Stanford Football: 5 players to watch in spring game
By Zach Bigalke
Stanford football ceded control of the Pac-12 to Washington last year. Which Cardinal players should you watch at this year’s spring game?
The Cardinal won ten games last year, eclipsing double digits in the win column for the fifth time in six years under head coach David Shaw. Yet Stanford fell to third in the Pac-12 North. They enter 2017 staring up at Washington, and there are a lot of questions yet to be answered on The Farm. If Shaw’s team hopes to contend for the conference this year, they will need to answer many of these questions during spring practice.
They’ve already had a taste of life after Christian McCaffrey, but the quarterback situation is still a mess and the defense needs some fine-tuning. With no fewer than 15 returning starters, though, the Cardinal have all the ingredients to challenge in the Pac-12 once again. The key is fitting all those cogs together in their proper roles and maximizing the talent on hand.
With that in mind, let’s look at who might step up and contribute in key roles for Stanford this season. Click ahead to see the five Cardinal players to watch closely when they take the field for the spring game on April 15.
Though Christian McCaffrey is no longer a Cardinal, the running game should be just fine in 2017. Bryce Love showed the future will be just fine in the Stanford backfield after gashing North Carolina for 119 rushing yards and a 49-yard TD catch in the Sun Bowl.
Entering his junior year, Love now gets full control of the starting tailback duties. Though he is built slightly differently than McCaffrey, he offers a similar profile as a shorter running and pass-catching threat.
It will be interesting to see how much Shaw elects to work out Love during this spring practice schedule, given that he is now the lead back. Cameron Scarlett will likely see more reps, as will Trevor Speights and Dorian Maddox.
But watch to see what Love is able to do in the spring game on April 15, as that will be his main opportunity to shine this spring. Look especially to see how he manages to read holes opened up by an offensive line that is still a work in progress.