I'm probably a few weeks early on this but it's been gnawing at me not to have a better sense of roster construction so I thought I'd take a stab at counting to 85, both to clarify my own thinking and also to see if others who have better knowledge can correct/clarify things for me. My count:

1. Ziron Brown
2. Kahlil House
3. Hayden Gunter
4. Joe Asiain
5. Jacobi Murray
6. Connor Bachhuber
7. Bo Tate
8. Aiden Black
9. Benjamin Blackburn
10. Chris Davis
11. Micah Ford
12. Cole Tabb
13. Brandon Nicholson
14. Jaylen'Dai Sumlin
15. Darius Davis
16. Javion Randall
17. Chase Farrell

18. Benedict Umeh
19. Elijah Brown
20. Emmitt Mosley
21. Sam Mattingly
22. Dylan Stephenson
23. Cam Richardson

24. Chico Holt
25. Ahmari Borden
26. Myles Jackson
27. Jackson Harris
28. Gavin Geweniger
29. Tre Williams
30. Charlie Symonds
31. Ismael Cisse
32. Omar Staples
33. Caleb Hampton
34. Braden Marceau-Olayinka
35. Allen Thomason

36. Che Ojarikre
37. Aaron Morris
38. Tiger Bachmeier
39. JShawn Frausto-Ramos
40. Sedrick Irvin Jr.
41. Simione Pale
42. Luke Baklenko

43. Tevarua Tafiti
44. Zach Rowell
45. Jahsiah Galvan
46. Collin Wright
47. Jake Maikkula
48. Elic Ayomanor
49. Pat Caughey
50. Benjamin Hudson
51. Matt Rose
52. Scotty Edwards
53. Jaivion Green
54. Fisher Anderson
55. Ernest Cooper IV

56. David Bailey
57. Ashton Daniels
58. Sam Roush
59. Mudia Reuben

60. Wilfredo Aybar
61. Aaron Armitage
62. Justin Lamson
63. Austin Uke
64. Mitch Leigber
65. Shield Taylor
66. Ese Dubre
67. Jack Leyrer
68. Caleb Ellis
69. Ryan Butler
70. Brendon Barrow
71. Zach Buckey
72. Anthony Franklin
73. Connor Weselman
74. Jayson Raines
75. Jaden Slocum
76. Jimmy Wyrick

77. Gaethan Bernadel
78. Levi Rogers
79. Connor McLaughlin
80. Lukas Ungar
81. Tobin Phillips
82. Bryce Farrell
83. Omari Porter
84. Lance Keneley
85. Silas Starr
86. Trevor Mayberry

87. Zahran Manley
88. Tristan Sinclair

Wild cards I'd like more clarity on but am not counting at the moment:

Lucas Heyer
Joshua Thompson
CJ Hawkins

Still in transfer portal and could theoretically return:

Terian Williams
Ari Patu
Ben Yurosek

Bottom line

We need more news, at least beyond what I am aware of, to get to 85, and if any of the last six guys I mentioned are back it could be even tighter. It seems to me like Ungar, Porter, and Starr are at significant risk of being cut and may be sticking around in hopes of other attrition (e.g., somebody else medically retiring or transferring later this spring). If there are additional transfers that tightens the math further, but it seems pretty manageable. In addition to Ungar, Porter, and Starr there are a few cases of dead wood where one could imagine a medical retirement or otherwise being told there isn't space.

Looking ahead to 2025, I count 12 guys completing their eligibility this year, but that number goes down if we draw from that group for additional attrition as I expect. But in thinking about 2025 roster math, in addition to those scholarships freeing up we will have presumably the vast majority of the 60-76 group leave as well. Frankly, that group is obscenely weak for players entering their fourth year and it will be a major opportunity for us to get them off the roster and replace them with Taylor recruits. I reckon we can safely plan for nine old men scholarships opening plus, say, 11 of the miserable 2021 class before we even get to medical retirements, underclassmen backups transferring for opportunities, or NFL attrition. I think we can expect a 2025 class more or less the same size as our 2024 class.

In the big picture, the Taylor-Pehrson roster management will/should be focused on continuing the aggressive roster turnover and putting their own imprint on the roster. I view the 2024 roster as already a more efficient use of available scholarships and then 2025 could be the year we really see a roster improvement. There are caveats, such as individual parts of the pipeline getting weaker, but by and large what's important is that we cycle Shaw's guys out of the program and Taylor's guys in. Fifty-ish new players (inclusive of transfers) in two years will be a big step in that direction.

NT

This video is a few years old but I had never seen it before. While it’s not mentioned in the video, Ed McCaffrey was strongly considering Penn St. But when Joe Paterno told him that he’d be a tight end at Penn State, he decided to go to Stanford instead. Thank, God. While the video link below says “Video not available,” I think it will still work.

Login to view embedded media

Read that here. David Esquer, Matt Scott, and Malcolm Moore represented the Cardinal. Video is included.

Read that here.

Read that here.

Read that here.

Former Stanford PWO QB Brent Peus has a new podcast. He's done interviews with KJ Costello, Conrad Ukropina, and Walker Little.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media
Lots of talk about the program's best days. Costello interview goes on forever and has some crappy editing but interesting to hear the inside scoop on how it all went down with him + Mills. Ukropina and Little interviews are better overall. Definitely worth a listen.

Read that here. Courtesy of Greg Smith in our network. Richardson originally was a 2025 guy, but now has signed as part of their 2024 class. Charlie Hoitink also reclassified to the 2024 class. Mentioned in the recruiting notes thread as well for February.

Read that here. Courtesy of Greg Smith.

20 years ago, Nick Robinson hit the shot against Arizona. Here's a comprehensive, oral history to enjoy:

Read that here.

Read that here.

Read that here.

Returning to something I did in 2019 and 2020 and then stopped when Shaw's last years became too depressing, which is to assess the roster based on a bunch of PFF data. In truth the 2023 team performance was just as bad, and arguably worse, than it was in 2021 and 2022, but because we are early in a new regime we can still hope for upward trajectory. Taking stock of where we stand therefore still has some interest for me. But I do hope that a year from now we have much more to be excited about.

This time I will start with something I didn't do those years, which is to provide a baseline for PFF's assessment of the team overall. The first, most fundamental thing to know is that PFF graded us #130. Harsh does not begin to describe that. We were really bad in 2023 but in the final analysis Sagarin had us #101 and SP+ had us #108, so PFF had an especially harsh read of our performance. The lowest ranks we had previously had in a season by PFF's lights were #115 in 2022 and #118 in 2021, which are also and lower than Sagarin thought (#89 in 2021 and #87 in 2022). #130 means PFF thought we were the worst Power Five team in America (Arizona State #127 and Vanderbilt #126).

PFF thought we were #116 on offense, #131 on defense, and #78 on special teams.

In terms of specific component grades here is how we ranked from best attributes to worst attributes:

74) Tackling
83) Receiving
111) Run Blocking
112) Passing
118) Running
119) Pass Blocking
128) Coverage
129) Pass Rush
129) Run Defense

There was nothing good about our 2023 season. The only thing that wasn't crappy was tackling (hat tip to Coach Gregory for his tackling circuit). Deeply depressing that we brought in a good chunk of the Wisconsin staff and the results were being one of the worst teams in the country in three of the four defensive attributes.

Still in an only up to go from here place in football. Our gamble is that a new culture, strength and conditioning, and players brought in by the new staff will turn things around. Very speculative at this point but we have to hope.

Read that here. Just heading back from Maples. I'm recording this one and will get caught up when I get caught up. Carlyle out tonight with an upper body injury and is day-to-day. Don't see Stanford winning this one even if he was out there.

I do a lot of my writing late at night on campus and The Axe & Palm is one of my frequent spots to write. Drink Diet Coke and write away. I even used to write at TAP back when I was covering Cal. Fun vibe.

Anyways, I was gonna mention, they have added a ton of new photos and posters of Stanford football. I guess you could call it memorabilia. It's very noticeable. They've at least tripled the number of picture frames at TAP that pay tribute to Cardinal football from a variety of eras.

Why do I bring this up? This is great marketing! Students frequently come to TAP to get a shake, grab a bite, do some studying, and/or just chill with friends. As they walk around and hang out at TAP, they are absorbing more Stanford football, which increases their odds of going to a game, getting interested in Stanford football, and perhaps even becoming a subscriber of Cardinal Sports Report!

Not only is it great marketing, it's super easy to do. It doesn't take a ton of effort and in exchange you boost school spirit and interest in the most important athletic program you have on campus. I'd be curious to find out who was behind this decision. I know Stanford has often been kinda weak sauce in their marketing, but this is really nice.

P.S. Not a bad place to take recruits, either. An easy way to show the school cares about football.

Read that here.

Read that here.

He has made it official on social media. He's the one who I found out that committed on Sunday. 2024 3-star running back Micah Ford out of Toms River, New Jersey. He visited for the spring showcase on Saturday, so he obviously had a really positive experience on his visit.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Sure can't imagine Ingram and Ryan are wishing they were at Stanford instead of playing for UNC in this game.

I have not watched a single college basketball game for more than a few minutes all season to date. I'm watching this game because it ALWAYS delivers. It's IMO the best rivalry in all of sports.

Hard to imagine Stanford ever reaching this level of intensity in any game, or basically ever beating either of these teams.

Fiona won the women’s marathon in her debut race and also set a trial record. She won the Pac12 cross country championship in 2019. No senior season as it was wiped out by COVID.
We should have l a counter to record athletes and coaches going to the Olympics.

Read that here. I'm excited to see JuJu Watkins play and also McKenzie Forbes. I'm tight with her (Forbes) family, so I'm hoping to see them tonight. Nice folks. Actually, I know head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her assistant Wendale Farrow, too. I kinda think of them as the California Golden Trojans, lol.

For those that don't know the connection, I know all of them from my days at Cal. It's like a fun reunion for all of us.

With Brandon Wu, he led Stanford to the NCAA championship in 2019. Unlike his Stanford teammates Mav and Brandon, Isaiah only made a few PGA tournaments through sponsor invites. He's been on the McKenzie tour in Canada and in the Latin America tour, but qualified for the Korn Ferry at tour school for 2024.
He's in the clubhouse with the lead at -5 at the KF Panama Open and shot a 65 today. Hope he can make it to the PGA. I was the walking scorer for two of his earlier rounds at the Fortinet Open (nee Safeway at Silverado.)

Stanford Men's golf didn't fare too well at the American International Invite in Arizona placing 18th out of 18th. The team was missing Thorbjornsen. Thorbjornsen teed it up for the first time in a tournament since last summer when he finished 11th at the DP tour in Bahrain, but didn't make the trip to Arizona. The men tee it up next week in Hawaii and we'll see if Thorbjornsen makes the trip. He's still in the lead for PGA Tour University rankings with a 23 point lead over #2 and 310 points over #3. Amazing as he didn't earn any points with his injury for over 6 months. The leader after the NCAA tournament earns his 2024-25 tour card.

The Pebble Pro-Am has a totally revamped format. A lot of the amateurs from the business and entertainment world are gone with a smaller pro-am schedule and it's one of the select tournaments with the top 80 players getting to play plus alternates. McNealy, Rodgers and Wu are playing, but well back.

The women tee off in Hawaii on Feb 19th. Watching how Rachel is doing on her recovery.
The Augusta Women's Amateur will take place in early April. Stanford has NINE invites which include incoming players. Megha Ganne, Rachel Heck, Sadie Englemann, Kelly Xu, Paula Martin Sampedro, with incoming players Leigh Chien, Andrea Revuelta, Meja Örtengren, and Nora Sundberg have earned invites. Brooke Seay didn't earn enough points although she's played in this tournament before and of course, Rose Zhang won it last year. We're definitely going to have a Euro look after this year.

Login to view embedded media
This was her first full marathon race ever. New USA trials record.