Baylor's Dave Aranda embraces transfer portal after slipping from Big 12 title to losing record

When Baylor coach Dave Aranda was reflecting on what went wrong during the losing season that followed a Big 12 championship, he came to the realization that he couldn't always change people. And that sometimes it is the right thing to bring different players into the program.

“Really hard lessons from last year,” he said.

Aranda now embraces the transfer portal. In the aftermath of last season's 6-7 record, and losing their last four games, the Bears have added more than a dozen transfer players. That includes five from Power Five schools along with a pair of big brothers from BYU to bolster the offensive line that lost three six-year seniors, a four-year starting left tackle and a 10-game starter who transferred to Florida.

“I think one of the struggles for me has always been if you say yes to something, a player outside of your team that's in the portal, you're saying no to a player on your team,” Aranda said. “I think for me to kind of come to grips with hey, this is what needs to happen for the betterment of the team as opposed to just looking at what’s best for that one particular player on your team.”

This will be Aranda's fourth season in his first head coaching job. His began with the fractured pandemic season in 2020, which came without spring drills for the new coaching staff to install its schemes and get to know the players on the field.

Aranda, the defensive coordinator for LSU's undefeated national championship team before coming to Baylor, fired defensive coordinator Ron Roberts — previously his boss — at the end of last season after Baylor had allowed 370 yards and 27 points a game.

SHAPEN UP

Blake Shapen completed 17 passes in a row and threw three touchdowns in the Big 12 championship game as a redshirt freshman. The quarterback followed that up an inconsistent 2022 season — just like the entire team.

“Anytime you don’t have the season you want to have, and (not) be able to perform like we did the year before, it’s tough,” said Shapen, who threw for 2,709 yards with 18 TDs and 10 interceptions. “But I think it was good for me to grow from it, see what it looks like going through a whole season."

Aranda said Shapen has grown as a leader, and put in a lot of work since last season.

“Big fan of his," Aranda said. “The team sees that, and the guys see that and they want to work hard for him.”

RUNNING BEARS

Richard Reese set a Baylor freshman record with his 972 rushing yards last season, when he also ran for 14 TDs.

While the Bears' second- and third-leading rushers are gone — Craig Williams is now a high school coach and Qualan Jones was recently dismissed from the team because of an off-field issue — they have added Oklahoma State transfer Dominic Richardson.

“Dom keeps pushing me every day and making me a better player,” Reese said.

Richardson led the Cowboys with 543 yards rushing and eight TDs last season. Having him could allow Baylor to use Reese in different ways, like in third-down situations and catching the ball.

NEW DC NO STRANGER

Matt Powledge was only away from Baylor for one season before returning to replace Roberts as the defensive coordinator.

Powledge was the safeties coach and special teams coordinator the first two seasons on Aranda's original staff. The 36-year-old Texas native spent the year away as co-DC and safeties coach at Oregon.

“To find people that are real and authentic and comfortable with who they are, and don’t have to be anybody else, I know players see that," Aranda said. "They connect with that.”

HOME A LOT

The Bears will spend a lot of time along the banks of the Brazos River this season, with their first four games at home and a record eight overall. Utah, one of four Pac-12 teams joining the Big 12 next season, gets a preview of McLane Stadium on Sept. 9, two weeks before Texas makes its final scheduled visit to Waco before leaving for the SEC. The Bears also host new league member Houston, their first meeting since the Southwest Conference broke up in the mid-1990s.

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