Defense Looks to Lead Bears to Another Big 12 Conference Title

Led by a strong defensive front, the Baylor defense is arguably the biggest reason for a chance to repeat as Big 12 Champions.

When Matt Rhule left Baylor to become the head coach of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, Baylor fans were feeling uncertain of what his departure could mean for their resurgent Baylor football team, who had just come off a tough 2019 Sugar Bowl loss to Georgia.

Enter Dave Aranda, a first-time head coach with one of the best defensive minds in college football. Aranda was unproven as the leader of an FBS college football program, having served as a defensive coordinator and position coach for his entire career. His inaugural season was no walk in the park, as Baylor finished 2-7.

It was a rough start, but that can largely be blamed on COVID-19 not allowing for an ample transition time under Aranda’s watch. In 2021, the Bears didn’t just hit the ground running, they dropped in at an all-out sprint.

2021 saw Baylor chalk up its first-ever 12-win season, their third Big 12 Championship, and a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. It was sweet revenge for the Baylor Bears, who had been beaten up by the Big 12 the previous season. How did Aranda and his team turn it around so quickly? The two biggest keys to football, of course, are playing really good defense and avoiding mistakes.

People tend to think that to be successful in today’s FBS, you need a Heisman candidate under center or a flashy, incredibly intricate spread-offense. Certainly, those can help win games, but when it comes to winning championships, the defense has got to get it done as well.

Just look at Georgia’s National Championship last year. Their top-ranked defense held Heisman winner Bryce Young and the Alabama offense to just 18 points in that title game, a dramatically better showing for Georgia than the 41 points they let up in their loss against Bama during their first meeting earlier in the season.

The Bears had a similar formula for taking the conference title last year as the Bears finished ranked seventh in the nation for total turnovers forced and twelfth in scoring defense. The offense chipped in as well, taking care of the ball while only coughing up 15 turnovers compared to the 27 their defense forced. Aranda will have a little less to work with personnel wise, especially in the secondary, but the Bears shouldn’t see a significant drop in defensive output.

Baylor returns their second-leading tackler, linebacker Dillon Doyle, who registered 90 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and one interception last fall. He's a leader on and off the gridiron for the Bears, as the following video exemplifies.

Also of significance, is a mountain in the middle of their defensive line in the form of tackle Siaki Ika. The 6’4”, 350-pound Ika spent a season and a half at LSU, where Aranda was defensive coordinator at the time, before reuniting with his former coach at Baylor. He had 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for the Bears last year, not bad for an interior lineman.

Ika’s a natural talent, with great strength, size and mobility. He’s sure to have refined his technique and pad level this offseason, which were his weakest areas. He will be looking to repeat his run-stopping performance from last season, where he piled up and clogged running lanes against even the best rushing attacks. He’ll anchor a defensive line that was one of the Big 12’s best run-stopping units in 2021.

The second and third levels of the defense will be a bit of a question mark until the season kicks off. Baylor loses three of their top four tacklers, which include both of their most productive safeties JT Woods and Jalen Pitre, a pair that combined for eight picks and 109 tackles. The duo is headed off to the NFL now, along with last year’s tackles leader linebacker Terrell Bernard, who racked up 103 tackles and 7.5 sacks of his own in 2021. They’ll also lose starting corner Raleigh Texada, who played a major part in a defense that came up with those 27 takeaways last year, as well as the 17 turnovers created in 2020.

Aranda will have his work cut out for him as he tries to replace these losses, but fear not Baylor faithful, because the Bears have some promising talent waiting in the wings. To begin, Baylor will return a good amount of experience at linebacker. Sixth-year senior Bryson Jackson will likely see time at both inside linebacker and outside “Jack” linebacker this fall.

Jackson had two sacks in the Sugar Bowl last year and is continuing to solidify his role in the 2022 offseason, having returned an interception 93 yards for a touchdown during Baylor’s spring game. He and Doyle should make a solid tandem at the second level, along with fellow linebacker Matt Jones, who forced four turnovers in 2021 (1 Int, 3 FF).

Experience goes a long way, and the linebacker room won’t be the only one with bunches of it as a couple of upperclassmen defensive backs look to follow in the footsteps of their former teammates-turned-pros, Pitre and Woods.

Corners Al Walcott (Sr.) and Mark Milton (Jr.), bring a boatload of veteran savvy back to the Bears secondary. Walcott, once a junior college standout, has made his mark at Baylor and capped off an impressive 2021 season with a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.

Both will be counted on to keep opposing receivers in check as well as come down to hold the edge when runners try to bounce outside. They’ll be joined by safety Christian Morgan, who returns for his fifth season at Baylor after recording three interceptions in 2020 and six pass deflections in 2021.

Aranda and Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts will continue to emphasize the importance of stopping the run and winning the turnover battle in 2021. They’ll face a tough road schedule, facing both Texas and Oklahoma in their home stadiums. The away games will be the ultimate test this year for Baylor, whose only two losses last year came on the road. The Bears will kick off the season with a Sep. 3 home opener against FCS opponent Albany before going on the road for their first challenge of the season against BYU on Sep. 10. 

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