Stanford's Hype Video May Give Indication of QB/RB Starters

The Stanford Cardinal are less than two weeks from the 2025 football season getting underway. On Saturday, Stanford football played their first official practice game at Stanford Stadium. Although no media members or fans were allowed in the stadium, the official Stanford Football Instagram page released a video showcasing some of the key plays. Let’s analyze that video.

The post is titled “Saturday reps in Stanford Stadium” and begins with players walking out the tunnel to the beautiful field. They are wearing red and white practice jerseys, as well as helmets without decals on them.

The first play is Micah Ford, receiving the handoff by a quarterback that is not shown, and he takes it through the line, breaking tackles, and reaches the first down line and a little more. In the midst of a RB1 battle, seeing Ford get the first clip gives high hopes for those hoping to see a bit of a breakout from Ford this season.

The second clip is Oregon State quarterback transfer Ben Gulbranson stepping back to find tight end Sam Roush for the first down. Roush’s big frame makes it tough for defenders to bring him down. It could also be a sign of where Gulbranson stands on the quarterback depth chart.

The third clip is returning starting kicker Emmet Kenney winding up for a field goal, held by kicker/punter Aidan Frintoft.

They release a few defensive clips, highlighting a tackle from what looks like star safety Mitch Leigber on the play, followed by corner Cam Richardson preventing a reception. In Richardson’s clip, we can see Wisconsin transfer C.J. Williams, a likely starter, getting reps, as well as Gulbranson remaining as the starting quarterback.

Next, they show freshman Charlie Eckhardt getting a big interception, but, the quarterback again was not shown in this clip. After, we see Gulbranson throw a laser to wide receiver Bryce Farrell, who catches it for a big gain. Farrell could be a key piece to the depth of the wide receiver room.

Following is Gulbranson handing it off to Cole Tabb, who bounces outside and breaks multiple tackles. Tabb is expected to be part to the running back battle that has been taking place throughout fall camp. With him and Ford receiving screen time in the hype video, that could be an indication of where the battle is at, or it could mean nothing at all.

In the final clip, we get to see a new quarterback, this time Elijah Brown, who has been the expected starter for months, but Gulbranson is certainly in the mix as well. Brown finds junior wide receiver Myles Libman over the middle for a first down and more.

The hype video showcases lots of different players that could be key to the Cardinal in the upcoming season. A few takeaways are that Gulbranson may be the starting quarterback, or is at least getting starter reps, while Ford and Tabb will both be getting opportunities in the run game this year. In addition, the wide receiver room is deeper than we may have initially thought.

Stanford's 2025 season kicks off in Hawaii on Saturday, August 23.