A Look at New Stanford Quarterback, Dylan Rizk

Stanford's quarterback room just got a whole lot bigger. Landing former Central Florida standout, Dylan Rizk, from the transfer portal earlier in the week, Stanford football wasted no time in finding someone to come in and replace Bear Bachmeier, who announced his intention to enter the portal without taking a snap for Stanford.

So now that Rizk is on The Farm, what was his journey to get there? A former three-star prospect out of Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Rizk chose to sign with UCF over offers from a handful of other top programs, including Appalachian State, Indiana, Michigan State and Kentucky among others.

Rizk then joined the Knights and after appearing in only one game as a freshman in 2023, completing 4 out of 5 of his pass attempts for 28 yards, he took on an even bigger role in 2024, starting in four games and compiling a 1-3 record. Overall last season, Rizk completed 61.5% of his passes for 904 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

But with the Knights re-hiring former head coach, Scott Frost, and entering a new era, Rizk opted to hit the portal and look for a fresh start and a place where he could compete for the starting job.

The Knights were aggressive in the transfer portal when it came to landing quarterbacks, ultimately signing Tayven Jackson from Indiana and Cam Fancher from Florida Atlantic, giving Rizk an uphill battle to earn the job.

At Stanford, while Elijah Brown is the overwhelming favorite to win the job, Rizk has a legit shot at competing for it. When Bear Bachmeier was still with the program and taking part in spring practices, there were rumblings that he could potentially win the job as a true freshman, signaling that while Brown is the favorite for the role, the job is still very much up for grabs.

Rizk brings a lot to the table for the Cardinal that could prove to be very beneficial this season. In addition to his experience as a Power Five starter, albeit in a limited capacity, Rizk also possess tremendous IQ and field awareness, being the type of quarterback that does not turn over the ball very much.

Over the past two seasons, with 2024 being a major issue in particular, Cardinal quarterbacks have struggled to protect the football. Combining for 17 total interceptions last season, Stanford quarterbacks threw just 18 touchdowns, but also committed some turnovers via fumble. As a team, the Cardinal committed 22 fumbles, losing five of them.

Brown has certainly warranted a shot to start, given how much potential he showed in the three games that he played last season. But with interim head coach Frank Reich being a former quarterback as well as a head coach in the NFL, while being eager to help Stanford get back into the national spotlight, the leash may be shorter for quarterbacks this season.

If the program feels that Rizk gives them a better shot to win, then he very well could be the guy who lines up under center come Week 1.