Baylor lands defensive commit over Auburn on the same day Dave Aranda is retained

It's been a hectic two days for Baylor. On Thursday, former AD Mack Rhoades and Baylor went their separate ways. Then on Friday, President Linda A. Lingstone announced that Dave Aranda would be back for the 2026 season, despite a 5-5 record through 10 games this season.

While a lot of the Baylor faithful weren't happy about Aranda keeping his job -- it does bode well for recruiting. Not only do the Bears have a legit 2026 class -- assuming Baylor keeps all of them -- but Aranda is already working magic in the '27 cycle.

On Friday, Baylor added a commit. The Bears landed DL Jalen Price. Price picked Baylor over Auburn. He also held offers from Idaho and UTSA, among others. As of now, Price isn't ranked.

I’m home🏡#SicEm https://t.co/ZqvcnGgWOb
— Jalen Price(JP) (@JalenPrice_) November 22, 2025

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound lineman hails from Cedar Hill (TX). He is now the third commitment in the '27 cycle for the Bears. He joins four-star athlete Karece Hoyt and three-star CB Davontrae Kirkland.

One reason Baylor kept Aranda was to retain its roster and help recruiting

In Livingstone's letter, she cited keeping Aranda will help with roster retention and recruiting.

"Student-athlete experience: Retaining our current roster and protecting a nationally ranked recruiting class are essential to our future success"

Baylor currently has a borderline top-25 class in the 2026 cycle and while programs are trying to steal them away, keeping Aranda will help keep most, if not all, of those players in the fold. While the 2025 season has been disappointing, there is hope that Baylor will give Aranda the resources needed to go out and build a stellar roster next season.

One reason Baylor kept Aranda was to retain its roster and help recruiting

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