Four position battles to watch out for during Stanford football's spring ball

Author:
Kevin Borba
Apr 01, 2024

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Stanford

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College football

PALO ALTO- Year one of the Troy Taylor era was all about getting a feel for things for the Stanford Cardinal simply due to all of the experience the team lost after David Shaw stepped down.

In 2023, the team returned two starters on offense and not many more on defense, making them one of the least experienced teams in college football. Players that were third or even lower on the depth chart were thrust into starting roles, which combined with the Pac-12 being at an all-time high in talent, didn't make for the best year in the win-loss column.

Heading into 2024, the Cardinal rank No. 37 in the country in returning production, and with a strong recruiting class complimented by a handful of transfers, this team could see a bit of an improvement from 3-9 last season. On Monday, the Cardinal will take the field for their first day of spring ball, and four positions stand out as having battles that could extend through fall camp to determine who gets the starting role. Spring gives them a chance to get a head start, make up ground, or simply hold onto a role you had last season.

So, without further ado, here are the four position battles to watch out for this spring in Palo Alto.

undefined — Sep 25, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal safety Alaka'i Gilman (33) tackles UCLA

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Safety

One of the bright spots on the defense last season for Stanford was safety Alaka'i Gilman who earned Pac-12 Honorable Mention recognition in his first season as the starter. He ended up entering his name into the transfer portal, and is now at Utah. In losing him they are losing someone with 13 career starts, and someone who emerged as a leader. They do have Scotty Edwards returning as the other safety, but spring ball will give a couple of players who have seen action as rotational pieces to make a case to be the other starter. It is worth noting that early enrollee Cam Richardson was labeled as a safety as a recruit, but is listed as a corner on the roster so he may not be in contention at this time.

Notable names to look out for: Mitch Leigber, Omari Porter

Wide Receiver

This one may come as a bit of a shock considering Stanford has one of the best receivers in the country in Elic Ayomanor and true freshman Tiger Bachmeier was the perfect compliment to him, but they need someone else to emerge. John Humphreys was expected to play a big role last season but injuries plagued him, and Mudia Reuben didn't seem to seize the opportunity. He very well could be the front-runner to be that third receiver, but there will be some youngsters who have either enrolled early like Emmett Mosley V, or someone like Jackson Harris who saw snaps last year as well.

Notable names to look out for: Bryce Farrell, Emmett Mosley V, Jackson Harris

Running Back

Last season this position was thought to be a strength of the team due to the return of both E.J. Smith and Casey Filkins, but with Smith at Texas A&M and Filkins having graduated, there is a need for a new lead back. The run game last season was rendered useless by the poor offensive line play, but with that unit getting their feet wet, they should be able to help facilitate this facet of the game which will open up Troy Taylor's playbook even more. For sophomore Sedrick Irvin, this is his job to lose. He exploded in his start against Arizona, and showcased just how dynamic he can be when the line gets even a slight push. He will have a chance to put some distance between him and the three talented incoming freshmen who will be joining the fold in fall camp.

Notable names to look out for: Sedrick Irvin, Ryan Butler, Brendon Barrow

Quarterback

The quarterback battle was the story of spring ball last season, and will continue to be so this year as well. We do know that Ashton Daniels has a leg up on everyone else being that he was the primary starter, but he didn't do enough to put a claim on the job permanently. While the offensive line didn’t make anyone's life easier whether it was Taylor calling plays, the running backs trying to get past the line of scrimmage, or quarterbacks hoping to have a clean pocket there were still some blatant mistakes made by each quarterback. Daniels struggled when facing pressure, as he threw six of his 11 picks when he was pressured, some of which just seemed like he'd force a throw just to get rid of it. Lamson has a huge arm, but struggled with accuracy, and was more so used in the run game. Their inconsistencies will allow for Myles Jackson, or gem of the 2024 recruiting class, Elijah Brown, to make a case for the job. There is an expectation that Brown will be starting eventually next season, just more so a matter of when.

Notable names to look out for: Ashton Daniels, Justin Lamson, Myles Jackson, Elijah Brown