Baylor Embraces Fresh Start, Backs Aranda and Rallies Around Lagway at Big 12 Media Days

With football season right around the corner, the spotlight shifted to Big 12 Media Days in Frisco on Tuesday, where Baylor head coach Dave Aranda and six players discussed the program’s offseason overhaul, expectations for a bounce-back campaign and the impact of a talented transfer class.

“It’s such a blessing to be here to represent the awesome university that we go to and to represent Coach Aranda and our teammates,” defensive end Kyler Jordan (RSr.) told the media in a breakout session. “It’s truly a dream come true. We’re proud to be here.”

The most pressing issue for the Bears is bouncing back from an incredibly disappointing 5-7 season in 2025, when Baylor fielded one of the worst defenses in the Big 12 and one of the most inconsistent offenses.

“The standards are so high, and whenever you have a season like we did last year, it’s like getting back to the drawing board, and you’re starting from scratch. Where do we need to get better? What’s the next step? I definitely think we took that into the offseason. I thought we had a great spring, and we got a bunch of guys from the portal who came here ready to play. They’re here for football, and they want to win.”

The elephant in the room, surrounding each and every person in the program, is the scorching-hot seat Aranda’s currently on. The players are more than aware that if Aranda doesn’t reach a certain win threshold, he likely has to pack his bags, but that extra pressure hasn’t seeped its way into the locker room so far this offseason.

“If anything, with Coach Aranda, it’s just giving him even more of a reason to be present and to be with us,” Jordan said. “The coolest thing is he’s still harping on the things that he’s harped on the whole time. Maybe a little bit more, but he’s still the same coach. Looking into the season, I think every coach is on the hot seat. With the way college football is now, there are no excuses. I don’t think there’s any extra pressure there.”

To potentially save his job and field the best team possible, Aranda needed to bring in a ton of transfers, with one of the offseason emphases being to pay players who would actually produce on the field, rather than sit on the sidelines. With the introduction of that philosophy came 40-plus newcomers, and one of the longest-tenured Bears, safety Michael Allen (RSr.), had to take charge of getting everybody up to speed.

“My first year in 2022 was the first year the transfer portal and NIL, and so I would go from having like two or three new teammates to 10 to 20 in this past year,” Allen said. “Now, it’s like 30 or 40 guys every year, so it’s kind of been crazy throughout my journey, seeing how much it’s evolved, but you’ve got to change with the times.”

As a team leader, Allen’s taking the responsibility to make everyone feel at home, adding, “I’m so focused a lot on getting to know each other on a deeper level this year. You can’t make any assumptions as far as knowing people, and so I think Coach Aranda has done an incredible job of making sure that we’re building that culture from the ground up, because when 50 new guys come in, you can’t just assume that you know them well.”

One of those newcomers is maybe an under-the-radar addition in the form of Marshall transfer Jamaal Whyce (RSr.), but a potential key piece in turning around a defensive line that was near the bottom of the Big 12

“Jamaal’s like the enforcer, especially on the D-line,” Jordan said of Whyce. “If somebody messes up, Jamaal is going to be there to say something about it, and whenever Jamaal says something, then I’m going to back up Jamaal, and then it goes from there.”

Whyce spoke of his first few months with his new program, giving it high praise, saying, “I see a lot of hunger. When I first came, Mike [Allen] and [Devin Turner] were two of the people I talked to, and they told us what they were looking for in portal players and what they were gonna do on their end. Since I got here, this is probably one of the most disciplined teams I’ve ever played for. We don’t really have to worry about that much. It’s one of the hardest-working teams I’ve ever played for. There’s always somebody in the building. Everything has really been good.”

Whyce has quickly developed a rapport with first-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, and the expectation is that the play up front will be much improved, as Klanderman has simplified the defense.

“The main thing I’m excited about is his defense,” Whyce said. “During the spring, [Klanderman] was really hands-on, but he let us take our time. Nothing was really a rush. He knew his defense took a certain type of understanding, but once you understand it, you realize it’s a great defense. I’m just excited to see it all play out on a Saturday.”

Most of the attention on Tuesday, however, rested on the shoulders of Florida transfer quarterback, DJ Lagway, one of the top transfers in the portal cycle, and formerly the No. 3-rated prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. Every Baylor player was asked about Lagway’s early impact, and each profusely praised their starting signal-caller.

“He’s a stud,” Allen said of Lagway. “The biggest thing with DJ is that he’s a pro in every facet, like the way he takes care of his body and the way he’s in the film room — just a total professional. It’s been an absolute joy having him around.”

Tight end Matthew Klopfenstein (Sr.) chipped in, adding, “DJ is a guy you want in your corner. He’s a guy who focuses on the details and works on small relationships with people in the locker room. … His character and his ability to just be genuine in himself are characteristics that’ll take him far. I’m grateful he’s on our team. He’s a heck of a ball player.”

Entering his sophomore campaign, Lagway was one of the names being heavily thrown around in the 2025 Heisman Trophy discussion, but after an unceremonious ending to his career with the Gators, Lagway knows he has to rebound to play at the level he’s capable of. However, he doesn’t feel any pressure to live up to the hype.

“No, sir. There’s no pressure at all,” Lagway said. “I’m just blessed and privileged to be here. I’m glad, and I’m thankful to Coach Aranda and Coach Spavital for taking a chance on me, and to my teammates for welcoming me with open arms. I’m just thankful to be here.”

There’s no doubt that being back close to home in Waco, as well as playing at the same university as his dad, Derek, brings a sense of familiarity and comfort that wasn’t necessarily there in the pressure-cooker surroundings of Florida’s storied football program.

“It feels good to be back in the great state of Texas,” Lagway said. “Just being close to family and building a relationship with my teammates that I’ve really never had with a team before. I’m truly thankful for these guys, and they’ve pushed me so much physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Lagway added, “It’s just crazy how God works. I remember sending my film. I used to sit at the SicEm365 studio trying to get a first offer. I’m thankful for y’all, too. I appreciate everything y’all have done for my family and me, and because Baylor was my first offer, it’s just a full-circle moment. It’s crazy.”

Another key to Lagway’s much-anticipated junior campaign and debut season with the Green and Gold is that he’s been healthy all offseason, something that hadn’t been the case in his first two seasons at Florida.

“I learned a lot about taking care of my body and how valuable that is,” Lagway noted. “You hear a lot about the best ability being availability. That was really the hardest part of my career so far, just not being on the field with my guys. I was thrown into the fire in Week 1 without practicing the whole offseason, and not playing at a high level really messed with me. But I’m thankful for the experience. I wouldn’t be up here today talking to y’all if that didn’t happen.”