Stanford Cardinal 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Of course, 2017 was not a banner year for the PAC-12 overall, and Stanford found a way to steal the North title with just 9 wins by virtue of a 30-22 win over Washington in Palo Alto. They have clarity for the first time in years at QB, with KJ Costello getting the full time gig, and Bryce Love spurned millions in the NFL draft to return for his senior season on the farm. For Stanford to repeat in the North, however, they will have to find more options than just getting the ball to Love as much as they did a year ago, and the offense has to diversify. There is a new OC in Tavita Pritchard, but offense is not the only side of the football with questions, as the top 3 defenders have moved on, leaving huge holes on the defensive side. David Shaw will find a way to make it work, as he may be the best coach in the nation not named Nick Saban.
Breakdown Offense: Costello has the job at QB with nobody looking over his shoulder this fall. He played in 11 games last season, but could not stay entirely healthy, and if he fails to stay on the field this fall, there is no safety net to protect the offense. He passed for 1573 yards with 14 TDs and just 4 INTs in 11 games, so for now, he is the perfect game manager type to run the Stanford offense, but they may need more than that. Junior Jack Richardson and sophomore David Mills were the only other QBs on the roster in spring ball.
Bryce Love is the heart and soul of the offense, and is the best returning RB in the nation nationally for 2018 after spurning the NFL. He rushed for 2118 yards and 19 scores last fall, and averaged 8.05 yards per carry and 162.92 yards rushing per game. He averaged 20.23 carries per game, and will try to take pressure off the passing game once again. Even with Love last season, Stanford ranked just 30th in rushing offense per game, as there is little evident depth behind him. Cameron Scarlett ran for 8 scores, but he is not the impact back that Love is, and Trevor Speights carried the ball just 36 times last season. Dorian Maddox returns as well, but finding young talent to develop is a must, because this whole group may be gone next year. Reagan Williams left spring ball as the starter at FB
Trenton Irwin and JJ Arcega-Whiteside are the returning starter at WR. Arcega-Whiteside is the star here after catching 48 passes for 781 yards and 9 scores last fall. He averaged 16.27 yards per catch. Irwin caught 43 passes for 461 yards and 2 scores, and is more of a possession receiver, averaging just over 10 yards per catch. Connor Wedington and Donald Stewart are the immediate backups. Wedington caught 31 passes as a freshman last fall, but averaged just 7.84 yards per catch.
Kaden Smith has the edge to start at TE this fall. He caught 23 passes last fall as a sophomore, and averaged a whopping 18 yards per catch, a huge number for a TE in this offense. Scooter Harrington and Colby Parkinson are both returning as the backups.
The offensive line is once again a strength for the Cardinal, as 4 starters return in Walker Little (LT), Nate Herbig (LG), Jesse Burkett (C), and AT Hall (RT). Brandon Fanaika, a senior, is expected to step in at RG. Devery Hamilton has the ability to push for a starting job at LT, while Foster Sarell will be a primary backup as well. Senior Nick Wilson will back up at OG, while Senior Brian Chaffin brings even more depth at C.
Breakdown Defense: Harrison Phillips has moved on from the defensive line to the NFL, leaving a massive hole in the middle of the defensive front. Dylan Jackson is the only returning starter on the line, and will line up at DE once again. He totaled just 1.5 TFLs, and will be a full time starter for the first time. Jovan Swann is expected to line up opposite him at DE, while Michael Williams gets first crack at the NT job vacated by Phillips. Junior Thomas Schaffer will serve as depth at DE. This is not a particularly deep front group for Lance Anderson's defense.
Bobby Okereke and Jordan Perez will both be back to start at LB this fall. Okereke totaled 96 tackles and added 7.5 TFLs. Perez totaled 66 tackles, but was not much in terms of making plays behind the line. Joey Alfieri and Casey Toohill left spring ball as starters at the OLB spots. They combined for 58 tackles as reserves last season. Curtis Robinson could push for a starting job at OLB, and Jordan Fox could be in the mix as well. Senior Mustafa Branch could push for more time inside.
Justin Reid is gone at Safety, and Quentin Meeks is also gone at CB, so a ton of production has to be replaced in camp. Alijah Holder is back at CB, while Frank Buncom is back at Safety. Holder totaled just 3 PBUs last fall, but did force 3 fumbles. Bucom totaled 46 tackles, and was not much in pass defense. Malik Antoine is the likely starter replacing Meeks, and totaled 4 PBUs. Ben Edwards, a senior, replaces Reid, and totaled 39 tackles. Depth will be a developmental thing this season.
Breakdown Special Teams: Jet Toner returns, and is one of the better PKs in the nation after hitting 21/26 FG attempts last fall.
Jake Bailey is back at Puntr after averaging a rock solid 45.37 yards per punt, so the overall Cardinal kicking game is in excellent shape.
Scarlett and Maddox are back on KR duty, and are a dangerous duo to be sure. As a unit, they averaged over 25 yards per return last fall. Jay Tyler joins Irwin as main PR candidates, and both are solid in the job.
Final Analysis: When you lose your best defenders, 3 of them in total, it is hard to see where Stanford could be the favorite to win the North, and they are not, as Washington gets the edge in projections once again. That said, the one who doubts the ability of Shaw and his staff to find talent and ways to use it are fools. Mike Bloomgren left as OC for the Rice head job, but Pritchard has been a rising star, and should be just fine with Shaw there to mentor him along. Anderson was a candidate for several jobs, but stayed as DC, which is a gain. Costello has to stay consistent, and healthy, and Love has to be able to have clear running lanes once again if Stanford is to make a push. The Cardinal should have a schedule that sets up for 9 wins, but there are a few traps along the way, as the San Diego State game sets up as a grudge match in the opener. In any event, Stanford will have a say in who wins the PAC-12 North once again.
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