Dave Aranda’s Baylor future is suddenly part of the conversation again, and Saturday’s trip to Kansas feels like the kind of game that can swing that noise in either direction.
Baylor goes into Lawrence at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, coming off a 17-6 loss at TCU that had multiple people around college football wondering whether a change should be made. Aranda is 44-40 in seven seasons leading the Bears, and with the season hovering near the middle point, the pressure around the program is hard to miss.
The Bears are listed as a 3-point favorite against Kansas, a team still looking for its first Big 12 win and its first victory over Baylor since 2007. Kansas enters at 2-4 and 0-3 in league play, with Isaiah Marshall running the offense as Baylor tries to get itself straight before the back half of the schedule hardens.
That loss to TCU brought the Baylor concerns into sharper focus. DJ Lagway completed 25 of 53 passes for 256 yards and an interception, and he accounted for one of the Bears’ two turnovers.
The ground game never showed up, either. Baylor managed only 54 rushing yards, and Lagway finished at minus-17 on the ground.
Before the Bears even get to the finish line, though, some in the media are already talking about who could come next if Baylor decides to move on from Aranda. Zach Gelb, appearing on the 365Sports college football podcast, pushed Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson as the kind of “home-run hire” Baylor should pursue.
Danielson signed an extension in April that keeps him at Boise State through 2030, but Gelb still made the case that Baylor should check in.
“You could argue Boise State has been the premier non-Power Four conference job for a long time,” Danielson said. “… If you are Baylor, you have to call (Danielson) and see if he has the appetite to leave Boise State and go take a job on like Baylor, because that would be a grand-slam, 10-out-of-10 hire for the Baylor program.”
Baylor’s road ahead leaves little room for another stumble. The Bears face a stretch that includes Kansas, then UCF on the road, then Iowa State at home, with three top-25 matchups reportedly looming after that. For Baylor to make any real push, this run has to start now.
Aranda’s contract runs through 2029, and USA Today reported his buyout sits in the $15-20 million range. He has also spoken publicly about the school’s money problems, adding another layer to the scrutiny around the program.
Kansas, for its part, comes in with some injury uncertainty of its own. The Jayhawks will be without cornerback Syeed Gibbs, linebacker Jaron Willis and safety Mason Ellis, and safety Jaden Harris is doubtful. Last week at Kansas State, they held a 17-7 lead through the first quarter before falling apart on the ground in a 35-24 loss in Manhattan.
Marshall showed some progress in that game, even if Kansas couldn’t finish it. He remains a young quarterback settling into a full-time starting role, and the question Saturday is whether he and the Jayhawks can generate more than a Baylor offense that has been uneven through its 4-2 start.
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Baylor's Guards Could Expose Illinois In A Way Fans Notice
Illinois has already shown some early cracks against dynamic perimeter scorers, and Baylors backcourt is the kind of group that can turn those issues into a bigger talking point. In exhibition play, Cincinnatis Tylen Riley piled up 31 points and 13 assists against the Illini, while Baylor guard Kayden Mingo went for 31 in an overtime win over Florida, a reminder of how much damage a confident, high-volume guard can do when the defense struggles to stay in front.
For Baylor, that creates an opening worth watching whenever these teams meet. The Bears do not need a perfect offensive night to stress Illinois if their guards can get downhill, create space and force the kind of reactions that have already given the Illini trouble. The bigger question is whether Illinois has the personnel to keep that from becoming a recurring problem once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Offense Is Back Under Pressure Heading Into Kansas
Baylors offense has quickly become a focal point again after a rough showing against TCU left the Bears looking out of sync in all the places they can least afford it. The run game never found footing, the line had trouble creating space, and the passing attack did not provide enough relief, leaving Dave Aranda and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital with plenty to sort out before Kansas comes to town.
The concerns stretch beyond one bad afternoon because the issues were spread across the operation, from the protection up front to the way the receivers created separation and the accuracy from quarterback DJ Lagway. With Kansas next, Baylor does not just need a cleaner script - it needs a response that shows the problems were a one-game setback and not a deeper trend. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor May Have A Maryland Opportunity Worth Watching Closely
Marylands coaching search has already created a situation worth monitoring from Waco, even before any player makes a move. Once the Terps hire a permanent head coach, their roster will get a 15-day window for players to enter the Transfer Portal, and Baylor is the kind of program that could be in the mix if some familiar names decide they want a fresh start.
Among the players tied to that possibility are Malik Washington, Zion Elee and Darrell Carey, each of whom could make sense for Baylor in different ways based on what the Bears need and what their current staff values. None of it is real until those decisions are made, but with no Maryland players in the portal yet, it is the sort of recruiting subplot Baylor fans will want to keep an eye on as the coaching dominoes keep falling. [Read more 🡒]