Baylor's Dave Aranda Reflects on 2025 Roster Mistakes, Paves Way for New Blueprint

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Baylor lost a whopping 59 players to the transfer portal after a disappointing 5-7 record. On top of some major production going elsewhere, the Bears have to replace some key players on the offensive side of the football.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson is gone and so are his top playmakers from 2025. Running back Bryson Washington left for the portal, and Baylor returns one lone starting offensive lineman.

However, the Bears were able to make a splash and that was landing former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway to carry the torch. However, Lagway had his fair share of turnover issues last year, leading the SEC in interceptions.

What is the best way to take pressure off of him? By running the football effectively. On Tuesday, Dave Aranda sat on the set of ESPNU to discuss his team during Big 12 Media Days. He mentioned that running the ball will help Lagway, but he also realized the grave mistake he made last year when building his roster: He built it from the outside in.

"We have to run the ball," Aranda said on ESPNU. "One of the mistakes for me last year was this team, money-wise, was built outside in, where football is won inside out. Our receiver room was probably the highest paid room in our league. And there is some results we got from that, but the money from this year and the attention from this year, from the very beginning, has been on the line of scrimmage, O-line and D-line.

"So, hey, the offense has got to play and we've got everyone targeted right. Defense is not falling down, they're all where they need to be. We run the ball, we've got to get three and a half to four yards on that run. Last year we got one yard, so we had to throw the ball to kind of open stuff up and overcome.

"Where if we can run the ball, if they're where they need to be and we're where we need to be and we get three and a half to four yards running the ball, now we're passing it when we want to, not because we have to. And so it starts with running the ball."

How to navigate through the NIL era at Baylor

While the NIL era is fairly new, it's here to stay and it's a major part of college football. A place like Baylor doesn't have the same resources as Texas or even the seemingly rogue Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The Bears struggle to outbid the powers in Texas for top-tier in-state recruits. On top of having a poor 2025 season, Baylor missed out on some key commitments last cycle from other programs out-bidding them. On Tuesday, Aranda spoke on the challenges he has faced when building a roster.

"Yeah, it's been difficult because it changes," Aranda said of the NIL era. "Before there wasn't a cap and there was, we were late to the party of NIL, then we get to the party and there really isn't a cap. Then there is a cap and we go by the cap and there's other people that aren't going to by the cap. So it really becomes like, how much money are we talking? How much money do we got?

"Because that money that you have, you have to spend it on players that are playing the game. You can't make a mistake of playing freshman to win a recruiting battle, especially in the state of Texas, it's very difficult to win recruiting battles. So you can spend money to win a recruiting battle, but if that player is not playing and there's a limited number that you have, you're not doing your team justice."

Aranda's new blueprint for NIL

With Aranda realizing some of the mistakes that have haunted him, not only did he hire Joe Klanderman to take over as the defensive coordinator, but he also has a new blueprint for recruiting. He is done throwing money at players who aren't going to play.

With a limited budget, Baylor can only afford to pay players who are going to see the field and make an immediate impact. Aside of DJ Lagway, the offensive line and defensive line comes first in order to win in the trenches.

"So every penny that we got is on for people that are playing the game," said Aranda. "And so that's a lesson that I learned the hard way. And so it's invested in the O-line, D-line to start and then building it out from then, but all on players that are playing."

Today's best reads

• 3 Takeaways From Baylor HC Dave Aranda's Big 12 Media Days Podium Session
• Exclusive: Why Baylor's Pairing of DJ Lagway, Jake Spavital is a 'Match Made in Heaven'
• What Questions Should Dave Aranda Answer at Big 12 Media Days?
• What Are Best-Case, Worst-Case, and Most-Likely Scenarios for Baylor Football?
• 3 Recruits Baylor Football Should Realistically Target in 2027 Class

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/baylor as Baylor's Dave Aranda Reflects on 2025 Roster Mistakes, Paves Way for New Blueprint.

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