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Two transfer portal quarterbacks that Stanford should inquire about

The transfer portal is flooded with options at signal caller and a couple stand out

Kevin Borba

Two transfer portal quarterbacks that Stanford should inquire about
Two transfer portal quarterbacks that Stanford should inquire about /
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Stanford's quarterback situation is mysterious, murky, or whatever other word that starts with "m" that means we don't know what to expect.

Troy Taylor inherited a quarterback room where the most experienced signal caller has 25 career passing attempts. I wrote just a day ago that Taylor, unlike over half of the Power 5 teams in the country will have to pick a quarterback the old fashioned way; a quarterback battle among returners and freshman. 

Vying for the starting spot along with the seasoned vet that is Ari Patu and all 25 of his career passing attempts, is Ashton Daniels who was used to run the ball 26 times and threw it just six times, and four-star Myles Jackson who reclassified from the 2024 class. With the transfer portal window winding down and closing on January 18, this is essentially Stanford's last chance to add talent from elsewhere.

We have seen Troy Taylor get a bit aggressive in the portal offering a handful of players landing two commitments, one of which was recently backed off of after Tennessee running back transfer Justin Williams-Thomas elected to flip to Cal. There are multiple needs that can be addressed in the portal, and while losing Williams-Thomas stings it's not the end of the world. 

The Cardinal could use some major help at receiver, which USC transfer Gary Bryant Jr. should be their No. 1 target due to everything he brings to the table, but I also think adding a quarterback to add more depth and push for the starting role wouldn't hurt. All of the top quarterbacks in the portal came and went quickly, but there are two names that I think Stanford should really consider adding. 

Mike Wright (Vanderbilt)

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The more experienced of the two signal callers, Mike Wright showed that he can be a very dangerous dual threat quarterback. He led Vanderbilt to four wins, one of which was against a ranked Kentucky team and has been linked to Ole Miss as a possible destination. After being named the starter he eventually was replaced by AJ Swann who was more of a gun slinger, but given that Troy Taylor likes to utilize a quarterback who can run and throw, Wright could be someone that can come in and run his offense.

In ten games for Vandy in 2022, he completed 85-of-148 passes for 974 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also adding 517 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Bringing in Wright offers Stanford a chance to have an experienced quarterback who is battle tested, and at the worst case he can be used similar to how Taylor used Asher O'Hara at Sacramento State. Not saying that Taylor will use a two quarterback system, but Wright would also add some run game insurance for a running back room that lost five players to injury this season. 

Sam Jackson (TCU)

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Sam Jackson (16) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU won 63-17.
Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Jackson is on the inexperienced side considering he served as one of the backups to TCU's Max Duggan for the past couple years, but he has experience in an offense that can be considered somewhat similar to Troy Taylor's. Coming out of high school, Jackson was a four-star recruit ranked as the No. 374 prospect and No. 7 player in the state if Illinois in the class of 2021 and committed to TCU over offers from Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Indiana. He also projects as someone who can play wide receiver due to his explosiveness and athleticism if being a quarterback doesn't work out. 

One thing he does have that hasn't been able to be showcase as often at TCU is his cannon of an arm. Unlike the previous regime, Taylor's offense likes to push the ball downfield vertically and also have a quarterback who can make plays with their feet. While he has just six career passing attempts Jackson can do both of those things, and just needs a chance to showcase that. Say for some reason he were to come in and not hit as a quarterback, well, he'd probably end up being Stanford's most electric receiver on the roster. 

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Kevin Borba
KEVIN BORBA

Managing Editor and Publisher of CardinalCountry.com, formerly a Pac-12 Network Production Assistant and a contributing writer for USA Today's Longhorns Wire. I am a proud graduate of Quinnipiac University's sports journalism master's program. Follow me on Twitter @Kevin__Borba 

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