Four-star QB Austin Novosad reaffirms Baylor pledge, belief in Dave Aranda

Austin Novosad underwent a second chapter of his recruitment that he didn’t foresee. At one point, the On300 passer admitted it became more difficult than he imagined.

After valiant efforts from Texas A&M and then Notre Dame, Novosad is locked in with the longtime pledge to the Bears. After officially visiting Ohio State in June, this turned into a three-team race featuring the Bears, Aggies and then Irish, who entered the race in the 23rd hour.

All three contenders got Novosad on campus in the past week. One last visit back to Waco working out with the other members of the Bears’ 2023 class and another opportunity to immerse himself in Coach Dave Aranda’s culture helped the quarterback ultimately reach a conclusion.

“I wanted to make sure Baylor was the right place, so getting to see other places was cool and fun at the same time,” Novosad told On3. “Getting back to Baylor, getting back to Waco every time felt like home and the whole coaching staff felt like family.”

Novosad was in South Bend on Tuesday, in College Station on Friday and then back at Baylor for the team’s camp on Saturday. After officially visiting Ohio State, he took a second official visit back to Baylor.

In a tight race featuring a pair of home-state programs, including both of Novosad’s parents’ alma maters, the On3 Consensus’ No. 10-rated quarterback elected to follow his own path which became more obvious after another trip back to campus.

“It got pretty hard at one point,” Novosad admitted. “Notre Dame has great academics and football, and Texas A&M, both of my parents went there. I know the fight song and every tradition they have, so it was tough to consider those three together toward the end, but once I got back to Baylor I got the same feeling and that’s what sealed the deal this past Saturday.

“This Saturday, I got to go back for camp and throw to Micah Gifford and get coached by Coach (Shawn) Bell,” he continued. “It was the icing on the cake. I knew I wanted to take the Notre Dame and the Texas A&M visits, but getting back there was home and Saturday wrapped it up for me.”

Novosad originally committed to Baylor in December after his junior season. The Bears were among the first teams to extend an offer to the Dripping Springs (Texas) standout, and more importantly, allowed Novosad to explore his options closer as they arrived at the party.

In the end, Aranda’s same mantra helped secure Novosad, again.

“They were all in and they had in this and that I would come back, and Baylor was definitely the best program,” Novosad affirmed. “Coach Aranda had confidence in his program and that’s what his program is all about — person over player — and you can see that. This is where I wanna be.”

Novosad is the nation’s No. 140 overall player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.