Stanford opens training camp: Five questions to answer before opener at Hawaii

STANFORD – Stanford coach Troy Taylor won’t have to deal with high expectations in his first season on The Farm.

The Cardinal was picked to finish last in the Pac-12 in the preseason media poll, and oddsmakers have set its expected record at a conference-worst 3-9 – matching its record in 2021 and 2022.

It’s a far cry from when former coach David Shaw took over a 12-1 team in 2011. Shaw led Stanford to three Rose Bowl appearances in his first five years, but the team eventually struggled, and he resigned in November after going 10-26 in his last three full seasons.

Most of last year’s starters also left Stanford – 12 transferred to other schools, while seven were drafted into the NFL or signed as undrafted free agents.

As a result, Stanford featured a young and inexperienced group learning an entirely new system when fall camp started on Tuesday.

“It’s a new era of Stanford football,” senior wide receiver John Humphreys said. “You’re going to see new styles of play. We’re eager, we’re motivated. You’re going to see a lot of hungry guys out there just playing fast, physical and for the guy next to them. I think it’s going to come out on Saturdays.”

Taylor, 55, the former Cal quarterback, had a similar situation in his first head coaching job at Sacramento State. The Hornets were coming off a 2-8 record and were picked 12th in a 13-team conference but went 9-4 in Taylor’s first season and made the FCS playoffs for the first time in school history.

Turning Stanford around will be even more difficult, but Taylor said the early returns were promising.

“These guys are incredibly driven, focused on getting everything that we asked for,” Taylor said. “Our offseason is pretty challenging. Nobody complained, they just continued to work. Just the drive and desire to be really good has been really impressive.”

Here are the five questions that Stanford must resolve during camp to beat its preseason projections:

1. Can the offense adjust to Taylor’s system?

Stanford is switching from a methodical pro-style offense to a fast-paced, mostly no-huddle offense. How quickly can it make the transition?

“Every team’s been a little bit different, some (pick it up) faster than others,” Taylor said. “It definitely can happen the first year, but there’s big steps that you have to make because the first time you’re thinking through things — what I’m supposed to do. Hopefully the third and fourth time you’re playing without thinking, which is what we want to get to where it’s mindless, there’s no thought, you’re just reacting. We’re a ways away from that, but we’ll get closer.”

Taylor’s previous stop showed how effective his offense could be. Sac State ranked fourth in the FCS in both scoring offense and total offense last season, and was the only FCS team to average at least 240 yards a game rushing and passing.

2. Who will be the QB?

Even during Stanford’s downfall it had an NFL-level talent at quarterback, whether it was current Houston Texans starter Davis Mills or Tanner McKee, a sixth-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles last April.

This year, Taylor must choose between three unproven signal-callers – junior Ari Patu, sophomore Ashton Daniels and Syracuse transfer Justin Lamson – who combined have thrown 31 collegiate passes.

Taylor said that athletics and leadership will be important, but the most important factor is accuracy.

“You could be a great leader, have a strong arm, know the offense better than anybody, but if you can’t deliver the ball accurately, you’re not going to be successful,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the quarterbacks will share reps evenly during the first week of practice to see who emerges. He went with a two-quarterback rotation at Sacramento State, so it’s possible there won’t be a full-time starter when the season opens.

3. Can the Cardinal run the ball again?

Perhaps the most mystifying part of Stanford’s recent slide was its inability to run the football. A team that prided itself on “intellectual brutality” and running through opponents finished 117th in rushing out of 131 teams last year and 125th in 2021.

Stanford should get a lift from the return of E.J. Smith and Casey Filkins, who were bright spots last season before suffering season-ending injuries. Both Smith and Filkins are participating in camp and should have no restrictions when the season starts. But they are running behind an offensive line that returns just one starter, senior guard Levi Rogers. And the run game hasn’t had much time to gel – walk-on Kenaj Washington was the only healthy back during spring practice.

4. Will the defense improve?

Stanford’s issues last season weren’t confined to offense. The Cardinal was in the bottom 20 in the FBS in both total defense and scoring defense.

New defensive coordinator Bobby April and two other assistants have come over from Wisconsin. The Badgers allowed an FBS-low 239 yards a game in 2021 and ranked 13th in total defense last season.

“I think for the defense, growing up as a kid, it was all about the party in the backfield, the defensive line, the pass-rush,” said senior inside linebacker Tristan Sinclair, whose father Andrew played for the Cardinal. “I think we’re going to get back to that. I think teams are not going to know what’s coming. We’re going to bring some pressure, so I’m excited for that.”

Stanford has some promising pieces in edge rushers David Bailey and Ernest Cooper, and transfer linebacker Gaethen Bernadel had 103 tackles last season at Florida International, but April will need to build an entirely new secondary.

5. How quickly can Stanford get up to speed?

Stanford has a chance to pick up some early momentum with its schedule – the Cardinal opens at Hawaii and hosts Sacramento State and Arizona in the first four weeks.

If Stanford is able to pick up Taylor’s new systems quickly enough – and not get demoralized from its Week 2 visit to USC and Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams – it can rack up some wins before getting into the more challenging second half of its schedule.

Senior tight end Benjamin Yurosek was optimistic after seeing the preseason predictions.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you we didn’t see that,” Yurosek said. “I love it. That underdog mentality. No respect. We’re ready to shock some people.”