Five things to look for ahead of Stanford’s spring practices
Stanford football has spring practices starting this coming week, which means it is time for me to give a bit of a preview of what to look for. The Cardinal are coming off a 3-9 season and looking to have an improved season in year two of the Troy Taylor era. Below are five things to look for ahead of spring practice.
Also, if you want a refresher on the roster, click here. The early enrollees are marked as “freshman” and have a different kind of photo from the rest of the team.
#1. How does the quarterback battle shape out? With 4-star freshman Elijah Brown as one of the early enrollees, the battle for the starting quarterback job has gotten a bit spicy ahead of spring ball. Obviously, Ashton Daniels being a junior and holding the starting job last year is the front runner to be the starting quarterback again this season. But with Brown coming in with so much hype, it’s no guarantee Daniels will be the starting quarterback for the entire season. And then you have junior Justin Lamson who should factor into the offense regardless as a running quarterback option and also sophomore Myles Jackson.
There’s a lot to look for on the quarterback front. A starting quarterback is unlikely to be named at the conclusion of spring ball, but as spring ball unfolds, we should still learn a lot and have a good feel of what’s to come once fall camp kicks off in early August.
#2. Which running back will grab the bull by the horns? With E.J. Smith and Casey Filkins both graduating, it’s a very different looking running back room at Stanford. Junior Ryan Butler and sophomore Sedrick Irvin, Jr. both project to be the top running backs on the team, but there’s room for sophomore Caleb “Champ” Hampton and senior Brendon Barrow to possibly enter the mix as well. Probably more so than the quarterback room, the running back room is a wide open field in terms of who will get the most touches. It’ll be interesting to see who emerges from this group as the leader and front runner to be the starter ahead of fall camp.
#3. Can David Bailey take things up a notch? When he committed to Stanford, outside linebacker David Bailey was a monster get for the program and viewed as a possible program changer. Entering his junior season now, Bailey hasn’t lived up to the hype, only showing flashes of what he can be. Hopefully for Stanford, this is the year it all comes together for Bailey and if it is, it would be huge if he had a strong performance during spring ball.
#4. How much more smooth will things go for Troy Taylor? Head coach Troy Taylor now has a year under his belt at Stanford. This isn’t his first spring ball on The Farm. He has now gone through a full season of implementing his system and core philosophies. The same can be said for defensive coordinator Bobby April III as well as the rest of the coaching staff. I look forward to learning more about how they are feeling and what it’s like for them as coaches to have a full year under their belts. They gotta be a lot more dialed in and comfortable than they were a year ago.
#5. Will the linebackers become the heart and soul of this defense? I already mentioned David Bailey, but on the whole, the linebacker room is a very veteran group. Especially on the inside. They have senior Gaethan Bernadel and graduate student Tristan Sinclair leading the inside linebacking group. They also have freshman inside linebacker Sam Mattingly who is an early enrollee. Going back to the outside, Teva Tafiti could be in line for a big season along with R.J. Cooper. Lots of quality and experienced pieces. If Stanford’s defense wants to have an improved season, the linebackers will have to be a major reason why. I look forward to seeing how that group looks in the spring and how the rest of the defense feeds off their energy and experience.
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