Dillon Doyle decided to transfer from Iowa to Baylor without stepping foot in Waco. His first day on campus was his first day of summer workouts. It was 2020 and the world was shut down due to COVID-19. Doyle, a middle linebacker who was second on the team behind Terrel Bernard in tackles over the last two seasons, relied on his B.S. meter to sift through potential landing spots. 

“(Dave) Aranda felt like a genuine person, and he’s proven me right through two years,” Doyle said. “I knew right away that he and Ron Roberts were legitimate guys who truly cared about me.” 

Doyle felt an immediate connection with Bernard. The pair dominated the Bears’ second level the last two seasons. Doyle racked up 56 tackles in a nine-game 2020 season and 89 tackles in Baylor’s run to a Big 12 and Sugar Bowl crown in 2021. 

Arriving at a new university in a new state and a new city isn’t ideal during a pandemic, but it is in Doyle’s nature to search for the silver linings. The senior leader speaks fondly of that first year in Waco, even if the Bears went 2-9 in Aranda’s first year in charge. 

“Some of my deepest relationships at Baylor were formed over that time because all we did every day was see each other and hang out,” said Doyle of the 2020 season. “It was a weird time to join a team in the middle of the pandemic because there weren’t a lot of social happenings going on.” 

With Bernard gone, along with fellow defensive leaders such as Jalen Pitre and J.T. Woods, a larger leadership role rests on the shoulders of Doyle in 2022. It is a role he’s comfortable filling. His teammates already see him as a leader. 

“Dillon does not take a play off,” starting center Jacob Gall said. “He’s the smartest guy on the field and the nicest guy on the field, but he also plays the hardest on the field. He’s the type of guy you want as your teammate and a model student-athlete.”