From the Hot Seat to 4-1: Baylor's Defense Has 18 Sacks and 10 Takeaways, and Dave Aranda's Outlook Has Changed

Sic 'em. In August, the national conversation about Baylor was Dave Aranda's job. At the bye, it's how good this defense has become.

The Baylor Lariat's Carson Vercoe lays out the turnaround. Last season, the Bears allowed 32.6 points and 392 yards a game and finished with 12 sacks. Five games into 2026, they already have 18 sacks, fourth-most in college football, plus 10 takeaways, and they've held every opponent under 20 points. "We got a really good defense," linebacker Ryan Davis said. "I still think the bar is getting raised every single week, and this isn't the final product yet."

SI's Jason B. Hirschhorn asked the question directly: has Aranda coached his way off the hot seat? His answer is not yet, but he's close. Aranda went 22-28 in the four years after the 2021 Big 12 title, and before this season he handed defensive play-calling to new coordinator Joe Klanderman. Since a 17-16 loss to Auburn in the opener, Baylor has won four straight. Hirschhorn notes the defense was 29th nationally in ESPN's SP+ entering Week 6, even after losing safety Jacob Redding and defensive tackle Devonte Tezino to season-ending injuries. DJ Lagway's 306-yard, four-touchdown night at Arizona State earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Aranda sounded like a coach who's heard the noise. "So much criticism with this team and so much negative stuff, after a while it's like you can't take it anymore," he said, per the Lariat. "There's no pretense of any frenemies. It's straight enemy, and you can be the villain, and that's what you saw."

Hirschhorn's math for the rest of the year is simple. Baylor's next four opponents have two combined wins over FBS teams with winning records, and the Bears probably need to avoid going 0-3 in the closing stretch against BYU, Texas Tech and Houston. Win one of those three, he writes, and Aranda could plausibly keep his job even with a split of the other games. The run game is still a question. The Lariat says the Bears averaged 3.7 yards a carry before they broke out for 244 rushing yards at Arizona State.

Baylor (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) hosts TCU on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. on FS1. Get ready for the Revivalry on the Baylor Football page. Radio question: what does Aranda have to do for you to call him officially off the hot seat?

Sources: The Baylor Lariat — Baylor turns preseason doubt into midseason hope; SI (Baylor) — Has Dave Aranda coached his way off the hot seat?; BaylorBears.com — Baylor to host TCU at 6 p.m. on FS1.