[Austroturf]

<snip>
Since those seasons (2009-2015), productivity from our highly-touted QBs has tanked (Burns/Chryst 2016, Chryst/Costello 2017, Costello 2018, Mills/Costello 2019, Mills 2020).  Some of this is beyond the coaching staff's control.  But the motto needs to be: play the best talents early and often.

I don't think QB productivity tanked after 2015. There are lots of measures for that, but here's the scoop using ESPN's quarterback ratings:

2009 Luck: 143.5
2010 Luck: 170.2
2011 Luck: 169.7
Luck overall: 162.8

2012 Nunes: 119.6

2012 Hogan: 147.9
2013 Hogan: 151.5
2014 Hogan: 145.8
2015 Hogan: 171.0
Hogan overall: 154.6

2016 Burns: 121.2
2016 Chryst: 133.8
2017 Chryst: 123.1
2017 Costello: 139.5
2018 Costello: 155.0
2019 Costello: 121.6
2019 Mills: 144.8
2020 Mills: 139.9

KJ Costello had the best QBR in the Pac-12 in 2018, Davis Mills was 4th in the god-awful 2019 and 3rd in the Covid-awful 2020. I would say that the QB play has been pretty good since the UCLA game in 2017.

Now if you had written that the defense has pretty much tanked in the last few years, I'd agree.

Defense definitely tanked, as well.  QBR is only one measure.  Sustained position performance is another.  Can we consider the Stanford tenure of Ryan Burns a success?  Hardly.  The highly-touted Keller Chryst from nearby Paly high?  Nope.  Costello is the closest we have gotten to a QB who, for at least one season (2018), lived up to his billing.  Mills was a highly-talented QB who had a solid 4-1 run in 2020.  Yes, that is more or less the entire Stanford story of the 5-Star #1-rated recruit whose contribution we were all anxiously anticipating. It was a Corona-abbreviated blip.  Yes, Mills set a school passing record in a bad loss to WSU in 2019; but that was a 4-8 season and nothing to remember.  If McKee is good, give him the reins and let him work for at least two seasons before the siren call of the NFL lures him away.  Clemson, a football factory, got at least three seasons out of Trevor Lawrence.  Stanford should do better with its talent.  We got 13 games from Mills as a starter.  Now he is with the Houston Texans.  Injuries were definitely a factor in his limited playing time, but Clemson got 40 games out of Lawrence.  QBR does not reveal any of this.  Our best years go back to two QBs who played for 6 1/2 years total; and, yes, they had the help of better defensive units, as well.

[Austroturf]

<snip>
Since those seasons (2009-2015), productivity from our highly-touted QBs has tanked (Burns/Chryst 2016, Chryst/Costello 2017, Costello 2018, Mills/Costello 2019, Mills 2020).  Some of this is beyond the coaching staff's control.  But the motto needs to be: play the best talents early and often.

I don't think QB productivity tanked after 2015. There are lots of measures for that, but here's the scoop using ESPN's quarterback ratings:

2009 Luck: 143.5
2010 Luck: 170.2
2011 Luck: 169.7
Luck overall: 162.8

2012 Nunes: 119.6

2012 Hogan: 147.9
2013 Hogan: 151.5
2014 Hogan: 145.8
2015 Hogan: 171.0
Hogan overall: 154.6

2016 Burns: 121.2
2016 Chryst: 133.8
2017 Chryst: 123.1
2017 Costello: 139.5
2018 Costello: 155.0
2019 Costello: 121.6
2019 Mills: 144.8
2020 Mills: 139.9

KJ Costello had the best QBR in the Pac-12 in 2018, Davis Mills was 4th in the god-awful 2019 and 3rd in the Covid-awful 2020. I would say that the QB play has been pretty good since the UCLA game in 2017.

Now if you had written that the defense has pretty much tanked in the last few years, I'd agree.

Defense definitely tanked, as well.  QBR is only one measure.  Sustained position performance is another.  Can we consider the Stanford tenure of Ryan Burns a success?  Hardly.  The highly-touted Keller Chryst from nearby Paly high?  Nope.  Costello is the closest we have gotten to a QB who, for at least one season (2018), lived up to his billing.  Mills was a highly-talented QB who had a solid 4-1 run in 2020.  Yes, that is more or less the entire Stanford story of the 5-Star #1-rated recruit whose contribution we were all anxiously anticipating. It was a Corona-abbreviated blip.  Yes, Mills set a school passing record in a bad loss to WSU in 2019; but that was a 4-8 season and nothing to remember.  If McKee is good, give him the reins and let him work for at least two seasons before the siren call of the NFL lures him away.  Clemson, a football factory, got at least three seasons out of Trevor Lawrence.  Stanford should do better with its talent.  We got 13 games from Mills as a starter.  Now he is with the Houston Texans.  Injuries were definitely a factor in his limited playing time, but Clemson got 40 games out of Lawrence.  QBR does not reveal any of this.  Our best years go back to two QBs who played for 6 1/2 years total; and, yes, they had the help of better defensive units, as well.