Stanford Football: 5 reasons why Cardinal will stink in 2017

2. There will be fewer parties in the backfield with loss of Solomon Thomas

The defense could also suffer something of a downturn in 2017. That is because the Cardinal lost defensive end Solomon Thomas, one of the most impactful players in all of college football. Thomas will still be patrolling a defensive line nearby. But he’ll be doing so for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 after earning the team’s third overall pick in April.

Thomas was well worth the high draft pick. Though he played just two years for the Cardinal, Thomas quickly asserted himself as an indispensable contributor. He led the Cardinal in 2016 with six solo sacks, four assisted sacks and 15 tackles for loss. That contribution will be sorely missed by a defense that returns most of its other starters from last season. Stanford could drop out of the top 25 in sacks this season with the loss.

Without last year’s Morris Trophy winner on its defensive line, coordinator Lance Anderson is going to have to make major adjustments. While the Cardinal still have many talented pieces to make up for the loss, it is a loss nevertheless. And it stinks no less to have to replace the best defensive player in the same season the offense is fighting through its own major loss.