By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Baylor came into 2025 with hopes of contending for a Big 12 championship that quickly turned into disappointment after the Bears went 5-7.
This sent the Bears into rebuild mode over the offseason with new coaches, new players and a change in schemes.
While the new players and coaches might be the most eye-catching changes for this new season, a culture change is taking place behind the scenes for Baylor as it get ready for the season.
This culture shift started months before the start of the season when the Bears were still pushing through the grind of spring workouts. Head coach Dave Aranda credited the improvements in the team’s speed and strength leading into the season opener.
“There’s all these guys that were running 21 mph, like 60-some guys compared to 18 from last year,” Aranda said. “You look at all the power clean number from last year to this year, it’s almost tripled.”
This change of culture has not been limited to between the end zones. Aranda and his staff saw that a change needed to be made in the classroom.
“Look at all the transfers we got, and a lot of guys never being in just on-campus classes prior to coming to Baylor,” Aranda said. “In the spring, we had team GPA record.”
Junior quarterback DJ Lagway was one of the players that took strides academically once he came onto Baylor’s campus in the spring. He told USA Today Sports that he never set foot in a classroom while at Florida, making him feel like he was “in a bubble” in Gainesville. He felt more comfortable returning to in-person classes at Baylor without dealing with mobs of fans like he did at his former school.
Establishing a new culture in the locker room is vital to Aranda, who is bringing in 32 new players to his roster.
“I think the leadership, the culture, the mental prep, those have been our big three things,” Aranda said.
After building a culture that demands growth on and off the field, the goal now becomes putting it to the test when it is time to put on the pads.
“We want to master the preparations and put us in a great position,” Aranda said. “When the game starts, we play free and play fast.”
Aranda is certain his team’s culture will streamline game days for his players and help them perform each week.
“I think the confidence for the guys is going to come and knowing what their routine is and executing it under any type of stage,” Aranda said.
Baylor opens its season against Auburn at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
