Stanford Football: Keller Chryst transfer officially begins K.J. Costello era

Stanford football built their offensive on the legs of running back Bryce Love, but quarterback K.J. Costello will add versatility to the Cardinal offense in 2018.

Keller Chryst will complete his final season of eligibility elsewhere, announcing on Twitter that he would be leaving Stanford following the completion of his degree.The graduate transfer quarterback spent portions of two seasons at the helm of the Cardinal offense before losing the job midway through the 2017 season to redshirt sophomore K.J. Costello.

Frankly it’s baffling that it took head coach David Shaw as long as it did for him to pull the plug on the veteran in favor of his young, somewhat unproven passer in Costello. Chryst leaves Stanford with 19 touchdown passes on 288 career passing attempts spanning 23 games. Costello threw 14 touchdowns in 11 contests this season.

After making his first career start against Washington State on the road, Chryst led the Cardinal to victories over Washington, Cal and Notre Dame. Stanford did end their season with losses to USC and TCU. However, Costello threw for five touchdowns and two interceptions in those games.

Costello wasn’t a rushing threat, per se, but even his limited mobility produced three touchdown carries this year. He doesn’t have stone feet, a vice that frequently gripped Chryst in 2017.

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He wasn’t perfect, but he showed the glimpses of the quarterback he could become. One more offeseason working with Shaw and the first team offensive should only make him more prepared for the fall. Costello represents hope, and with Love returning next season the prospects for the Cardinal offense suddenly look bright. Love plus a quarterback with the poise to make a few big plays make Stanford a real threat to the Pac-12 title in 2018.