Three biggest transfer portal needs for Stanford football this offseason

The transfer portal is officially open and while the Cardinal will certainly continue to build their program with young talent, they will also look to add experienced veterans who can help them reverse their fortunes in 2025.

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal linebacker Tristan Sinclair (8) sacks California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (left) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The college football regular season officially ends this weekend with the Army-Navy game, signaling that both the start of bowl season and the start of the College Football Playoff are near. But for some teams, the offseason is in full swing, with many programs already deep into preparing for 2025. The Cardinal are one of those teams, and after finishing a fourth consecutive season at 3-9, changes are imminent as 2025 becomes a crucial campaign.

Many Cardinal players have already announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal and play out their remaining eligibility elsewhere, leaving plenty of holes on the roster for the program to fill. With the portal now open, here are the three biggest needs for Stanford to address.

Quarterback

This season, the Cardinal had Ashton Daniels, Justin Lamson and at times, Elijah Brown be featured as the main starters, with all three of them showing flashes of greatness. However, the team failed to get consistency from any of them as while Daniels showed his talent at times, leading the team in rushing and establishing himself as a lethal dual threat quarterback, he also struggled with turnovers, throwing 12 interceptions to only 10 touchdowns with some of his turnovers coming in big moments.

Brown, who was expected to have a decent sized role as a true freshman, was instead limited to only three games after an injury suffered early in the year hampered his development.

Lamson was a cog in the run game, leading the way in rushing touchdowns, but was not a major factor as a passer. With Daniels and Lamson both entering the transfer portal, Brown is now the most likely candidate to start if the team does not add another quarterback.

But for a team looking to improve on four straight 3-9 seasons and become a threat in the ACC, they will need an established veteran, and should look to lure in a big name from the portal, with USC’s Miller Moss, Liberty’s Kaidon Salter, Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold being some of the most notable quarterbacks who have opted to transfer.

Offensive line

The offense had a hard time putting together sustainable drives and creating big plays and while there were many factors, one of the most jarring reasons for that was the offensive line struggles, with Stanford giving up 39 sacks to opponents this season, which was tied for 122nd in all of college football which puts them near the bottom in that category.

In an ACC that is known for its star powered defenses, the Cardinal will need to give their playmakers more chances to make a big play. With a handful of their linemen already putting their names in the portal, most notably fifth-year Connor McLaughlin, senior Austin Uke and sophomore Luke Baklenko, there will be a lot of holes to fill on the line.

While the program was able to bring in some young talent for the line on signing day, getting experienced players will be vital for making sure that the offense is ready to take that leap forward next season.

Linebacker

Over the past few seasons, linebacker has actually been a major position of strength for the Cardinal, with Tristan Sinclair and Gaethan Bernadel forming a dynamic duo where they led the program in tackles for the past two seasons.

But with Sinclair out of eligibility and Bernadel declaring for the NFL Draft, the Cardinal will be left with two massive holes in the middle. Sinclair, who had been with the Cardinal since 2019, was the most influential leader in the locker room while Bernadel came in as a transfer before 2023 and became an immediate star, tallying 172 tackles over his two year Cardinal career.

The Cardinal are used to having seasoned veterans lead the defense, and with both of them gone, they will want to use the transfer portal to find their replacements, needing to find players who are capable of becoming fast leaders and immediate impact players in 2025.