[TrumpCard]

Stanford runs a lot more 3, 4, and even 5 wide sets than many seem to realize, and far more than one would suspect from a team that doesn't throw the ball all that often. I certainly get the impression that Shaw (or whomever is ultimately responsible for the overall design of our offense) puts a very high value on presenting multiple sets, and the many wide is an integral part of that.

I'll bite.  How many times per game did Shaw run 4 and 5 WR sets last year?  I don't know the answer.  All I can see are the WR stats from last year.  The starters, Rector and Irwin, caught 30+ passes.  Owusu was the #3 WR until he got injured in the UCLA game.  To that point, no other WR had caught a pass.  After Owusu went down, JJAW became the #3 WR and he ended the season with 30+ receptions as well.  So there were 3 WRs with a decent number of opportunities.  After Owusu suffered his injury in game, he had 6 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD.  Over the course of the entire season, all other WRs combined for 5 catches for 48 yards and 0 TDs.  Based on those stats, plus the risk of injury, I can see a need for 4 solid WRs.  I don't see a need beyond that, unless I am missing something that the stats don't reveal, or unless the staff plans to involve more WRs going forward.  I am not in a position to predict whether Brandt-Sims, Tyler, Segina, or St. Brown will be the 4th guy. 

Even if St. Brown is not the 4th guy and even if he doesn't get a lot of passes thrown his way, I can imagine him burning his redshirt.  Look at Shaw's history of burning WR redshirts.  Stewart, Irwin, Owusu, and Montgomery all did while Shaw has been head coach.  And when Shaw was OC or co-OC under Harbaugh, they burned redshirts for Patterson, Terrell, Owusu, Baldwin and Gatewood.  Over the course of that 10 year run, 9 WRs have burned their redshirts and less than half have been significant contributors. 

[TrumpCard]

Stanford runs a lot more 3, 4, and even 5 wide sets than many seem to realize, and far more than one would suspect from a team that doesn't throw the ball all that often. I certainly get the impression that Shaw (or whomever is ultimately responsible for the overall design of our offense) puts a very high value on presenting multiple sets, and the many wide is an integral part of that.

I'll bite.  How many times per game did Shaw run 4 and 5 WR sets last year?  I don't know the answer.  All I can see are the WR stats from last year.  The starters, Rector and Irwin, caught 30+ passes.  Owusu was the #3 WR until he got injured in the UCLA game.  To that point, no other WR had caught a pass.  After Owusu went down, JJAW became the #3 WR and he ended the season with 30+ receptions as well.  So there were 3 WRs with a decent number of opportunities.  After Owusu suffered his injury in game, he had 6 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD.  Over the course of the entire season, all other WRs combined for 5 catches for 48 yards and 0 TDs.  Based on those stats, plus the risk of injury, I can see a need for 4 solid WRs.  I don't see a need beyond that, unless I am missing something that the stats don't reveal, or unless the staff plans to involve more WRs going forward.  I am not in a position to predict whether Brandt-Sims, Tyler, Segina, or St. Brown will be the 4th guy. 

Even if St. Brown is not the 4th guy and even if he doesn't get a lot of passes thrown his way, I can imagine him burning his redshirt.  Look at Shaw's history of burning WR redshirts.  Stewart, Irwin, Owusu, and Montgomery all did while Shaw has been head coach.  And when Shaw was OC or co-OC under Harbaugh, they burned redshirts for Patterson, Terrell, Owusu, Baldwin and Gatewood.  Over the course of that 10 year run, 9 WRs have burned their redshirts and less than half have been significant contributors.