Old Dominion Quarterback Could be a Target For Stanford Football This Offseason

Colton Joseph is a big name in the transfer portal that Stanford should look at

Sep 13, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) throws a pass during the first quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The college football offseason is officially here. Improving off of four straight 3-9 seasons with a 4-8 finish in 2025, the Stanford Cardinal are now fully focused on what will be a pivotal offseason in order to return to the national spotlight. Starting with the hiring of new head coach Tavita Pritchard at the end of November, the Cardinal are ready to get to work on turning the tables in 2026.

But if the Cardinal want to see any success in Pritchard's first season at the helm, it starts with figuring out what to do about the quarterback position. Over the last few seasons, the Cardinal have struggled with inconsistent quarterback play, with 2025 starters in Ben Gulbranson and Elijah Brown shining at times, but not doing enough to really elevate the Cardinal's offense.

And while Brown is looking to be the guy in 2026, it is possible that Stanford could go after a more established big name. That is where Old Dominion quarterback, Colton Joseph, comes into play.

Joseph, a redshirt sophomore from Newport Harbor, has spent the entirety of his college career up to this point at Old Dominion, taking over as the starter during the 2024 season after redshirting during his true freshman campaign.

But this season, his first full year as the starting quarterback, Joseph broke out and firmly put his name on the map, throwing for 2,624 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games while rushing for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns, all while guiding Old Dominion to a 9-3 regular season—their most wins in a season since 2016.

Now, with two years of eligibility left, Joseph is transferring so that he can find a Power Four opportunity. Expected to draw a lot of interest, with unknown schools in the SEC, ACC and Big 12 already inquiring about him, Joseph could be a good fit on The Farm, or more specifically, in Pritchard's offense.

Joseph, a dual-threat quarterback, plays very similar to Jayden Daniels in a lot of ways. A quarterback that Pritchard helped develop into an NFL star during his time as a the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders. And during Pritchard's time as a Commanders assistant, he got accustomed to having offenses with dynamic quarterbacks.

Revealing his intention to be the offensive play caller for Stanford during his introductory press conference on Dec. 2, that is all the more reason for Pritchard to go after a guy like Joseph. He can sling the ball, but he can also create problems for opposing defenses with his legs, which is exactly what you want out of an elite college quarterback.

Over at 247 Sports, they have Joseph currently ranked as the No. 12 player in the transfer portal, two spots ahead of another potential QB option for the Cardinal to consider.

It is still too early to tell exactly where Joseph is going to go since the portal window does not officially open until January, but since he has made it known that he intends to transfer, Stanford could at least do their due diligence and see if they can get an idea on if he would sign with them or not.

If Stanford can get a guy like Joseph, the outlook for 2026 could improve considerably.