In light of
why I think it is important at Stanford more so than at other highly-ranked schools to strongly consider redshirting freshman, and after looking at
last years burnt shirts, I wanted to think about this years possible freshman contributors. Looking back, the coaching staff usually settles in on playing about 5-7 freshmen each year (last year only four). Heres my stab at this years burns, taking into consideration talent-contribution and player-development needs. Ill go by position group; today Ill post on offense, and tomorrow on defense and special teams.
Key- One star (*) for each year of eligibility used
- + = preferred walk-on
- # = walk-on
Fullback- Returning Players: Daniel Marx***, Reagan Williams*
- Roster losses: Chris Harrell#**** (graduated)
- Roster gains: freshmen Houston Heimuli (2015 signee), Hannes Bohning+
Given that we have two experienced FB playing, Im tempted to say that that is all we need. However, I remember that we burned Marxs redshirt his freshmen year when we also had two experienced fullbacks playing (Patrick Skov and Lee Ward); I still think that was a bad decision, but what do I know. (Im still bitter about running the freshman Marx on that fourth-and-one against SC.) Anyway, since this is Marxs last year, and since Heimuli is already an old frosh, I wonder if he doesnt find himself in the game at some point this season, perhaps on ST.
Offensive line- Returning Players: C Jesse Burkett**, Brian Chaffin*; OG Nate HeBIG*, Brandon Fanaika**, Casey Tucker***, Nick Wilson*, Austin Maihen*, Dylan Powell; OT David Bright***, Devery Hamilton, A.T. Hall**, Jack Dreyer*, Henry Hattis
- Roster losses: OG Johnny Caspers**** (graduated), Lucas Hinds#*** (graduated), Matthew Gutwald+ (mysterious retirement); OT Clark Yarbrough (retired, injury concerns)
- Roster gains: freshmen Drew Dalman (center), Walker Little (tackle), Foster Sarell (tackle)
Troubles on the line last season have been well documented. It was awful, especially in the first half of the year. This year, hopes are that experience, development, and new faces will help significantly. Two centers, six guards (though Tucker is still listed as a tackle), and five tackles return. All could be back next season, too, save Bright and Tucker (some seniors may not be invited back). It seems we have a bit more experience at guard than we do at tackle, and we all know about the excellence of Little and Sarell, so there is little chance those two frosh do not play this season and play significantly, perhaps soon as starters, especially given that we have shown that we will play highly regarded offensive linemen as freshmen (Garnett, Murphy, Peat). I dont think that Dalman will play, especially since we are fine at center; in fact, outside of HeBIG and Wilson and Hall, Burkett and Chaffin were the only o-linemen to play every game last year. (Well see with Powell and Hattis, but I still am not sure what to make of Maihen and Dreyer if they were unable to crack the two-deep in an off year for the line.)
Quarterback- Returning Players: Keller Chryst**, Ryan Burns***, K.J. Costello, Jack Richardson+
- Roster losses: Brent Peus+ (mysterious retirement)
- Roster gains: freshman Davis Mills
Stanford hates playing freshmen QBs, but Im imagining that if it came down to Richardson, theyd burn Mills shirt. With yet another QB commit in Jack West, I wonder if Richardson should consider a position switch as I am guessing he is a good athlete.
Running back- Returning Players: Bryce Love**, Cameron Scarlett*, Trevor Speights, Dorian Maddox
- Roster losses: Christian McCaffrey*** (NFL early entry), Pat McFadden#*** (graduated)
- Roster gains: freshman Sione Lund
It seems that Maddox and especially Speights will be expected to contribute. I do not remember Stanford ever playing more than four RBs, and all will be back next year, so the mission-foregoing Lund will keep his shirt, I think.
Tight end- Returning Players: Dalton Schultz**, Kaden Smith, Scooter Harrington, Ben Snyder*
- Roster losses: Greg Taboada*** (graduated, passing up fifth year)
- Roster gains: freshmen Colby Parkinson, Tucker Fisk, Kyle McCombs+
Well, along with our defensive backfield, our set of tight ends is the deepest position group on the team, and arguably the deepest in our history. Now, to be honest, since we basically played two TEs last year, I was wavering on whether I thought Parkinson would play when Schultz as a top-rated recruit did not as a freshman, simply because we were already three deep at the position this year. However, given that he was the top recruit and his position, that many of our tight ends are early entries (none of these TEs finish their eligibility this year, but Schultz may leave for the NFL if he does well enough this year), and that he has the talent to contribute right away, it makes sense, with a shallower pool of WRs, to line up Schultz, Smith, and Harrington at the same time (that is just friggin ridiculous) and let other teams sweat. Fisk (and McCombs) redshirt.
Wide receiver- Returning Players: Trent Irwin**, JJAW*, Donald Stewart*, IBS**, Jay Tyler*, Harry Schwartz+, Sidhart Krishnamurthi+*
- Roster losses: Michael Rector**** (graduated), Francis Owusu**** (graduated), Taijuan Thomas*** (graduated), Treyvion Parker#* (graduated), Paxton Segina (retired due to injury)
- Roster gains: freshmen Connor Wedington, Osiris St. Brown, Ryan Atkins+
We return four players with at least one reception (Stewart and IBS with two each), who will be joined by Jay Tyler in the stable. Since Stanford usually plays a freshman WR, and since our receiving corps, while not weak, isnt as strong or deep as one would perhaps like, I figured St. Brown or Wedington (but not both) would play, and I went with Wedington simply because of his athleticism, and because I think St. Brown needs to put on a bit of beef. But it could have been the other way, or both could end up playing if we end up needing another receiver or STer.
Until tomorrow
-m.
