FB: Bears go through "clean" first day of spring practices
3/19/2024 11:50:00 PM | Football
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Whether it's staff meetings or Tuesday's first practice of the spring, with six new coaches, 12 transfers, seven first-semester freshmen and pretty much a new offense and defense, Baylor football is still in the name-tag stage.
But the Bears hit the ground running after 15 walk-throughs and meeting opportunities in the off-season, fifth-year head coach Dave Aranda said, having the "cleanest, probably the fastest first day that I've been around."
"We started (the walk-throughs) as soon as we got back from winter break," Aranda said following Tuesday's two-hour practice. "A new offense coming in and really kind of a new defense and new coaches on top of all of it, so a fair amount of new. I think with the players and the new staff, just the urge to get ir right and the fight to get it right. . . . We'll see where we go from here. I'm excited for this group and what's ahead of them."
The coaching staff changes include a new offensive coordinator in former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital and offensive assistants Khenon Hall (running backs), Jarrett Anderson (tight ends) and Mason Miller (offensive line), along with defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield and inside linebackers coach Jamar Chaney.
Aranda is taking on a more hands-on role with the defense, but is getting plenty of help from the rest of the defensive staff and former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who has assumed a role as senior consultant.
"Gary just brings a love for ball," Aranda said of Patterson. "There's a giddiness that comes with him when the defense makes a play. There's great communication and everything kind fo lines up. He gets excited, as much as any of us would get excited. That is contagious when it's like that. But then I look at Noke (Breckterfield), and I look at his detail, his focus and the guys that he's coached, his experience and his ability to relate."
Coming off a disappointing 3-9 season, Aranda said "there's nowhere to go but up with us . . . but we want to be damn good."
The focus for the Bears is "ball, brotherhood and battle" in a 15-practice spring training that will wrap up with the spring game on April 20 at McLane Stadium.
"Ball is kind of our language," Aranda said. "That's something that we're connecting with, it's something that we're spending time on and it's something that we're investing our extra time in. That's coaches and layers."
The brotherhood, Aranda said, is "coaches connecting with one-on-one talks of, 'Hey, this is school, this is life, how are we handling all these changes? Tell me how you really feel?' I think getting to all that is a brotherhood where there's trust, accountability and realness."
Battle is competing during spring practices and "I'm not in it to lose and I want to win and I'm fighting and scratching and doing everything I can get to get that edge," Aranda said.
That includes Patterson snooping on the offense's walk-through and "looking to see the secret plays."
"We're all fired up to get out and do our best," Aranda said. "And I think it's a good mojo right now. So, we'll see where it goes."
One of the spotlighted competitions is at quarterback. With two-year starter Blake Shapen transferring to Mississippi State, the Bears brought in 2023 MAC Most Valuable Player Dequan Finn to compete with second-year Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson. Finn threw for 2,657 yards and 22 touchdowns and added 563 yards and seven TDs on the ground, while Robertson made four starts last season and threw for 864 yards and two TDs with four picks.
"He has an energy about him that is real, and I think guys are attracted to it . . . they're pulled to it," Aranda said of Finn. "Sawyer, same thing. Sawyer doesn't want to lose to Dequan; Dequan doesn't want to lose to Sawyer. It's good competition, and I think everyone knows where it's at and what needs to come out of it."
Baylor, which opens the 2024 season at home for an Aug. 31 game against Tarleton State, will be back on the field at 4 p.m. Thursday. All practices are closed to the public.
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Whether it's staff meetings or Tuesday's first practice of the spring, with six new coaches, 12 transfers, seven first-semester freshmen and pretty much a new offense and defense, Baylor football is still in the name-tag stage.
But the Bears hit the ground running after 15 walk-throughs and meeting opportunities in the off-season, fifth-year head coach Dave Aranda said, having the "cleanest, probably the fastest first day that I've been around."
"We started (the walk-throughs) as soon as we got back from winter break," Aranda said following Tuesday's two-hour practice. "A new offense coming in and really kind of a new defense and new coaches on top of all of it, so a fair amount of new. I think with the players and the new staff, just the urge to get ir right and the fight to get it right. . . . We'll see where we go from here. I'm excited for this group and what's ahead of them."
The coaching staff changes include a new offensive coordinator in former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital and offensive assistants Khenon Hall (running backs), Jarrett Anderson (tight ends) and Mason Miller (offensive line), along with defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield and inside linebackers coach Jamar Chaney.
Aranda is taking on a more hands-on role with the defense, but is getting plenty of help from the rest of the defensive staff and former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who has assumed a role as senior consultant.
"Gary just brings a love for ball," Aranda said of Patterson. "There's a giddiness that comes with him when the defense makes a play. There's great communication and everything kind fo lines up. He gets excited, as much as any of us would get excited. That is contagious when it's like that. But then I look at Noke (Breckterfield), and I look at his detail, his focus and the guys that he's coached, his experience and his ability to relate."
Coming off a disappointing 3-9 season, Aranda said "there's nowhere to go but up with us . . . but we want to be damn good."
The focus for the Bears is "ball, brotherhood and battle" in a 15-practice spring training that will wrap up with the spring game on April 20 at McLane Stadium.
"Ball is kind of our language," Aranda said. "That's something that we're connecting with, it's something that we're spending time on and it's something that we're investing our extra time in. That's coaches and layers."
The brotherhood, Aranda said, is "coaches connecting with one-on-one talks of, 'Hey, this is school, this is life, how are we handling all these changes? Tell me how you really feel?' I think getting to all that is a brotherhood where there's trust, accountability and realness."
Battle is competing during spring practices and "I'm not in it to lose and I want to win and I'm fighting and scratching and doing everything I can get to get that edge," Aranda said.
That includes Patterson snooping on the offense's walk-through and "looking to see the secret plays."
"We're all fired up to get out and do our best," Aranda said. "And I think it's a good mojo right now. So, we'll see where it goes."
One of the spotlighted competitions is at quarterback. With two-year starter Blake Shapen transferring to Mississippi State, the Bears brought in 2023 MAC Most Valuable Player Dequan Finn to compete with second-year Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson. Finn threw for 2,657 yards and 22 touchdowns and added 563 yards and seven TDs on the ground, while Robertson made four starts last season and threw for 864 yards and two TDs with four picks.
"He has an energy about him that is real, and I think guys are attracted to it . . . they're pulled to it," Aranda said of Finn. "Sawyer, same thing. Sawyer doesn't want to lose to Dequan; Dequan doesn't want to lose to Sawyer. It's good competition, and I think everyone knows where it's at and what needs to come out of it."
Baylor, which opens the 2024 season at home for an Aug. 31 game against Tarleton State, will be back on the field at 4 p.m. Thursday. All practices are closed to the public.
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