted how pleased he was that they stayed healthy compared to previous years.

The seventh-year head coach also spoke about a specific area where the Bears need to improve, saying, “We have to run the ball better. I think that’s an area where we set out to do a better job on the line of scrimmage. I think defensively we’re ahead of schedule, and then, offensively, we’re behind, but I think that’s probably normal [at this point in the offseason].”

While there are questions surrounding the run game, Aranda doesn’t appear concerned about the current state of the passing attack. He offered a positive update on his starting quarterback, DJ Lagway, following his first spring in the Green and Gold.

“He wants it,” Aranda said of Lagway. “He wants to win and get better. He wants to be a great teammate. I see just a love of competing and a love of putting himself out there. For someone who is coming in with expectations and everything, he has those blinders on for him, and it’s just get to work, and that’s contagious. Our team is following those footsteps.”

With a full spring under his belt, Lagway is still excited about the opportunity to operate in offensive coordinator Jake Spavital’s system. Spavital’s air-raid–style offense appears to be a better fit for Lagway’s skill set than what he experienced over his last two seasons at Florida.

“It’s definitely clicking, and there are definitely some things to continue to work on,” Lagway said. “But I feel really good about this offense, and I feel really good about me and Coach Spav’s relationship, and I’m excited to go out here and just continue to get back in the shape and continue to work, and continue to fine-tune my craft and just get better as a team.”

One of the more interesting dynamics for the Bears this season is that Aranda isn’t the only one under pressure. Lagway is also looking to move past a forgettable final season in Gainesville, while trying to live up to the expectations that came with being the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class.

When asked if he feels pressure to perform, Lagway noted, “I just go out there and play ball and do what I do, and give God the glory, at the end of the day. We focus on one day at a time and being in the moment, being where my feet are. That’s kind of the biggest thing where I’m at with everything. I had been in situations like these before, so I’m just preaching to my guys, we’ve got to go out there and handle our business, and be able to do what we know we can do and what we come here to do.”

With spring officially wrapped up, Aranda, Lagway and the rest of the Bears will go into the summer to prepare for a make-or-break season in 2026 that will define the direction of the program for years to come.