Top Stanford Football Storylines For Week One Against TCU

Dylan Grausz | Aug 29, 2024

Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Justin Lamson (8) reacts on the field before the game against the UCLA Bruins at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The depth of the Stanford defense

Last season, the Stanford Cardinal football program was razor thin at a lot of positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, and struggled to establish a solid group of rotational pieces. But things are much different this time around. Utilizing the transfer portal to their advantage, the Cardinal were able to address some major areas of need, adding pieces like linebacker Jahsiah Galvan from Northern Iowa, defensive lineman Clay Patterson from Yale and safety Jay Green from Washington.

All three figure to be in the mix for meaningful field time this season, with Patterson bringing a major boost to the defensive line and Galvan adding some strong depth behind starting linebackers Gaethan Bernadel and Tristan Sinclair. While the initial depth chart has the three additions listed as second stringers, it will be interesting to see how they are incorporated into the rotation come week one and what situations they are called upon to play in.

Sedrick Irvin’s bigger presence

The Cardinal have been very patient with Irvin, who was used sparingly in his true freshman campaign last year and was the third running back option behind Casey Filkins and E.J. Smith. However with Smith transferring to Texas A&M and Filkins no longer on the roster, Irvin is now slated to be the main ball carrier in Palo Alto. Week one will be the first opportunity for Irvin to make the most out of his bigger role.

Carrying the ball only 26 times for 113 yards and a touchdown last season, Irvin should see a more prominent role within the offense. While the other running back options in Micah Ford, Chris Davis Jr. and Ryan Butler all put together a good camp and could also see some carries, Irvin should still be expected to take a majority of the carries and get the opportunity to separate himself even more from the pack.

Which quarterback will it be?

Despite Ashton Daniels being the main guy in 2023 and continuing his development by putting together a solid training camp, the performances of both Elijah Brown and Justin Lamson during camp have created somewhat of a quarterback controversy at The Farm. Therefore, no official starting quarterback was named for this week with Daniels, Brown and Lamson expected to all get a chance to showcase their skills.

The question then becomes which quarterback will end up getting more reps. Daniels is expected to start the contest, but the plan will be to mix in all three of them at some point in the game. But if one of the quarterbacks manages to really put together a solid outing, will head coach Taylor be able to switch them out? Daniels, the favorite, threw 11 touchdowns last season and if he can get going early and prove that he has grown even more, maybe his appearance will be longer. But Lamson, the team’s leading rusher last year, brings versatility both as a passer and a runner. And then there is Brown, the former four-star prospect out of Mater Dei, who is coming off of a senior high school season where he led the Monarchs to another state championship and comes in more than ready to face the challenge of college football. Only time will tell who will become the permanent signal caller for 2024.

Who is Emmet Kenney?

Kenney has been around since the David Shaw era, starting his Stanford career back in 2021, and is entering his senior season this year. However, with Joshua Karty evolving into one of the best kickers in the country while he too was at Stanford, Kenney never really got the chance to play, only attempting three extra points in three seasons and having yet to kick a field goal. But with Karty now in the NFL, that will all change this week as Kenney will be the starting kicker for the first time in his college career.

It is still hard for the team to know just how good Kenney really is, as his small number of extra points creates for a very small sample size of what he can truly do. But now with the chance to be the featured guy and be called upon to kick in all situations, the Cardinal finally get to see how good Kenney really is and if they have a guy who is just as dominant and consistent as Karty was.