[Hulk01]

Agreed: Very different players this year.

McCaffrey can be used twice as often and in more ways. (We're going to see something that resembles the veer option pitch, as well as combination pass plays off the fake option.)  And he's visibly bigger and running well between the tackles.

Irwin will play immediately and work underneath, where we haven't been effective since Luck.

Love is too freakishly quick and fast not to be deployed, if only as a diversion to frighten the defenses. At a minimum, he is the jet swee/fake jet sweep guy.  And trust me: We've never seen anything like him at Stanford.  The closest parallel is Deanthony Thomas, but Love is quicker.  (Smarter goes without saying.)

Schultz will push Hooper--he's already a better blocker, and Hooper is good--and Hopper is the heir apparent to the #1 TE in the Pac 12 title.  We're likely to have two of three best TEs in the conference and, with Taboada, three of the top eight.

Marx could give us a bona fide short yardage back, as well as a receiver out of the backfield.

Hogan should be more focused, confident, and composed. 

Arrows look up. 

[Hulk01]

Agreed: Very different players this year.

McCaffrey can be used twice as often and in more ways. (We're going to see something that resembles the veer option pitch, as well as combination pass plays off the fake option.)  And he's visibly bigger and running well between the tackles.

Irwin will play immediately and work underneath, where we haven't been effective since Luck.

Love is too freakishly quick and fast not to be deployed, if only as a diversion to frighten the defenses. At a minimum, he is the jet swee/fake jet sweep guy.  And trust me: We've never seen anything like him at Stanford.  The closest parallel is Deanthony Thomas, but Love is quicker.  (Smarter goes without saying.)

Schultz will push Hooper--he's already a better blocker, and Hooper is good--and Hopper is the heir apparent to the #1 TE in the Pac 12 title.  We're likely to have two of three best TEs in the conference and, with Taboada, three of the top eight.

Marx could give us a bona fide short yardage back, as well as a receiver out of the backfield.

Hogan should be more focused, confident, and composed. 

Arrows look up.