By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
After giving up 246.3 passing yards per game in 2024 — a bottom-five mark in the Big 12 — Baylor football is searching for a level-up with new leadership in the cornerback room.
First-year defensive pass-game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Paul Gonzales, who spent 13 years on staff at TCU, is looking to make his mark with an experienced secondary. Supporting head coach Dave Aranda, who will once again be calling the plays on defense, made Baylor the perfect next stop for Gonzales.
“The opportunity to learn from coach Aranda was a big piece of this,” Gonzales said. “Staying in the state of Texas and being able to recruit kids from this state is a big deal for me as well. That’s what I’ve been able to do for the majority of my career. I’m just excited about what we’re building here. This place has the bones and the pedigree to be a championship-level program.”
Following a breakout start to his career and earning a second-team freshman All-American nod, junior Caden Jenkins failed to capitalize in year two with the Bears. Being flagged for the most pass interference calls on the team, Gonzales noted eye discipline as something he wanted Jenkins to work on before taking the job at Baylor.
“I think in the past, he’s kind of been a little bit more worried about the receiver and let the referees be a factor in [isolation] plays,” Gonzales said. “Today, I thought he did a good job of going up and playing the football. There’s been improvement there, so that’s been good to see.”
Redshirt sophomore LeVar Thornton Jr. joined Jenkins in the cornerback rotation in 2024, playing in all 13 games. Thornton finished with eight tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception, but the green and gold struggled to stay disciplined on defense. The third-year Bear is banking on improving that moving forward.
“We will use last year [as motivation] because I know we were probably one of the worst defense coverage units in college football,” Thornton said. “This year we just need to stop being so handsy and stop grabbing, stop with all the [pass interference penalties] and all the easy free yards that we were giving to other offenses.”
Redshirt sophomore Ohio State transfer Calvin Simpson-Hunt was a late addition to the team, landing on campus in late January after winning a national championship.
“I’m happy with how he’s picked up the scheme and the progress he’s making,” Gonzales said. “He’s made some plays in the spring, which has been good … For the most part, I’ve been extremely pleased with how he’s been.”
Simpson-Hunt saw action in nine games en route to the 2025 CFP National Championship, totaling two tackles on the season as a reserve. The former four-star recruit was the No. 16 prospect in Texas and initially held an offer from Baylor before landing with the Buckeyes. Now onto his second stop, he has used his trip to the postseason to fuel his new teammates.
“Going through that, I know, personally, what it takes or how much work has to be put in to reach that far [and] to even get to that level in the first place,” Simpson-Hunt said. “We are definitely going to be up this year compared to previous years that I’ve heard [about]. Defense is definitely gonna be a factor on this Baylor team.”
With the trio battling for play time, the rest of the room is doing the same, as Gonzales came to Baylor with the mentality that everything needs to be earned.
“Right now, it’s probably still a work in progress as far as the depth,” Gonzales said. “Right now, it’s just about getting comfortable with the schematics, getting comfortable with my coaching style and executing the techniques the way we need them executed at a high level … We’ll get to the 15th practice and kind of reevaluate the room and figure out, do we need to add anything to it?”
Redshirt junior Reggie Bush II and redshirt senior Tevin Williams III are the only other Bears on the roster who saw time in the cornerback rotation in 2024. Gonzales noted that each of them have taken strides in spring practice and elevated into leadership roles.
Redshirt sophomore MJ Artimore Jr., redshirt freshman Kyler Beaty and redshirt freshman Christian Cunningham didn’t see action in 2024 and are competing for playing time. Three-star recruit Leo Almanza Jr. is the only freshman in the room. With Gonzales’ daily “evaluation” mentality in the spring, a good offseason could earn Almanza Jr. a role.
“I think that’s kind of the new college football now — like every four or five months, you have to re-examine your roster and figure out where we can get better and where we can improve,” Gonzales said. “For me, there’s no starters. Everybody’s competing for the job. I think that’s a big deal for them to understand that like, ‘Hey, nothing’s been set in stone here.’ And I feel good about where we’re headed.”
The opportunity to battle a Sawyer Robertson-led offense already separates players in the room, creating valuable learning moments and development opportunities. So far this spring, Gonzales has been encouraged by the competition between the offense and the defense.
“We go against a really good quarterback every day in practice, and that’s going to help us get better,” Gonzales said. “The receiving corps on that side is very, very athletic and gives us problems. So that’s been good for us, too. You take that iron-sharpens-iron mentality every day to these 15 practices and you’ll come out of it a lot better than you were before you started.”
The Bears will practice again on Thursday as they work their way toward the Baylor Blitz on April 26 at McLane Stadium.
