In 2023, Baylor football hit a rough patch under head coach Dave Aranda, finishing the season at 3-9. By the end of it, the team looked pretty lost. The defense was out of sync, the offense couldn’t keep drives going, and the quarterback situation was shaky at best. Even though things were tough, Aranda, known for his calm and collected style, wasn’t expected to make any drastic changes. Still, the pressure was definitely on. He stuck with his players, hoping they could bounce back and turn things around for next season.

Cut to 2024, his decision paid off. The roster didn’t change, but the team’s energy did. Baylor looked confident, connected, and consistent. While the results weren’t miraculously good, progress was evident. Much of that came down to stability at quarterback. Sawyer Robertson, who was under immense pressure for his performance in 2023, was a different player altogether in 2024. That somehow became the turning point for Baylor. He threw for over 3000 yards, 28 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also completed 62.2% of his passes and had a passing efficiency rating of 153.1.

Robertson transferred from Mississippi State in the expectation of a better performance in 2023, but that happened a year later. In 2024, he led the Bears to an 8-5 record and a Texas Bowl appearance. During a July 9 interview on 365 Sports, Sawyer Robertson was asked about whether the expectations from the team should be high; his response was honest. “I think they are just because of how we ended last season, to be honest, and then on top of that, how many people were returning from last season’s team, right? And a core group of leaders, a core group of guys that were making some plays last season,” said Sawyer Robertson.

Well, he’s right. There wouldn’t be any rebuilding of the team, but there will be continuity since all the players are familiar with the system and everything around the team. Players like RB Bryson Washington, WR Josh Cameron, and in the offensive line, Campbell Barrington and Garvin Byers will be a part of the squad in 2025. Does this mean the Bears have a good chance of making it to the championship game? Maybe.

Robertson continued, “We’re, I think, doing a good job of tuning all of that out, all those expectations. Keeping the main thing the main thing, our process, the way we approach things, hasn’t changed at all. Um, even though the expectations might have come into this season versus last season after we finished three and nine, you know, that season before.”

The QB’s confidence is high on point. And the part where he agreed to the failure in 2023? It takes a lot of courage to own the past, but that definitely showed his maturity at this point. Now that the season is just a few weeks away, the fan base must be excited to see their players come together once again. What comes next might just depend on how glued the team is and how well the head coach, Dave, can structure them.

Sawyer Robertson reveals strict conversations with freshmen

As QB Sawyer Robertson came back stronger in 2024, his answer about what changed behind the scenes was brutally honest. Well, high standards have been enforced within the team, and who prompted it? It traces back to Dave Aranda himself. Robertson revealed the tricks that were applied to the freshmen and transfers during sessions.

“Well, it’s you who have to have so like all the new guys, right? Whether it’s a freshman, whether it’s a transfer, whatever, um, you come into the the university at Baylor and we do things how we do things, right? And so if they’re out of line, it’s like, hey, you might have done this at the place that you were before in high school or at your other previous college.”

He continued, “But this is how we do things here. Um, and so that specific instance, yeah, some guys were out of line and some of the leaders on the team kind of got together. And whether it’s like a group punishment, making them do thing as all the other do things as all the other players watch, or having that strict conversation, stuff like that, at the end of the day, that’s more important than letting them get away with it.” He didn’t name names. The message was clear: accountability isn’t optional anymore. Baylor still has plenty to prove on the field.

It’s not about correcting the freshmen; it’s about making the shifts. If Baylor finds success in 2025, the sole credit will go to the people inside the building who decided the standard wasn’t negotiable anymore.