Baylor Football: Media Availability | September 7, 2026
- At Baylor's September 7 availability, Dave Aranda called quarterback DJ day-to-day with an ankle issue. DJ was expected to take part in that day's walk-through; playing remained conditional on progress through the week. Aranda said backups Nate and Ed would both get developmental work and could bring different offensive strengths. This was not game clearance or a confirmed quarterback switch.
- Aranda confirmed Baylor safety Jacob is out for the season. With him absent, Devon moved up and Micah contributed in the safety rotation; Aranda praised communication and Micah's progression from special teams to meaningful defensive snaps. Jacob continues helping younger defensive backs in meetings and practice. The transcript does not provide reliable full names for these players.
- Aranda credited Baylor's defensive line with individual pass-rush wins, run defense and direct attacks on the mesh point that disrupted the opposing offense. He linked the pressure to the three interceptions and said the second and third units can rotate without a major drop-off. That is the coach's assessment of improved front depth, not a forecast of repeat takeaways.
- Baylor switched Caden and Logan at offensive tackle because, according to Aranda, Caden had performed well enough to take on the opponent's best rusher. Aranda said the line had settled after the move and expected to retain that arrangement. Separately, he described additional lower-leg injuries as day-to-day, but the supplied transcript renders the affected names inconsistently.
- Baylor's first game concentrated 22 of 27 catches among three players; Aranda wants more receivers involved to sustain their workload. He also wants more explosive gains and better scoring conversion on long drives. He called the first-half run game disappointing but saw second-half improvement, identifying sustained rushing as another way to finish possessions.
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Three Takeaways: September 7 - Baylor
- After Baylor recorded five sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss while limiting Auburn to just over three yards per carry, Dave Aranda credited the defensive line's one-on-one wins, run stopping and recognition of play-action passes.
- Dave Aranda said Baylor now has enough defensive-line depth to rotate second- and third-unit players without the drop-off he associated with earlier teams.
- Baylor's Gavin Freeman caught 12 passes for 154 yards and a late five-yard touchdown against Auburn, with Dave Aranda saying that performance matched what he had seen from Freeman since his arrival.
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