Franklin, Hall bringing different leadership styles to Baylor defensive line

Zach Smith
4 hrs ago
Baylor head coach Dave Aranda probably learned about the concept of yin and yang when he was studying philosophy at Cal Lutheran.
He’s got a prime example on his defensive line.
Fifth-year seniors TJ Franklin and Gabe Hall are two of the most experienced players on the Bears’ roster. With experience come leadership responsibilities. How they go about leading, however, is very different.
“TJ is more of a vocal leader,” Hall said of Franklin. “He's more of the ‘rah rah rah.’ I like to go in there and set an example. He’s more of a talker.”
“He's the enforcer,” Franklin said of Hall. “If I ask him to do something, he'll always do it. If we need him to get the team going, he'll set the tone to get the whole team rolling. It's really great for him to be able to use his strengths and his attributes to be better for the team.”
The result is a dynamic duo that can provide stability and consistency to a unit that needs it.
They had 36 tackles apiece last season to lead all BU defensive linemen.
Franklin finished with three tackles for loss and one-and-a-half sacks. Hall had five and a half tackles for loss, four-and-a-half sacks and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown.
With a few newcomers expected to play key roles on the defensive side of the ball and first-year defensive coordinator Matt Powledge continuing to install his scheme, the experience of Franklin and Hall is more important than ever.
“Our energy (stands out) more than anything,” Franklin said. “We're flying all over the place right now. There are some missed assignments and some busts here and there, but everyone is playing at 100 miles per hour.”
Among the highest-profile transfers joining the fold on the defensive line is Treven Ma’ae, who comes to Baylor after starting his career at Oregon, where Powledge was a co-defensive coordinator last season.
In his last two years with the Ducks, he’s played in 27 games and recorded 32 tackles with four tackles for loss and two and a half sacks.
His endless motor is already turning heads on the Bears' defense.
“That dude there, (he’s) a beast,” Hall said. “He just doesn't have a kill switch. He's always running and going hard, and you can't stop him. I just love that about the dude.”
Among the newcomers on the defensive line that Hall expects to have breakout seasons are redshirt freshman Devonte Tezino and true freshman Trey Wilson, who Hall said is “playing like a vet already.”
For Franklin, being vocal didn’t come naturally.
He leaned on the vocal leaders that came before him on the Baylor defense like linebacker Dillon Doyle and defensive back Jalen Pitre.
He said he’s always been the kind of player who led by example and let other guys take over vocally, but one of his big focuses over the summer was growing into the vocal leader everyone expected him to be.
“I had to get out my comfort zone, so I had to find my comfort zone first,” Franklin said. “I had to push myself a little more every day.”
Franklin has been a pinnacle of consistency for the Bears since he joined after a stellar career at nearby Temple High School.
He played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2019, started in all Sven games he played in during his sophomore season in 2020 and played in all 14 games in 2021 when he was named to the Big 12 honorable mention team.
When he talks now, those with less experience — which is pretty much everyone — listen.
“He’s played a lot, so he has a lot of experience, and when you have somebody like that on the field, you look up to him, and you want to know his wisdom,” Hall said. “It’s good to have experienced people in there.”