Exclusive: Shehan Jeyarajah on Dave Aranda's Make-or-Break 2026 Season at Baylor
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Back on November 21, one day after former Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned from the university, president Linda Livingstone announced that Dave Aranda would be back in the green and gold for the 2026 season, despite a 5-5 record at the time.
Baylor would finish 5-7 and it would mark the Bears' third losing season in the last four years. But Livingstone believed it was in the best interest of the school to bring Aranda back for the 2026 season, citing roster retention, keeping the decorated recruiting class, and the ability to invest into the football program.
Baylor would end up losing 59 players to the transfer portal and lose the top-tier players in its 2026 recruiting class. Four-stars Jamarion Carlton, Jordan Clay, and Jamarion Vincent all flipped to other programs.
Aranda was likely saved by a disaster in the athletic department, and entering 2026, he needs to show there is momentum to carry the program forward. Baylor alum and CBS Sports' national reporter Shehan Jeyarajah says Aranda needs to show reasons for optimism for 2027 and beyond to keep his job.
"Not only is this Aranda’s last chance, most would argue that he was very fortunate to get this one," Jeyarajah told Baylor Bears on SI. "If not for an athletic director change in 2025, Baylor likely would have already made a coaching change.
"There isn’t a magic number that Baylor needs to hit. Instead, it will be defined by the simple question of momentum. Can Baylor prove that the program is heading in the right direction? And furthermore, can the Bears show reasons for optimism heading into 2027 and beyond? It’s a tough ask."
Landing Joe Klanderman was a step in the right direction
In order for Aranda to show progress and prove he is certainly the right man for the job, he had to do some self-scouting. While Matt Powledge was the defensive coordinator, it was Aranda who was calling the shots.
But after another disastrous year against the run — ranked 122nd in the nation — and losing seven games, Aranda opted to hire Kansas State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, and allow him to take over playcalling. And while Baylor had a multitude of turnover on the defensive side of the ball, Klanderman is proven and might've been a better fit than what some thought Aranda was capable of landing — under certain circumstances.
"Klanderman was beyond what I thought Baylor was capable of landing heading into a potential lame duck season," Jeyarajah said. "The former Kansas State defensive coordinator has consistently put together elite results and developed at a high level.
"It says a tremendous amount about how Aranda is viewed in the industry that he landed Klanderman and Jake Spavital as coordinator hires while so firmly on the hot seat. It certainly would have been nice for a few more Kansas State players to follow, but Klanderman’s focus on the defense should help lead a more structured, consistent group. "
Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine was the big fish out in the portal, but instead of following Klanderman, Romaine is at Texas Tech, anchoring its defense. Baylor was still able to add a few players from KSU, who are bound to make an impact like Ryan Davis, Jayden Rowe, Daniel Cobbs, and Colby McCalister.
The Baylor Bears will start against Auburn for the second year in a row on Sept. 5 in Atlanta. Fans might learn a lot about their Baylor team when the Bears take the field.
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