Stanford football has a quarterback problem

With turnovers having been a big problem, what will the future be at the quarterback position for the Cardinal?

Oct 19, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) drops back to pass against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Every elite football team has one thing in common; a top quarterback that can be counted on to step up in any situation. Oregon has Dillon Gabriel, Texas has Quinn Ewers, Georgia has Carson Beck, Penn State has Drew Allar, just to name a few, with each of them in the upper echelon of college football quarterbacks. The most important position on the field, a team’s success starts with the quarterback and in most cases, even if a team is struggling, the quarterback is looked at to be the savior and bring future glory to the program.

But for Stanford, a program that has produced superstars like Andrew Luck and John Elway, the most important position may be its biggest problem. For a rebuilding team like Stanford, having a glaring problem at a spot where stability is key should be a big focus this offseason.

Currently, the three quarterbacks in Ashton Daniels, Justin Lamson and Elijah Brown have combined to throw 12 interceptions through nine games, including a couple of fumbles that have resulted in turnovers as well. Ball security is very important in football, and if the Cardinal cannot protect the ball, they will have a hard time scoring. Against Wake Forest, when they were only down 27-24, the Cardinal were moving down the field late in the game, even getting into the red zone.

However, an interception thrown by Daniels squashed any chances that the Cardinal had of winning and caused the Cardinal to drop their fifth straight game. Turnovers are costly in any situation, but late in games, they are detrimental. Stanford has been very competitive in a handful of games this season, but have also endured a lot of blowout losses due in large part to being unable to hang onto the ball.

Against SMU, a game that the Cardinal were not expected to win, they fell considerably more than expected. Brown got the start and while he did throw a touchdown, he was picked off twice and struggled to really create any big play. In that game, the offense only managed to score 10 points en route to a 40-10 loss. That was just one example of a game in which  the offense struggled to get anything going. Brown, who shined in his college debut in week two, had his development hampered by injury which has since set him back a little bit. 

This season, Daniels has also struggled as well, throwing eight interceptions to only six touchdowns through the team’s first nine games. Averaging nearly one interception per game, Daniels has shown flashes of brilliance, especially with his legs, but has also struggled with ball security and in keeping momentum-shifting drives alive. Brown, who has been one to keep an eye on in terms of overtaking the starting job, has thrown three interceptions in the three games that he has played. 

A bowl game is now officially out of the cards for the Cardinal this year after losing its seventh game, meaning that the focus will now most likely shift to assessing what the future of the team will look like. But what should be first on the agenda is figuring out what to do about who will be under center going forward and if they guys already on the roster can get them to the promised land.