08-22-2023, 12:04 PM
There is a ton of coverage (especially interviews with players and coaches) on the subscription sites as well as message board discussion. I think people who want to know about Stanford football would be well-served by subscribing to those sites, way more content. For what it's worth, I'll copy below my sense on the depth chart from a few days ago. I'm constantly updating my picture based on all those interviews and other data points but maybe this will spur some discussion:
As with rebuilds of bad teams generally, there's less drama around depth charts than one might assume based on there being so few established returners for a simple reason: we also lack high quality depth. As a result, the separation between positions is relatively easy for the coaches to discern. When I think about our depth chart, there is very little I actually think is up in the air at this point. Some quick hits on the positions as I see them:
QB: I came into camp thinking this was the big drama and totally wide open but data points are consistently pointing to a Lamson-Daniels-Patu pecking order. I haven't closed the book on this yet but that's how I currently see it.
RB: We know it's Smith and Filkins. I feel like I am starting to pick up some whiff of possibility it could actually be Filkins and Smith instead but this is one I feel like I lack insight into. In any case, the realist knows that both will play if healthy and both have a lot to prove in terms of staying healthy. I am eager to see who RB3 is and I wouldn't hazard a guess.
FB: In case folks don't know this they should know this no longer exists in the Stanford offense.
WR: It feels like a top four of Humphreys, Reuben, Bachmeier, and Ayomanor. Not closing the book on competition here but this is what it feels like to me.
TE: Yurosek is arguably the biggest star on the entire team and doesn't need to practice to cement that. I think most assume Roush is next man up but I have my eyes on both Roush and Hawkins.
OL: Reports are that left to right it was Anderson-Mayberry-Rogers-Pale-Leyrer and then Leyrer missed a bunch of practice and Pogorelc slid in. Before Pale emerged Uke was slotted in at right guard but apparently has missed time due to injury and I don't know where that stands or who would be ahead between Pale and Uke if both were healthy. I would assume McLaughlin, Heyer, Maikkula, and Bank (hurt/yet to really compete?) are also in the mix.
DL: The top three seems obviously Phillips, Franklin, and Moi, likely in that (old man seniority) order, which is relevant because of the frequency of nickel. I hope Armitage finds a home at DL and is a useful rotation guy too but at this point would be taking that on faith more than evidence.
OLB: The place to watch because we actually have elite national talent and only so many snaps to go around. I don't know if people appreciate the extent to which only two or three will get significant snaps. This isn't a position that gets a lot of rotation in the Wisconsin defense (or defenses generally). Something will have to give. There have been fascinating tidbits Tafiti has been ahead of Bailey at times, with Keneley the other starter. Cooper looks a bit the odd man out at the moment, which is quite notable given how good he looked in his limited action last year and what a big recruit he was. But Bailey and Tafiti were big recruits too and there's only 2-3 spots.
ILB: Seems like it's ending up where it always seemed it would, Sinclair and Bernadel. Jorgensen seems to continue to hold off younger guys. More buzz for Rose than for other younger guys, but that seems more relevant for 2024 and beyond than this year.
CB: Wright, Manley, and Slocum with Slocum likely the nickel. Seems to be real depth here too as Joshua Thompson is getting some buzz and it's a relatively strong position for the true freshman class.
S: Wyrick and Gilman, case pretty close to closed. I had hoped somebody would push Gilman but instead he is one of the most consistently praised players on the entire roster. One of the underrated competitions might be to be next man up at safety as Porter, Edwards, and Leigber have all gotten some mention.
As with rebuilds of bad teams generally, there's less drama around depth charts than one might assume based on there being so few established returners for a simple reason: we also lack high quality depth. As a result, the separation between positions is relatively easy for the coaches to discern. When I think about our depth chart, there is very little I actually think is up in the air at this point. Some quick hits on the positions as I see them:
QB: I came into camp thinking this was the big drama and totally wide open but data points are consistently pointing to a Lamson-Daniels-Patu pecking order. I haven't closed the book on this yet but that's how I currently see it.
RB: We know it's Smith and Filkins. I feel like I am starting to pick up some whiff of possibility it could actually be Filkins and Smith instead but this is one I feel like I lack insight into. In any case, the realist knows that both will play if healthy and both have a lot to prove in terms of staying healthy. I am eager to see who RB3 is and I wouldn't hazard a guess.
FB: In case folks don't know this they should know this no longer exists in the Stanford offense.
WR: It feels like a top four of Humphreys, Reuben, Bachmeier, and Ayomanor. Not closing the book on competition here but this is what it feels like to me.
TE: Yurosek is arguably the biggest star on the entire team and doesn't need to practice to cement that. I think most assume Roush is next man up but I have my eyes on both Roush and Hawkins.
OL: Reports are that left to right it was Anderson-Mayberry-Rogers-Pale-Leyrer and then Leyrer missed a bunch of practice and Pogorelc slid in. Before Pale emerged Uke was slotted in at right guard but apparently has missed time due to injury and I don't know where that stands or who would be ahead between Pale and Uke if both were healthy. I would assume McLaughlin, Heyer, Maikkula, and Bank (hurt/yet to really compete?) are also in the mix.
DL: The top three seems obviously Phillips, Franklin, and Moi, likely in that (old man seniority) order, which is relevant because of the frequency of nickel. I hope Armitage finds a home at DL and is a useful rotation guy too but at this point would be taking that on faith more than evidence.
OLB: The place to watch because we actually have elite national talent and only so many snaps to go around. I don't know if people appreciate the extent to which only two or three will get significant snaps. This isn't a position that gets a lot of rotation in the Wisconsin defense (or defenses generally). Something will have to give. There have been fascinating tidbits Tafiti has been ahead of Bailey at times, with Keneley the other starter. Cooper looks a bit the odd man out at the moment, which is quite notable given how good he looked in his limited action last year and what a big recruit he was. But Bailey and Tafiti were big recruits too and there's only 2-3 spots.
ILB: Seems like it's ending up where it always seemed it would, Sinclair and Bernadel. Jorgensen seems to continue to hold off younger guys. More buzz for Rose than for other younger guys, but that seems more relevant for 2024 and beyond than this year.
CB: Wright, Manley, and Slocum with Slocum likely the nickel. Seems to be real depth here too as Joshua Thompson is getting some buzz and it's a relatively strong position for the true freshman class.
S: Wyrick and Gilman, case pretty close to closed. I had hoped somebody would push Gilman but instead he is one of the most consistently praised players on the entire roster. One of the underrated competitions might be to be next man up at safety as Porter, Edwards, and Leigber have all gotten some mention.