There’s a reason Aranda was college football’s highest paid assistant at $2.5 million last year, which was more than about 70 FBS head coaches made in 2018, including 10 at Power 5 schools. (Yes, including Odom before his new contract kicked in.)

At just 42 years old, Aranda has coordinated elite defense after elite defense, starting at Utah State then Wisconsin and now the last three years at LSU, where he also coaches the Tigers’ linebackers.

His first LSU defense in 2016 allowed the fewest touchdowns in the country and last fall the Tigers were among the SEC leaders in interceptions, sacks and pass efficiency defense.