Stanford Football: 5 reasons why Cardinal will stink in 2017

5. There is no more Christian McCaffrey to depend on for key plays

Over the past few seasons, Stanford was able to turn toward all-purpose threat Christian McCaffrey for a big run, reception or return. Each of the past two seasons, McCaffrey led all FBS players in all-purpose yards. He was also the only player to top 200 all-purpose yards per game in both 2015 and 2016.

Controversially, McCaffrey chose to skip Stanford’s Sun Bowl game against North Carolina. The decision had little effect on his draft status. McCaffrey put in a solid NFL Combine effort over the winter. By the time spring rolled around he was the eighth overall pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The loss impacts several phases of the game for the Cardinal. Stanford will turn to Bryce Love to pick up the slack in its backfield. Love has looked impressive in relief duty behind McCaffrey, averaging over seven yards a carry as a freshman and sophomore. He will also get the first crack at kick return duties, while junior receiver Jay Tyler will field punts. Both should be serviceable enough at his duties.

But neither, in the end, will be McCaffrey. The dynamic threat that forced defenses to strategize specifically for him is no longer on the Farm. That loss will be felt deeply in the upcoming season.