Baylor’s defense has a new look this season, but Micah Gifford says the vibe inside the room has stayed steady.
“Crazy good,” Gifford said when asked about the unit during a recent press scrum that also included Coach Aranda, Kyler Jordan, and Michael Allen. He kept coming back to the same idea in his answers: “it feels like a brotherhood,” and, “everyone's just having fun, really.” The safety was all smiles as he worked through the questions, and he made it clear that the group’s connection is a big part of what stands out to him.
That bond matters because Baylor is dealing with plenty of change. There are new players, new coaches, and several familiar names from last season are no longer around.
Still, Dave Aranda’s “person-over-player” approach appears to be holding firm. Gifford put it this way: “We learned to play as a brotherhood,” before stressing the importance of “doing your 1/11th every single play.”
There’s plenty for Baylor’s defense to clean up, too. Last season, the Bears allowed the 5th most total yards in the Big 12 and the 2nd most rushing yards in the conference.
That left a wide lane for improvement. The pass defense, by contrast, held up much better, giving up the 4th fewest passing yards in the league.
That’s an important distinction in a conference that leans heavily on the pass, and Gifford’s role at safety should help Baylor hold its own against top aerial attacks. But if the run defense doesn’t improve, the secondary’s work won’t matter nearly as much.
If opposing offenses can keep denting the front with routine runs between the tackles, or if mobile quarterbacks keep turning plays into chunk gains, the back end will be forced into too many extra tackles. Once defensive backs have to start stepping up as run stoppers, coverages break down, assignments slip, and big plays follow.
The roster turnover is significant as well. Between 28 and 32 players from last season are no longer with the Baylor Bears, whether through graduation or the transfer portal. That’s a lot of change, and on paper it could have looked messy.
But Gifford’s comments suggested a group that has settled in quickly. For Baylor fans, that should count for something. If this defense really is as connected as he says, the Bears may be better equipped than expected to handle all that newness.
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