Stanford football coach David Shaw has high expectations for the Cardinal heading into 2017. How’s the depth chart looking?
Entering the 2017 season, Stanford football has plenty to look forward to. Not only are the Cardinal considered one of the up-and-coming teams in the conference this season, but they also have one of the top coaches in the nation.
Despite losing Christian McCaffrey, this team has plenty of returning talent. Yes, even at the running back position. It’s tough to gauge just how Stanford stacks up to the big boys of the conference — USC and Washington — but we will soon find out.
In fact, the Cardinal open the 2017 season on Saturday against Rice. They are one of the first Power Five teams in the country to play on Aug. 26 and that makes their projected depth chart that much more important. Moreover, Stanford will face off against USC on Sept. 9, making early-season continuity even more important.
Let’s take a look at the Cardinal’s 2017 depth chart projection.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: David Bright (LT), A.T. Hall (RT)
Backups: Devery Hamilton (LT), Casey Tucker (RT)
David Bright is the most veteran player on Stanford’s offensive line and he goes from former left guard and right tackle to the left tackle spot. Consider it a promotion as Bright will get a chance to anchor the left side after helping lead the fourth-best rushing attack in the Pac-12 last season. He will be joined by junior A.T. Hall who is getting the nod on the right side. Hall has starting experience at left tackle and could very well take over there, but will start the season on the right side.
Redshirt freshman Devery Hamilton will be the primary backup while senior Casey Tucker also has starting experience, but takes a back seat. Both will get some snaps this season, though.
Starting guards: Nate Herbig (LG), Nick Wilson (RG)
Backups: Austin Maihen (LG), Brandon Fanaika (RG)
Nate Herbig played in 13 games during the 2016 season, but started just six. He took over halfway through the year and didn’t look back, cementing his job as the left guard for 2017. He will be joined by fellow sophomore Nick Wilson who appeared in all 13 games as well during the 2016 campaign. These two have plenty of experience despite being underclassmen.
Playing the understudy roles will be sophomore Austin Maihen and junior Brandon Fanaika. Maihen appeared in nine games during the 2016 season while Fanaika made a handful of starts at left guard. He could find himself starting by the end of the year.
Starting center: Jesse Burkett
Backup: Brian Chaffin
Back as a starter, along with three others on the line, is junior center Jesse Burkett. He finished his sophomore season off strong, being named to the AP All-Bowl team as an honorable mention selection. He will be backed up by rising sophomore Brian Chaffin.
Defensive Line
Starting tackle: Harrison Phillips
Backup: Michael Williams
Stanford plays more of a 3-4 defense, led by two ends and a tackle up front. The lone tackle is projected to be returning starter, Harrison Phillips. The senior stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at about 285 pounds, making him a force up front. He has the body to make an impact and he did just that in 2016.
In fact, Phillips finished his junior season with 46 total tackles, ranking sixth on the team, along with 10 tackles for loss (third on the team) and 7.0 sacks, which placed him second behind only Solomon Thomas. He had an outstanding season and could be an All-Pac-12 performer in 2017. Four-star redshirt freshman Michael Williams will be his backup and could have a nice season as a 6-foot-1, 305-pound tackle.
Starting ends: Eric Cotton, Dylan Jackson
Backups: Jovan Swann, Thomas Schaffer
At the two end spots, we will likely see senior Eric Cotton and sophomore Dylan Jackson. Cotton didn’t have much of an impact in 2016, recording four three total tackles in limited action. A reason for this could because he switched positions last season, going from tight end to the defensive side of the ball and the learning curve was steep.
Jackson, on the other hand, finished with 15 total tackles and one for loss as a redshirt freshman. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 250 pounds and with three years in the system under his belt, he could be a force as a pass rusher. Could he take over the role of Thomas? Freshman Jovan Swann has been hyped up to be a major contributor right away and sophomore Thomas Shaffer will crack the rotation.
Linebackers
Starting inside linebackers: Bobby Okereke, Kevin Palma
Backups: Sean Barton, Mustafa Branch
One of the top breakout candidates on the entire Stanford defense, in my eyes, has to be junior inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. He’s a former highly-touted recruit from nearby Santa Ana, Calif., and had 39 total tackles, four for loss and three sacks in 2016. He’s a strong contributor in the 3-4 look and could end up being the star of the defense in 2017.
Senior Kevin Palma finished just ahead of Okereke in total tackles last season with 42 and is expected to be the starter at the other inside spot. He added two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and an interception. These two combine for a solid duo of returning inside linebacker starters. Sophomore Sean Barton (34 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks) is a more than capable backup and junior Mustafa Branch (29 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 INT) is right there as well.
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Starting outside linebackers: Joey Alfieri, Peter Kalambayi
Backups: Curtis Robinson, Casey Toohill
As for the outside linebackers, there are also two more returning starters, making this defense that much scarier for 2017. Four returning starters at the linebacker spots? The Pac-12 better not run against this unit. Junior Joey Alfieri was fourth on the team in total tackles last season, 51, while also ranking second in tackles for loss with 10.5 — Solomon Thomas was the only one who had more. Alfieri also added for sacks and two picks. He could be a star-in-the-making.
Senior Peter Kalambayi also returns after totaling 48 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. These two will anchor the outside and provide the Cardinal with a strong starting unit. Sophomore Curtis Robinson (14 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks) and Casey Toohill (20 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
Defensive Backs
Starting cornerbacks: Alijah Holder, Quenton Meeks
Backups: Frank Buncom, Alameen Murphy
The secondary returns plenty of talent and just about every projected starter could make an All-Pac-12 team in 2017. Although the Cardinal ranked just 61st un college football against the pass in 2016, they were young and relatively inexperienced, but that will change this year.
Back is junior cornerback Quenton Meeks who looks to be another breakout candidate on defense. He finished the 2016 season with 19 total tackles, two interceptions and six pass deflections. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound corner is one of three returning starters and he’s going to be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
Alijah Holder, also a junior, is another potential all-conference performer. He didn’t see much of the field in 2016, recording just 10 tackles, but that will all change this year. He’s expected to hold off junior Alameen Murphy from the starting job despite the latter having experience with the No. 1s. Sophomore Frank Buncom will get major playing time, too, after 17 tackles, one interception and five pass deflections in 2016.
Starting safeties: Justin Reid, Brandon Simmons
Backups: Denzel Franklin, Ben Edwards
Projected strong safety Justin Reid, a junior, was once a top-200 recruit in the country, but has since molded into potentially the best defensive back on the roster. He could be a first-team All-Pac-12 safety in 2017, especially if he builds on his 55 tackles, four tackles for loss and seven pass deflections from last year.
Fellow junior Brandon Simmons was also a highly-touted recruit in the Cardinal’s 2015 recruiting class. He was named an Army All-American at the prep level, but is getting his first starting shot this season. He had 15 total tackles last season, but you can expect a major uptick in production. Juniors Denzel Franklin and Ben Edwards will play the understudy roles.
Wide Receivers
Starting receivers: Trenton Irwin, JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Backups: Donald Stewart, Jay Tyler
Everyone has been down on the Stanford offense over the past couple of years, especially after a horrid 2016 campaign. In fact, the Cardinal finished just 103rd in the country in total yards and an even worse 115th through the air. The receivers didn’t benefit much from a revolving door at quarterback, but that will likely change in 2017.
There’s plenty of talent in the receiving corps, including returning starter Trenton Irwin who Stanford has been waiting to break out for years. The junior had 37 catches for 442 yards and a touchdown last season, but he was a former top-100 recruit for a reason. Will the former Army All-American break through in 2017?
Alongside him will be sophomore JJ Arcega-Whiteside. He had a strong freshman campaign, catching 24 passes for 379 yards and five scores. At 6-foot-3, he’s an ideal go-to target. Sophomore Donald Stewart and Jay Tyler will back Arcega-Whiteside and Irwin up. Tyler is more of a speedy slot receiver who didn’t record a catch last season and Stewart had just two receptions for 17 yards as a true freshman.
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Starting tight end: Dalton Schultz
Backup: Kaden Smith
Once a four-star tight end, even considered the best in the 2015 recruiting class, Dalton Schultz is back and could have a breakout season for the Cardinal. He had a strong sophomore season, finishing with 23 catches for 222 yards and a score, but the 6-foot-6, 233-pound tight end is capable of much more. Highly-touted redshirt freshman Kaden Smith could also see a large role as a former top-50 recruit.
Running Back
Starting running back: Bryce Love
Backup: Cameron Scarlett
How does a team replace a multi-year Heisman Trophy candidate like Christian McCaffrey in the backfield? Let’s just as Bryce Love. Entering his junior season, he got to learn and soak up knowledge under McCaffrey for the past two seasons and he played well when his predecessor sat out during the bowl game.
Not only did Love play exceptionally in the final game of the season against North Carolina, but he showcased speed, elusiveness and excellent vision throughout his sophomore campaign. In fact, he finished the 2016 season with 783 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per touch. He also had eight catches for 83 yards and another score.
In two seasons with the Cardinal, Love has just over 1,000 yards rushing and averaged over 7.0 yards per carry. He’s a strong runner, but time will tell if he can handle the bulk of the carries.
Backing Love up with be former four-star Oregon-native Cameron Scarlett. The sophomore played in the No. 3 running back role last season, accounting for 117 yards and a score. He did, however, only average 3.1 yards per carry.
Starting fullback: Daniel Marx
Backup: Reagan Williams
Yes, Stanford is one of few college football teams that feature a fullback still. Senior Daniel Mark looks to lead the way at fullback after getting just one carry in 2016. However, that’s not why he’s in there. He’s a strong blocker who will create holes for Love. Sophomore Reagan Williams is next in line at the fullback spot.
Quarterback
Starting quarterback: Keller Chryst
Backup: K.J. Costello
There was a point in time when Keller Chryst was considered one of the best quarterback recruits in the nation. He was a highly-touted gunslinger out of high school and was expected to be the heir to Kevin Hogan’s throne. However, he hasn’t quite panned out yet.
Fortunately, he’s healthy heading into his final season with the Cardinal and he has the talent to break through as a star on the offensive side of the ball. Stanford’s offense hasn’t been a force in years, and it’s time that changes under Chryst’s leadership.
Splitting time with Ryan Burns in 2016, Chryst passed for just 905 yards and 10 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He only completed 57 percent of his 136 attempts and looked average, at best. Still, his ceiling was the highest between the two 2016 starters.
Now that he’s back and healthy, Chryst looks poised for a big season. Burns is back as well as a fifth-year senior, but doesn’t project to crack the two-deep with talented freshman K.J. Costello in town.
Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017
Costello was ranked the No. 48 overall recruit and third-best quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.