Baylor’s defensive front spent Tuesday getting back to work in pads, and the attention quickly turned to what the Bears can be up front this season.
Defensive ends coach Carson Hall pointed to Hosea Wheeler as a key piece in the rotation, especially after Wheeler was granted a temporary injunction on Tuesday. Hall didn’t stop there, though. He also made clear that Baylor’s tackle room has real depth behind him.
"He's incredibly important. He's a very talented player that brings a different dynamic to the game," said Hall.
"I'd be remiss without saying that the entire defensive tackle room is very deep. They're all talented.
They all play hard. It's a front four that plays really well together, and it's really fun to be around."
One of the players Hall expects to help drive that unit is Kansas State transfer Ryan Davis. Davis played in nine games for the Wildcats last season and finished with 14 tackles, 5.5 TFL, four sacks, 1 FF, 1 fumble recovery. Hall said Davis’ familiarity with the system should show up quickly in Waco, especially with the experience he already brings into the room.
"It's really fun for me to see how he evolves in the Baylor version of our defense," stated Hall. "He had a ton of experience coming in, and he knows the terminology and has familiarity with Coach Klanderman and his philosophies.
He's got a good veteran presence. He's one of the leaders in the room that leads both vocally and by example."
Davis said he understands the value he can provide to younger players and others still getting comfortable with the scheme. For him, it’s about being available in any way that helps the defense win.
"I definitely feel a responsibility to help out everybody because I've been in this defense for the past three years. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win," said Davis. "If that's helping guys out, staying after practice, talking through some things with the younger guys or even some of the guys my age and older, I'm going to do whatever it takes."
Hall also laid out the standard he wants from the unit this fall: no wasted snaps, no shortcuts, and a defense that plays with force every down.
"The main goal, to be completely honest, is to come out of every game with no loafs," said Hall. "We're trying to make sure that every game it's no loafs, every single play that I'm in is a full speed rep, whether that's practice or in the game. We want to make sure that we're a very physical unit, that we play with our hands, we play with physicality, we get off blocks, and we pride ourselves on being able to affect the quarterback."
Davis was just as enthusiastic when the conversation shifted to what Baylor’s interior linemen can do for the rest of the defense. He sees a group capable of making life easier for the players on the outside.
"Man, those interior D-Linemen have been tearing it up across the board," said Davis. "Hosea is a big one too. He's one of those guys you can look at and be like, whatever happens on this play, you're going to go disrupt crap, and I'll be right there with you."
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Dave Arandas Baylor Reset Puts Everything On The Line In 2026
Baylor enters the next phase of its rebuild after a season that opened with promise and finished at 5-7, a sharp reminder of how quickly momentum can vanish in college football. The program also has a new voice in the athletic department after parting ways with Mack Rhodes and promoting Doug McNamee, who chose to keep Dave Aranda in place through 2029 as the Bears try to steady themselves and move forward.
The task ahead is sizable. Baylor is rebuilding on both sides of the ball, with multiple transfers coming in and Joe Klanderman taking over as defensive coordinator, but the roster turnover leaves Aranda with a thin base to work from and real questions about how quickly the offense can come together. The defense has to get better against the run, the schedule offers little margin for error, and the Bears know the pressure will only grow if the reset does not start producing wins soon. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Rebuilt Edge Room Faces A Pressure Test Fans Will Feel
Baylors defensive front goes into the fall with a lot to prove after last seasons struggles showed up in both the sack column and against the run. New defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman and defensive ends coach Carson Hall have spent the offseason trying to reset the standard in that room, stressing physicality, effort and technique as the real measures of progress rather than treating sacks as the only thing that matters.
The Bears also brought in Zavion Hardy and Jordan Mack to help reshape the unit, and the revamped group will get an immediate test in Week 1 against Auburn. For a defense that needs a cleaner, tougher start than it managed a year ago, the first game should offer an early read on whether the new-look edge room is ready to hold up when the snaps start piling up. [Read more 🡒]