Stanford will release its first depth chart of the 2016 season on Sunday. That's when starters - and in some cases, co-starters - will be released as the Cardinal gears up for its season opener against Kansas State.

Cardinal defensive coordinator Lance Anderson spoke with a couple of members of the media about his unit after a recent Stanford practice.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

"It's still a very competitive situation," Anderson said. "We're going to talk as a defensive staff here over the weekend leading into Sunday to kind of figure out what order they're going to go out in. Our plan is to play maybe all of those guys in the first game if we can. We'll figure out who goes out in the first group, but the whole group of about six guys have played pretty well."

When asked, Anderson did allow that redshirt junior Kevin Palma is "probably the closest thing" Stanford has to a starter at the position. But the position group's other players at nipping at his heels.

"He's definitely been pushed," Anderson said. "He's definitely been in a battle. But he has had a really good week or so of practice And he has the most experience of the group. So he's in pretty good position."

At 251 pounds, Palma is also the largest of Stanford's inside linebackers. On the other end of the spectrum is sophomore Mustafa Branch, who is the smallest of the position's scholarship players. There was some discussion about a potential redshirt year for Branch, who played as a true freshman on special teams in 2015, but his strong training camp has made that an unlikely option.

"Branch has really had a good fall camp," Anderson said. "He still kind of looked like a freshman in the spring, which is understandable, going through his first spring. But he's made some huge strides this fall and he's put himself in the thick of that competition. He's not the biggest kid, but he plays fast, he plays physical."

Anderson also noted that redshirt freshman Sean Barton is probably the fastest player in the position group. Barton, Branch and Palma have been joined by Noor Davis, Bobby Okereke, Jordan Perez and Craig Jones in the competition at inside linebacker during training camp. Aside from Palma, it remains unclear which players will receive prominent billing on Sunday's depth chart.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

Stanford returns three of its four outside linebackers from its 2015 two-deep. That trio - Mike Tyler, Peter Kalambayi and Joey Alfieri - figures prominently into Stanford's plans at the position again in 2016.

"We think Peter Kalambayi, Joey Alfieri and Mike Tyler have given us some good pass rush on the edge," Anderson said. "We think a combination of that group will give us the rush that we need."

Coaches have also praised the development of redshirt freshman Casey Toohill, who should see the first playing time of his collegiate career this season.

The same will likely be true for true freshman Curtis Robinson. Stanford is expecting to play him in 2016.

"We'll see how it all plays out, but I think Curtis Robinson has done a really good job," Anderson said. "I think he can help us on special teams first off, but we're trying to find a role for him on defense as well. I think that role may be determined as the year goes on to see how he progresses. But our plan is to get him ready to go and find some things that he can do. He's very athletic. He brings something in pass rush as well that we can utilize at some point this year."

DEFENSIVE LINE

Stanford defensive linemen Harrison Phillips and Solomon Thomas are locked in as starters along the Cardinal's 3-4 front. The rest of the defensive line rotation remains somewhat unclear, but Stanford is more confident in its depth at the position than it was in 2015.

"(Aside from Thomas and Phillips) it's an unproven group but we're really happy with the progress we've seen from (the other potential rotation defensive linemen) as well," Anderson said. "Eric Cotton has made huge strides from the spring. Luke Kaumatule is playing the best that he's played. Jordan Watkins is (as well). Dylan Jackson has really turned into a really good football player. I think we're going to have depth there. You know how we were last year. We were going in and hoping to get through the game with three guys giving them a rest here and there when we could. But we knew we pretty much had to play three guys. Now we think we have six guys that we can roll through. Again, a lot will tell once we get into the season - how do they perform in games - but we're real happy with that whole group right now."

Given the depth at the position, Stanford expects to redshirt its four true freshmen: Thomas Schaffer, Bo Peek, Mike Williams and Jovan Swann.

"I think that's our plan right now," Anderson said. "Even though some of those guys we're really high on. We think they have some bright futures. But if those six guys that I mentioned before come through, we hope we can get by redshirting those guys this year. A couple of them could step in and play if we needed, though."

SECONDARY

On the heels of a strong training camp, sophomore Justin Reid is in line to break through Stanford's safety rotation in 2016.

"He's had a really good fall camp," Anderson said. "Very athletic - probably the most athletic of the group. I think he's got a good shot there. But Zach Hoffpauir will also definitely play. He's getting back into the form that he was in 2014. I think the more we play, the better he gets. It's going to be a good group. We'll be able to rotate guys through."

Fifth-year senior captain Dallas Lloyd is expected to round out Stanford's primary safety rotation. Sophomore Ben Edwards has been the fourth player up at the position in open practices during camp.

Along with his role at safety, Zach Hoffpauir will be given an opportunity at the nickelback position. Same goes for Quenton Meeks, who is a strong contender to start at cornerback opposite Alijah Holder.

"We've trained Frank Buncom, we've trained Justin Reid some at nickel as well," Anderson said. "But really Meeks and Hoffpauir, those are our two nickels from the last two years, so they've taken the majority of the snaps. So we can roll those guys through the nickel position as well. You put Meeks in there, we're able to get another corner on the field, whether that's Alameen Murphy or Terrence Alexander. Put Hoffpauir at the nickel, we leave Meeks out at corner and go with, like, Dallas and Justin at safety. So it gives us some flexibility."