Dave Aranda explains naming Blake Shapen starting quarterback over Gerry Bohanon

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda made a difficult and unusual decision in today’s college football world by ending his quarterback battle after the spring. He announced Blake Shapen would be the team’s starting quarterback this season, meaning Gerry Bohanon would leave the program via the transfer portal.

Aranda firstly explained his decision to go with Shapen as the starter, citing the fantastic spring the sophomore quarterback had. The head coach said the spring game was the icing on the cake and he knew the decision was made.

“Blake, throughout spring, continued to make really good reads,” Aranda said. “To be strong in pressure situations, to grade out well day after day after day. I think he had a really good spring game to kind of cap it off.”

Shapen appeared in six games last season, completing 72.1% of his throws. He ended the year with 596 yards and five touchdowns in just two starts. Now, he will be the full-time starter and look to defend the Bears’ Big 12 championship.

Dave Aranda on difficult aspect of quarterback battles

Naming Shapen the starter meant Aranda had to have a difficult conversation with last year’s starter in Bohanon. Leading Baylor to the conference title and a Sugar Bowl win, Bohanon meant a ton to where the program is heading into the 2022 season.

Aranda explained why it was difficult seeing Bohanon not just be named the starter but also leave Waco. He gave a life lesson along the way and said valuing Bohanon as a person over a football player was always going to be the priority.

“For Gerry, there is no Baylor football without Gerry,” said Aranda. “There’s no last year without Gerry, there’s no me without Gerry. And so, I think everything we try to be — and it’s hard to be this — is to value and see the person over the player. Regardless of the outcomes, regardless of the results, to value the person. Instead of doing stuff to create value, is to really start from value and then roll out.

“So the good or bad, whatever happens, you’re still loved no matter what. I think what happened with Gerry there, again, I hope an example of that. It’s difficult to do though because I think in a way, I am rooting for all of our guys but I have such a strong connection with Gerry. It’s difficult.”

Bohanon wound up transferring to USF but will still go down as an all-time Baylor great. Just because he is not on the roster this season does not mean Aranda will forget what the quarterback gave to the program.