Athlon Sports predicts Stanford to be the worst team in the Pac-12

Whenever there is a new head coach in college football it is likely due to the fact that the previous coach underperformed, and the program needs someone to turn it around.

Stanford is experiencing this right now following the departure of the program's winningest coach of all time, David Shaw. His tenure as the leader of the program started as well as it could have, winning 10 or more games in five of his six first seasons, but over the last few seasons there has been a decline in on the field performance on the Farm.

It is now Troy Taylor's turn to lead the program, and while there is a ton of support for what he brings to the table in terms of offensive prowess, there are concerns about the roster he inherited. Stanford has been raided by the transfer portal, losing 17 players, and the team overall is just extremely inexperienced. That is why outlets such as 247Sports and Athlon Sports have predicted the Cardinal to finish No. 12 in the Pac-12 next season.

Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan cited the lack of experience and key departures as the main reasons saying:

Troy Taylor arrives on the Farm after a successful stint as FCS Sacramento State's head coach (30-8), but the former Utah offensive coordinator inherits a roster with major concerns after last year's 3-9 mark. Running back E.J. Smith and tight end Benjamin Yurosek are two of the building blocks for Taylor's offense. However, the line must be rebuilt, and a quarterback battle will play out this offseason to replace Tanner McKee. Stanford's defense has been an issue in recent years and is likely to be a concern once again after surrendering 32.2 points a game in '22. Top corner Kyu Blu Kelly is off to the NFL.

Replacing Tanner McKee will not be an easy task especially considering the most experienced quarterback on the roster has just 25 attempts at the college level. The quarterback isn't the only position of concern, as the offensive line is a unit that has been depleted the most. To combat this issue, Taylor has been putting in work in the portal to add some veterans, going after two Harvard offensive line graduate transfers in Alec Bank and Mason Williams.

With all of the negativity surrounding the program, there are some things to be positive about even despite the inexperienced roster, as we all know that Taylor's offense will put people in position to succeed. Having Yurosek return is major, especially when you consider that the past two years at Sacramento State, tight end Marshel Martin led the team in catches and receiving touchdowns. Defensively, Stanford returns a young core of David Bailey, Ernest Cooper, and Jaxson Moi who all showed a ton of promise, and under the tutelage of Bobby April III should really improve.

Taylor brought in three staffers from Wisconsin who thrive on development, as Wisconsin isn't known for having top-10 recruiting classes, but they are known for having stout defenses.

With all of the players lost, it just gives newer faces a chance to make a name for themselves. Taylor and the Cardinal can only go up, and proving people wrong along the way will serve as great motivation for a hungry team.