Stanford Football's Top Offseason Pickups

Stanford football is full steam ahead on preparing for the 2026 season. Finishing 4-8 under the tutelage of interim head coach, Frank Reich, the Cardinal will look to improve even further in new head coach Tavita Pritchard's first season at the helm. Having not made a bowl game since 2018, the goal this season for Stanford is to return to national prominence.

And in order to do that, building a strong roster is vital. But nowadays, programs do more than just recruit the best high school players—they also utilize the transfer portal. Introduced in 2018, the transfer portal allows players to change schools and be eligible to play immediately without needing to sit out a season, as was the case under the previous rules.

The transfer portal is just as important, if not more important, than high school recruiting these days, with the top programs making big splashes during the portal season. The players that are brought in already have some experience playing in college, making it so that they are more likely to have an immediate impact on the roster.

For Stanford, this offseason's portal class may not include the biggest attention-grabbing additions, but it certainly has some very important players. Here are the top offseason pickups for Stanford football.

QB Davis Warren

Stanford used to be a major quarterback factory. From John Elway to Andrew Luck to the more recent guys like Tanner McKee, the Cardinal have seen several successful quarterbacks come through the program.

But in recent seasons, the quarterback play on The Farm has been very inconsistent, which is a big reason why the Cardinal finished 3-9 from 2021-24 and 4-8 this past season. But the Cardinal made sure to address the QB room early this offseason, landing former Michigan starter Davis Warren in the portal.

Warren comes to Stanford with five seasons of college football experience under his belt, and was Michigan's starting quarterback in 2024, going 6-3 with 1,199 passing yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Warren may not have had major success, but now that he is playing for a strong quarterback developer in Pritchard, he could be in line for a breakout season in '26.

The expected starter on The Farm this season, Warren being a bigger name quarterback than the Cardinal have had in the past few seasons could draw some hype. And if he can play well, the Cardinal's offense will be taking a step forward, which could be what they need to secure enough wins for a bowl game appearance.

WR Nico Brown

The Cardinal lost a lot of receivers after the '25 season, but adding Brown will surely make up for the lost production. An FCS All-American after a breakout campaign at Yale last season, Brown caught 71 passes for 1,085 yards (third most in Yale history) and 11 touchdowns, leading the team in all receiving categories.

And while Brown's first season actually seeing playing time came this past year, Brown joins Stanford with four seasons of college football under his belt. In a wide receiver room with a lot of young and unproven guys, his experience will prove vital.

Brown will enter training camp with high expectations, and if he ends up earning a starting job, he instantly provides a reliable weapon for the starting quarterback.

OL Aidan Kilstrom

Over the last few seasons, one of the most glaring issues for Stanford has been the offensive line. Plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, the Cardinal haven't been able to keep a consistent group out on the field and have also dealt with being thin for depth.

This season however, the Cardinal will be much more experienced, with several key players such as Kahlil House set to return. But depth was still a top priority, making Kilstrom's signing a very important one for Stanford.

A four-year standout at Harvard prior to joining the Cardinal, Kilstrom started 22 games in the Ivy League, including every game over the last two seasons.

Guiding Harvard to three consecutive Ivy League titles between 2023-25, Kilstrom is elite at both run and pass blocking, helping Harvard allow only 12 total sacks as an offensive line unit in 2025, as well as helping the Crimson finish top-30 in the FCS in rushing and 11th in scoring offense. Experienced in big moments, Kilstrom's presence on the line could be a difference-maker for the Cardinal.

DB Leroy Bryant

Losing Collin Wright will hurt, but if Bryant's 2025 season at Washington was any indication, there may not be a huge drop-off in play for the Cardinal in 2026.

Spending the first three seasons of his career at Washington, Bryant broke out in 2025, recording 19 tackles and two interceptions, both of which came in Washington's LA Bowl win over Boise State. The Fairfield native now returns closer to home, eager to build off of his promising '25 campaign.

With Wright gone, Brandon Nicholson figures to be the face of the cornerback room, but Bryant will most likely enter training camp as a heavy favorite to start opposite Nicholson. Given Bryant's talent, a cornerback tandem of Nicholson and Bryant could wreak havoc across the entirety of college football.

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