Texas Football: What Does Baylor's Potential Dave Aranda Hire Mean for the Big 12?
After losing head coach Matt Rhule to the NFL, most understood that Baylor needed to make a homerun hire to stay on the trajectory the current Carolina Panthers' head coach had set for them in going from 1-11 to 12-2 in just three seasons.
Most would consider LSU's Dave Aranda to be exactly that.
Aranda coached for four years in Baton Rouge, producing three top 25 defenses along the way. Before that, he was at Wisconsin where he helped the Badgers finish in the top 10 in total defense for three straight seasons, including No. 2 in 2015.
This past year wasn't his most impressive effort statistically, but he helped orchestrate a defense that helped the Tigers win the national title.
So what does this hire mean for Texas and the rest of the Big 12?
Expect Baylor's defense to stay stout
Last year the Bears were fierce on the defensive side of the ball, as Texas can very well attest to from its 24-10 whipping in Waco.
Baylor boasted what most considered to be the best defensive line in the Big 12 and its secondary closed well enough in space to push high-powered Oklahoma to its limit in two meetings.
For a conference known for its offense, Aranda's hiring continues a recent trend toward the cutting edge on the defensive side of the ball in the Big 12.
Even if the talking heads haven't taken notice yet, the conference is starting to play a little defense. This will only continue that trend.
Recruiting will get tougher
It was already rough for Texas and other Big 12 schools to have to recruit head to head with Aranda in the Lone Star State when he was at LSU. Now that he's at an in-state school that problem may actually ramp up.
Aranda is one of the best in the business right now on the recruiting trail. He's helped assemble a heap of NFL talent at LSU and has a track record of developing that talent to use as bragging rights.
Texas (and Tom Herman) have gotten the better of Aranda in the past
Texas didn't quite pull off the upset against LSU last September, but the results had nothing to do with scoring points on Aranda's defense. The Longhorns put up 38 on the Tigers and should have scored two more touchdowns on failed fourth-down conversions inside the 5-yard line.
As an offensive coordinator at Ohio State, Herman straight-up embarrassed Aranda's Wisconsin squad 59-0 back in 2014.
Of course, both of those games are in the past and Texas won't get any credit for that when Aranda comes to town on the Baylor Sideline next season, but the Longhorns do have some favorable film to examine when it comes to his scheme.
What do you think?
How do you think Dave Aranda will do at Baylor? Sound off in the comments below and let your voice be heard.
