Five Players that Stanford Football Will Miss the Most in 2026

A new era of Stanford Cardinal football is here. Hiring a new head coach in Tavita Pritchard, the Cardinal will look to build off of a promising '25 season while also building a sustainable foundation for long term success.

Eager to prove that they are ready to compete in a loaded ACC conference, the Cardinal worked tirelessly to not only build a strong coaching staff around the rookie head coach Pritchard, but also build a roster capable of winning right now.

But even though the Cardinal are ready for their new era, that does not mean that they won't miss some parts of their past. Heading into the '26 season, the Cardinal have a lot of questions that they need to answer, mostly surrounding what the make-up at each position will look like.

Several key players from the last few seasons departed after last year, creating a void in multiple areas. Here are the players that Stanford football will miss the most in 2026.

TE Sam Roush

One of the two season long captains for the Cardinal in 2025, Roush leaves Stanford as one of the more successful tight ends in recent seasons, firmly cementing himself among the greats of Stanford's Tight End U reputation.

Finishing his Stanford career with 119 catches for 1,201 yards and four touchdowns, including catching 49 passes for 545 yards and two touchdowns this past season, Roush played a big role on the offense. Even though the offense has struggled over the last two seasons, Roush was a consistent bright spot.

Entering the NFL Draft and heading to the draft combine in Indianapolis, Roush has a bright future ahead. Stanford on the other hand will be losing a very important voice in the locker room.

CB Collin Wright

The other season-long captain alongside Roush, Wright dealt with some injuries in his final season on The Farm, but still managed to be the same impactful player that he has always been.

A three-year starter for the Cardinal, Wright evolved into the type of player that quarterbacks did not want to throw near, and was an important leader for a defense that has experienced some growing pains over the last couple of years. Ending his Stanford career with 144 tackles, 14 passes defended, five interceptions and a sack, Wright is a highly touted prospect heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.

Bringing in a whole new coaching staff, including a new defensive coordinator in Kris Richard, things will look a lot different this season, and not having Wright's veteran presence could be a problem.

DL Clay Patterson

As the age old saying in football goes—it all starts up front. And Patterson, a member of the Stanford program for two seasons, certainly echoed that notion plenty during his short stint on The Farm, especially in his final season in 2025.

A depth piece in his first season with the Cardinal, Patterson broke out in his first season as a starter, ending the '25 campaign with 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Patterson made play after play and caused problems for opposing teams. He also brought plenty of leadership and experience, spending five seasons at Yale and four as a starter. Now that he is gone, the new-look Cardinal defense will need to rely on the less experienced guys, with growing pains being a major concern once again.

WR CJ Williams

After the 2024 season, the Cardinal lost every wide receiver from that team, leaving the Cardinal with a vastly different receiving core in 2025. And while the Cardinal did manage to sign some key players in the transfer portal this offseason to help make up for Williams' departure via graduation, a strong '25 season from Williams is one that the Cardinal wish that they could have again in '26.

Catching 59 passes for 749 yards and six touchdowns, Williams took some time to get going, but once he found his rhythm, he became the clear-cut No. 1 pass catcher for the Cardinal. A new quarterback will be under center this season, and with Williams gone, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the new No. 1 wideout on The Farm.

OL Jack Leyrer

Leyrer missed the entire 2025 season due to an injury, but was an expected starter heading into the season, and his absence really hurt Stanford's offensive line throughout the season. And now that he is leaving, the Cardinal will not only need to establish a new permanent identity on the offensive line, but will need someone to step and be a leader.

With the Cardinal program for five seasons, Leyrer was still around the team in '25, even though he wasn't playing, providing leadership for a young offensive line unit. Now, the Cardinal have a major void to fill at that position group, both on and off the field.