Dave Aranda didn’t have a long opening statement in his weekly media availability, but he still gave Baylor plenty to chew on ahead of the Prairie View A&M game. The biggest update centered on DJ Lagway, and the message was simple: the quarterback is being watched closely and could still be in line to play.
“So we have a walkthrough today. DJ will participate.
He'll go through the walkthrough and so he's he's going for today and then we'll be day-to-day after that and so we'll see after today how Tuesday looks and Wednesday and so forth and so right now DJ is a day-to-day guy. If we get from day to day through day this week, we want to play him.”
That’s the kind of answer that keeps the door open without promising too much. Lagway’s status will keep moving day by day, but Aranda made clear that if the week goes well, Baylor wants him on the field.
Aranda also addressed a cluster of other injury concerns, including Kaden Sieracki, Kolton Sieracki and Jadon Porter.
“Right, yeah. We've got Kaden Sieracki, we're looking at him.
Kolton Sieracki, we're looking at him. Jadon Porter, they both got lower leg injuries that we're looking at.
I would consider those guys day-to-day as well.”
The injury list doesn’t stop there. Aranda spoke about safety Jacob Redding, who went down before the season with a torn ACL, and the tone was clearly personal.
“It's hard. He's a leader.
He's a great communicator. We've done a lot of talking with him about how you can lead from the bench.
That's tough to do when you had your mind set on something else. But in terms of my heart set and mind set and in terms of a person and someone that cares and someone that's all in and someone that bleeds green and gold, it's harder to find anyone more than him.”
Aranda then shifted to the broader picture, making it plain that Baylor needs a win and wants the team to start turning outside attention into real results.
“Yeah, totally important. We have to win.
And so I'd say that, number one, to get people excited. I think there's enough film or the views of like, hey, these guys are maybe different.
Maybe these guys can do something. And so if that's where it's at, we got to move that to where these guys are winning.
And these guys are winners. These guys deserve to be backed.
These guys deserve to roll with us. And so we very much want to do that.
And it starts here coming up.”
Prairie View A&M is not being treated like a throwaway game. The Panthers play an up-tempo style, and head coach Tremaine Jackson is coming off a first season in which he was named Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Baylor knows Prairie View will be out to win, not just hang around, and stopping that push is part of the assignment.
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Baylor's Week 2 Suddenly Hinges On DJ Lagway's Mobility
DJ Lagways right ankle injury turned Baylors Week 1 into a much different kind of game than the Bears likely expected, and now the ripple effects are carrying straight into Week 2. Head coach Dave Aranda called the quarterback day-to-day after Lagway was limited in his mobility for the rest of the contest, a situation that immediately changed how Baylor could operate on offense.
The biggest concern is less about the label attached to the injury than what it means for the Bears game plan if Lagway still cant move freely. Baylor had to cut back on running plays that depend on his legs, and Aranda said the team will keep evaluating him throughout the week before deciding how much of the offense it can fully open up again. [Read more 🡒]
Aranda's Gamble Just Fueled A Bigger Baylor Debate
Dave Aranda kept leaning into the same trait that has defined plenty of his biggest calls in Waco: he trusts aggression over caution. Against Auburn, Baylor put itself in position to leave with a tie, and Aranda opted for the more daring path late instead of settling for the extra point. It fit a pattern that has shown up before, whether on fourth down or in short-yardage moments, and it once again put the Bears in a spot where one decision became the story.
The play itself moved Baylor close enough to make the building hold its breath, with the pass to Matt Klopfenstein finished but not quite reaching the line Baylor needed. From there, the rest became familiar and frustrating for a team that has lived through the consequences of these gambles before. The onside kick failed, Auburn escaped 17-16, and the bigger debate around Aranda's instincts only got louder. [Read more 🡒]
Aranda Sees One Early Baylor Strength Fans Can't Ignore
Dave Aranda had plenty to sort through after Baylors season-opening loss to Auburn, but one early takeaway stood out on the defensive side. The Bears defensive line showed the kind of strength and depth the coach has been looking for, and Aranda made clear that group gave him reasons to believe the front can be a real foundation as the season unfolds.
The challenge now is carrying that standard into Saturdays matchup with Prairie View A&M, where Aranda wants the same preparation and attention to detail regardless of the opponent. He also singled out Oklahoma State transfer Gavin Freeman for the way he has worked and performed, a sign Baylor already has some emerging pieces beyond the obvious headlines as it turns the page from Week 1. [Read more 🡒]