- Head coach: Troy Taylor (second season)
- 2023 record: 3-9
- PFF power ranking: 109th
- Chance to win the ACC: 1%
- Strength of schedule: 25th
- Projected win total: 4.2
- FanDuel win total: 3.5
- 2024 recruiting rank (On3): No. 37 nationally, No. 8 in the ACC
Troy Taylor’s first season as Stanford’s head coach ended the same as the Cardinal's last two seasons, as the team finished with just a 3-9 record.
Stanford has now had the worst three-year stretch since 1958-1960 and will try to rebound in its first year as a member of the ACC. The Cardinal do have a star receiver in Elic Ayomanor to rely on offensively, but they have holes everywhere else on their roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Stanford fielded arguably the worst defense in the country last season and didn’t do much in the transfer portal to fix its issues. Making matters worse for the Cardinal is that, according to our power rankings, they play the second-hardest schedule in the ACC.
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Biggest Strength: The return of Elic Ayomanor
Ayomanor, a top-10 receiver in college football, has the ability to take games over by himself, even against elite competition. Take his game last year against Colorado as an example: After being held without a catch in the first half, he exploded for 13 catches, 294 yards (program record) and three touchdowns in the second half and overtime. Making that performance even more jaw-dropping is that he was guarded by future first-round pick Travis Hunter on seven of those catches and two of his touchdown grabs.
Related post: Elic Ayomanor’s ultra-competitive approach to life has made him a star both on and off the field
Biggest Weakness: Issues everywhere defensively
Stanford allowed 0.210 expected points added (EPA) per play in 2023, the worst mark of any school in the country. Among Power Five schools, the Cardinal posted the lowest overall defensive grade, the worst run-defense grade, tied for the lowest pass-rushing grade and the third-worst coverage grade. The unit remains mostly the same in 2024, with only one incoming transfer projected to start.
2023 Team Overview
Offense |
||||
| EPA per play | Yards per play | Successful play rate | Explosive run play rate | Explosive pass play rate |
| -0.103 | 5.1 | 32.1% | 13.3% | 11.5% |
| 110th | 108th | 106th | 102nd | 117th |
Defense |
||||
| EPA allowed per play | Yards allowed per play | Successful play rate allowed | Explosive run rate allowed | Explosive pass rate allowed |
| 0.210 | 6.7 | 43.3% | 18.3% | 16.6% |
| 134th | 129th | 134th | 122nd | 115th |
Three Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- LB Jahsiah Galvin (Northern Iowa): 80.4 PFF Grade
- EDGE Clay Patterson (Yale): 66.0 PFF Grade
- CB Jay Green (Washington): 52.9 PFF Grade
Three Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- TE Benjamin Yurosek (Georgia): 66.8 PFF Grade
- S Alaka’i Gilman (Utah): 62.8 PFF Grade
- RB E.J. Smith (Texas A&M): 66.5 PFF Grade
Quarterback Spotlight: Ashton Daniels
2023 Grade: 65.9
Key Stat: 20 turnover-worthy plays in 2023 (second-most in Pac-12)
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