The drop off the map was swift, brutal, and it keeps going.
Stanford was a real, live college football powerhouse from 2009 to 2018. There were Rose Bowls, high draft picks, Heisman-caliber talents, and that was when playing in the Pac-12 meant something.
But after a 9-4 2018, the program suffered six straight seasons with four wins or fewer – the 2015 team won as many games as Stanford won combined over the last four years.
After two years at the helm, head coach Troy Taylor was fired following a report of alleged mistreatment of staff members – and now Stanford is scrambling.
General Manager Andrew Luck is looking for a full-time head coach – Frank Reich still has the interim tag – the 2025 team is traveling to Hawaii, Virginia, Dallas, Miami, and Chapel Hill, and …
Other than that, things are going great. But there is hope.
Unlike Oregon State and Washington State, Stanford got the call to the ACC last season, it’s still a Power Four program, and considering there’s a not-that-awful starting 22 likely in place, there are enough winnable games on the slate to maybe, possibly, potentially come up with one of its best seasons in years.
(Even if that means just five wins.)
Stanford Cardinal College Football Preview 2025
Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) gestures after a California Golden Bears incomplete pass during the third quarter at California Memorial Stadium.© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Stanford Cardinal Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN
– It was a rough year for the offense. There were too many turnovers, not enough third down conversions, and it all started with a line that couldn’t keep anyone out of the backfield. There should be an improvement.
– There isn’t enough proven depth, but the starting five up front should be okay. Tackle combination of Kahlil House and former UCLA Bruin Niki Prongos is good enough. Sacramento State transfer Nathan Mejia is new, but guards Simione Pale and Jack Leyrer are back.
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– The running backs need more room, but they’re okay. Micah Ford was second on the team with 309 yards and Chris Davis was third averaging over five yards per carry, but all 11 touchdowns came from former quarterbacks Ashton Davis (Auburn) and Justin Lamson (Montana State).
– Elijah Brown is a promising young quarterback, freshman Bear Bachmeier is the future, and between the two they’ll let it rip. They need receivers, though, with star target Elic Ayomanor now a Tennessee Titan and Emmett Mosley now at Texas. Tiger Bachmeier is fine for the slot, but it’s up to CJ Williams (Wisconsin) and a slew of transfers to take over.
Stanford Cardinal Preview 2025: Defense
– The defense was among the worst in the ACC. The pass rush was fine, but star David Bailey is now at Texas Tech. The run defense wasn’t bad, but the pass D was among the worst in America. But there’s hope.
– Collin Wright is a keeper at safety. He led the team with three picks to go along with his 45 tackles, and big-tackling safeties Scotty Edwards and Mitch Sinclair are strong. The corners are thin, though, needing Dartmouth transfer Jordan Washington to be an instant factor.
– The defensive backs had to make too many stops. The linebacking corps is at least experienced with Matt Rose good for the inside and Tevarua Tafiti a factor in the backfield. The line is also full of veterans, and it’s one area with enough depth to expect a production boost.
Stanford Cardinal Key to the Season
Come up with third down stops.
No one’s expecting a brick wall, but the Cardinal front six/seven is far too experienced to struggle so much on key downs. It wasn’t quite this simple, but it’s not far off.
Stanford won three games last season. Those were the three teams the defense didn’t allow teams to convert more than 40% of their third down tries.
Stanford Cardinal Key Player
Kahlil House, OT Soph.
The O line has to come up with a stronger season and it starts with the tackles. The 6-4, 285-pound tackle was thrown into the mix as a true freshman. It wasn’t always smooth, but the potential, talent and athleticism are there to be the main man up front.
Stanford Cardinal Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: CJ Williams, WR Sr.
It was hard to show off too much in the weirdly-bad Wisconsin offense, but last year Williams averaged over 15 yards per catch on his 16 grabs. He might not be a volume catcher, but he’s got the talent to stretch the field a bit from the outside.
Top Transfer Out: David Bailey, EDGE Sr.
It’s not like he played like the next Lawrence Taylor, but he cranked up 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in his three seasons, growing into more of a wrecking ball in Year Three. Arguably the top pass rusher in the portal, now he’s at Texas Tech.
Stanford Cardinal Key Game
Boston College, Sept. 13
The Cardinal start early at Hawaii, get a date at BYU, and then the ACC season opens up when Boston College comes to Palo Alto. It’s a winnable home game if everything goes right, and with Virginia and San Jose State to follow, it’s possible to match last year’s three-win total before October.
– 2025 Stanford Cardinal Schedule Breakdown
Stanford Cardinal Top 10 Players
1. Collin Wright, S Jr.
2. Tevarua Tafiti, LB Sr.
3. Sam Roush, TE Sr.
4. Scotty Edwards, S Jr.
5. Micah Ford, RB, RFr.
6. Elijah Brown, QB Soph.
7. Emmet Kenney, PK Sr.
8. Anthony Franklin, EDGE Sr.
9. Kahlil House, OT Soph.
10. Tiger Bachmeier, WR Jr.
Stanford Cardinal 2024 Fun Stats
– Penalties: Opponents 81 for 742 yards, Stanford 65 for 588 yards
– Tackles for Loss: Opponents 104 for 394 yards, Stanford 63 for 236 yards
– Interceptions: Opponents 17, Stanford 9
Stanford Cardinal 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
The schedule is easy enough to be a real opportunity for a good season, but can Stanford take advantage of it?
There’s no Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville, or Virginia Tech to deal with – and no Duke, Syracuse, and Wake Forest, either – but there are enough landmines to make it tough in the middle.
At SMU, Florida State, at Miami – October will be rough. There will be a few other forget-about-it games when the Cardinal aren’t even close – at BYU might be that, and so will Notre Dame – but there should be a few shockers to flirt with a decent season.
It might not be a bowl run, but considering the circumstances, it’ll be an okay year.
Set The Stanford Cardinal Win Total At … 3.5
Likely Wins: No Sure Thing Wins
50/50 Games: Boston College, Cal, at Hawaii, at North Carolina, Pitt, San Jose State, at Virginia
Likely Losses: at BYU, Florida State, at Miami, Notre Dame, at SMU
