Stanford Football

The college sports conference carousel may be continuing with news that there is "momentum toward" the Atlantic Coast Conference adding Cal and Stanford to the mix, per Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated.

Update: Multiple sources say there is “momentum toward” adding Cal and Stanford but it’s unclear as of now whether the 75 percent vote threshold (12/15) can be reached. If presidents don’t think they have the numbers, they likely won’t take a formal vote. Ongoing saga.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 9, 2023

According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, Notre Dame is "pushing" for the move. The Fighting Irish are independent in football but part of the ACC in all other sports.

Cal and Stanford have been left behind in the Pac-12 with news of Washington and Oregon joining the Big Ten and Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado leaving for the Big 12 beginning in 2024.

The Bay Area rivals are two of four remaining Pac-12 teams after this college sports season alongside Oregon State and Washington State.

The ongoing dissolution of the Pac-12 has led to this moment, but so has word that the ACC could be losing some teams. Florida State president Richard McCullough told the school's board of trustees that the Seminoles could be making their way out of the league, saying in part (h/t ESPN's Andrea Adelson).

"Our goal would be to continue to stay in the ACC, but staying in the ACC under the current situation is hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive unless there were a major change in the revenue distribution within the conference," McCullough said. "That has not happened. Those discussions are ongoing at all times.

FSU has been the most forthright about a potential exodus, but others may be involved as well. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reported the following in May.

"More frank discussions are expected about the growing revenue gap between it and the SEC/Big Ten. Handcuffed by an ESPN broadcasting contract and grant-of-rights that extends another 13 years, ACC schools could find themselves more than $30 million behind the SEC and Big Ten in annual distribution by the time 2026 arrives. …

"A subset of seven schools in the 14-member conference has coalesced over what many of them describe as an untenable situation. Officials from the seven schools, led by Florida State and Clemson, have met a handful of times over the past several months, with their lawyers examining the grant-of-rights to determine just how unbreakable it is."

That list of seven schools includes Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Miami, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

We'll see what happens soon with the ACC, although the end game may be that Cal and Stanford will now play in a conference where the member schools are roughly 2,500-3,000 miles away. That's a big loss for the student-athletes, who now have to travel cross country frequently just to play games.

The growing list of Pac-12 defections may soon have another addition.

ESPN's Pete Thamel appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday and said there's growing buzz that Stanford could be the latest departure, with a shift to the ACC looming:

"There has been some Stanford to the ACC smoke that has emerged..

All four teams in the Pac-12 are still together but they are exploring other options"@PeteThamel #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/yPKIGcN61j

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 7, 2023

"Stanford is this vibrant, just teeming athletic department filled with all these world-class people," he noted. "They have great facilities, and they have nowhere to go right now. Could they and maybe Cal end up in some sort of hybrid ACC, or some sort of ACC West Coast wing? I don't know."

Thamel later added that the ACC is indeed exploring the potential additions of Stanford and Cal:

It’s a fluid landscape for the four leftover Pac-12 schools, and there’s myriad options being discussed. This one of them.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 7, 2023

Stanford's potential departure would further usher in what appears to be the possible end of the Pac-12 conference.

USC and UCLA agreed last year to join the Big Ten in 2024. On Friday, Oregon and Washington agreed to make the same change.

And last week, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah agreed to join the Big-12 in 2024. That left only Cal, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State remaining as Pac-12 members.

"They're all, together, independently exploring other options, as somebody told me today," Thamel told McAfee.

It's possible that those four schools could attempt to attract other schools to a new-look Pac-12, though losing conference powerhouses like USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington is going to make the conference less appealing when it comes to media-rights deals. And paying buyout deals for schools like Boise State would become an expensive endeavor that probably wouldn't be affordable, as Thamel noted.

That, in turn, means a school like Stanford might hope to receive an invite to the Big Ten or ACC in an effort to keep the television money rolling in. Otherwise, another option would be to join the Mountain West, although for Stanford and California in particular, less incoming revenue would mean their large sporting departments would likely have to downsize.

The ACC, of course, is in its own state of uncertainty. Florida State "has been exploring all its options for over a year," according to ESPN, but is facing a $120 million exit fee and could be facing a court battle with the conference to free itself from a grant of rights that is supposed to keep the current ACC schools together through 2036's television deal with ESPN.

If Florida State finds a legal path out of the ACC, other schools like Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia could follow suit. Clemson and North Carolina in particular would be valuable additions for conferences like the Big Ten, SEC or Big-12.

In other words, further conference consolidation could be on the horizon. Where that leaves a school like Stanford remains to be seen, but they aren't prominent pieces as it pertains to the college football chessboard. The Pac-12 defections may ultimately cost Stanford quite a bit of money in the long term unless the ACC indeed swoops in.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 191

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.52

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 36"

BROAD: 10'11"

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POSITIVES

— Scrappy player with a high motor. Looks to finish plays.

— Physical player who is a willing tackler. Will front up the ball-carrier in tight spaces.

— Active player with ball in the air. Able to swipe through catch points and shows good timing on pass breakups.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks strength. Struggles in all phases against bigger receivers, tackling and block destruction.

— Hip tightness. Slow to flip hips and can be thrown off balance.

2022 STATISTICS

— 10 G, 35 TOT, 6 PD

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NOTES

— 35 Starts

— DOB: 5/22/2001

— Father Brian Kelly played in NFL for 11 seasons (Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1998-2007, Detroit Lions 2008)

— 2022 All-Pac 12 second team (Coaches, Phil Steele)

— 2021 All-Pac 12 second team (Coaches, Phil Steele)

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OVERALL

Kyu Blu Kelly is an athletic cornerback who plays with very good technique. His father, Brian Kelly, was a 11-year NFL vet.

Kelly has a high football IQ and understanding of the scheme he plays in. However, he has some physical limitations in his game.

When playing the pass, Kelly has the ability to align in press and off coverage. While in press, he looks to match the receiver's release while also getting his hands on to reroute. He does a good job of getting in phase, but bigger receivers can bump him off at the top of routes.

In off coverage, Kelly shows to have a smooth and controlled pedal, but he can struggle sticking his foot in the ground to have a quick transition. He has also shown some hip tightness when asked to flip and swivel.

When carrying receivers down the field, Kelly does a good job when he is able to stay on top, but he lacks the recovery speed to make up for the separation when he's out of position. Kelly generally does a good job of playing through the receiver, using good timing to break up passes, but he can panic at times, causing him to lose contact with the receiver and become too handsy.

As a run defender, Kelly does a good job of reacting to what he sees. He quickly comes up to support the run and take on blocks. When taking on blocks, he tends to use his quickness to defeat blocks, but he can struggle when asked to take on bigger receivers. He lacks the ideal strength needed to control and disengage from blockers.

When tracking the ball from depth, Kelly generally takes good angles and quickly closes the gap. He has good physicality as a tackler, but his lack of strength often shows, as stronger ball-carriers can easily shrug him off.

Ultimately, Kelly is a scrappy defender who has some scheme versatility. He will be able to add depth as an outside and slot cornerback. He needs to work on his strength and tackling to gain more of a role in the NFL, though. For now, Kelly is a high-level backup prospect.

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GRADE: 6.3 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 162

POSITION RANK: CB24

PRO COMPARISON: Julian Love

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 213

HAND: 9 3/4"

ARM: 31"

WINGSPAN: 75 1/8"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.58

3-CONE: 6.81

SHUTTLE: 4.27

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Great burst and acceleration. Rolls off the line of scrimmage effectively.

— Above-average long speed. Plays faster than he tested.

— Good ability to fight through contact during routes. Hard to disrupt.

— Good contested-catch skills. Strong hands, impressive body control.

— Good blocker. Ideal frame, plays with high intensity.

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NEGATIVES

— Below-average flexibility and change of direction.

— Lacks explosiveness out of route breaks. Not a consistent separator as a result.

— Plan of attack versus press leaves something to be desired.

— Struggles with concentration drops despite effective contested catch ability.

— Serious injury history. Hasn't played a healthy season since 2019.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 6 G, 26 REC, 418 YDS (16.1 AVG), 4 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: February 23, 2000

— 4-star recruit in 2018 class, per 247 Sports' composite rating

— 28 career starts

— Season-ending foot injury in 2020, also forced him to miss the first half of the 2021 season

— Season-ending injury (undisclosed) in 2022, only played six games

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OVERALL

Michael Wilson has the size, strength, and speed of a legit NFL starter, but a middling change of direction skills and a gnarly injury history may inhibit him at the next level.

Wilson looks and plays the part physically. At just under 6'2" and 213 pounds, Wilson has a strong, stocky build and does well to take advantage of it. While his plan of attack versus press can be questionable, Wilson is hard to knock off his path and disrupt as a route-runner. He plays with great strength and understands how to use his arms to create small pockets of space, both at the top of routes and near the catch point.

That strength also translates elsewhere in Wilson's game. For one, Wilson is tough at the catch point. His blend of strength and body control often gives him the inside track to the ball in contested situations, and he's got the hand-eye coordination and plucky hands to finish consistently. Additionally, Wilson is a tough and chippy blocker, which will help get him on the field early and even give him the versatility to play from tight slot alignments.

Wilson is also a fairly explosive athlete, at least in a straight line. Wilson screams off the line for someone his size and gains steam quickly. His top gear isn't the scariest in the class, but he's got enough speed for his size and hits that top speed in a hurry.

Where Wilson falls short is when it comes to change of direction, an issue at least partly rooted in constant lower body injuries the past three seasons. Wilson can look clunky getting in and out of breaks. He isn't particularly smooth when it comes to settling and getting into his breaks, nor is he explosive coming out of them. Wilson's separation is inconsistent as a result. Additionally, Wilson has frustrating drop issues on routine plays. That can be corrected, but is something to monitor.

If healthy, Wilson could be a weapon at the next level both inside and outside. His blend of size, strength, burst, and blocking skills make him a great vertical outside receiver who can flex to the slot thanks to his blocking chops. That said, Wilson's mediocre mobility and troubling injury history make it difficult to invest in him with a premium pick. Wilson is a perfect high-risk, high-reward mid-round gamble.

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GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 119

POSITION RANK: WR18

PRO COMPARISON: Kendrick Bourne

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'6"

WEIGHT: 231

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 32⅞"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: 7.22

SHUTTLE: 4.41

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Great size/frame for the NFL.

— Good arm strength. Throws with easy velocity outside the numbers and can drive the ball downfield.

— Good processing and decision-making. Cycles through reads in a timely fashion and rarely makes crushing mistakes.

— Fairly aggressive thrower. Unafraid to target one-on-ones or test tight windows.

— Very good understanding of ball placement relative to defenders. Can throw wide receivers open.

— Smooth athlete for his size. Able to throw on the move comfortably.

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NEGATIVES

— Long, slow release. Can disrupt timing and allow defensive linemen to get hands up to swat passes down.

— Sometimes struggles with over-the-top touch. Go balls and corner routes, in particular, can get away from him at times.

— Below-average creator outside the pocket. Often hangs in the pocket for too long.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 264-of-426 (62%), 2,947 YDS, 6.9 Y/A, 13 TD, 8 INT

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NOTES

— DOB: April 27, 2000

— 4-star recruit in 2018, per 247Sports

— 21 career starts

— Undisclosed minor injury in 2021

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OVERALL

Tanner McKee is a strong-armed, stationary pocket passer with the processing skills and savvy to work himself into a starting job.

He has a lot of translatable skills as an NFL passer. First, he has the requisite arm talent, as he throws with good velocity, especially outside the numbers, and has the juice to push the ball downfield regularly.

The 22-year-old also has no fear in using that arm strength, regularly showing the willingness to rifle throws into tight windows or give his guys chances in one-on-one scenarios. Furthermore, McKee maximizes his arm talent through comprehending how to throw receivers open. He has a good understanding of how zone windows shift and how to throw away from defender leverage, which helps him complete some high-difficulty attempts.

Additionally, he is a capable processor. McKee handled a number of pro-style concepts at Stanford and executed them well. He proved he would cycle through his reads efficiently and decide in a confident, timely manner.

It's hard to find examples of his forcing clearly bad decisions or getting the ball out late to open receivers. If anything, Stanford's recent shift toward sprinkling RPOs into the offense was a disservice to McKee, who both doesn't need that crutch and can suffer on those quick throws because of his long, slow release.

McKee's drawbacks mostly come down to his ceiling. Though his arm is strong and he understands how to throw around defenders, he too often lacks the finesse to layer throws in over the top. He can do it, but needs to find consistency.

McKee is also a lackluster playmaker. He is a fine athlete for his size but is too often anchored to the pocket. When he does leave it, the Stanford product doesn't have the twitch or speed to be a real scrambling threat or exciting playmaker.

He would have been a first-round prospect 30 years ago. His size, arm talent, processing skills and confident style all fit the "days of old" passing style.

However, his lack of creativity and ability outside the pocket will likely limit him to being an average starter, unless he develops into one of the best pure processors in the NFL. McKee would fit best in a throwback vertical-style offense, similar to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attack under Bruce Arians.

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GRADE: 7.0 (High-level backup/Potential starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 88

POSITION RANK: QB5

PRO COMPARISON: Matt Schaub

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Justin Williams-Thomas is going to play for Stanford next season.

The freshman running back announced on Twitter he was transferring to the Cardinal after playing this season at the University of Tennessee:

https://twitter.com/akajwill/status/1607754157372448776

Williams-Thomas announced on Dec. 4 he was entering the transfer portal:

"I would like to thank Coach Heupel, Coach Mack and the entire Tennessee staff for giving me an opportunity to play at the next level! To all my teammates thank you for all the memories and good times we shared together and the opportunity to grow together as brothers. I will definitely miss you all! To Vol Nation, this year was great! I would not trade it for anything. Thank you guys for all the love and support you showed me through our ups and downs this year! You all are truly the best!"

Coming out of East Paulding High School last year, Williams-Thomas was a 4-star prospect and the No. 22 running back in the 2022 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

According to Patrick Brown of 247Sports, Williams-Thomas' decision last year came down to Tennessee and Auburn before he picked the Volunteers.

"Williams-Thomas went through some of Tennessee's on-campus bowl practices and enrolled in January, which allowed him to go through spring practice," Brown wrote.

The Georgia native had only 37 rushing yards on 11 carries in three games for the Vols. He is leaving Tennessee after it won 10 games in a season for the first time since 2007.

Head coach Josh Heupel led Tennessee to the No. 2 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for one week before a 27-13 loss to Georgia on Nov. 5. The program hadn't climbed that high in the rankings since November 2001.

The Volunteers are preparing to play Clemson on Friday in the Orange Bowl.

Williams-Thomas' commitment to Stanford adds to a solid group of incoming players for new head coach Troy Taylor.

The Cardinal have the No. 46 overall recruiting class for next season after the early signing period. They are coming off back-to-back seasons with a 3-9 record and no bowl appearances since 2018.

Stanford has hired Troy Taylor as its next football coach, the school announced Saturday.

Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee first reported the news.

Taylor has coached Sacramento State for four years and led the Hornets to an undefeated regular-season record and the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs this year. They reached the quarterfinals before a 66-63 upset loss to Incarnate Word on Friday.

Stanford director of athletics Bernard Muir discussed the hire in a statement:

"Troy is a proven winner who has experienced success at many levels of football. Throughout our visits together he demonstrated an understanding of what makes Stanford special, and a deep desire to capitalize on our unique strengths. He possesses an incredible football mind and has a long history of caring deeply for the student-athletes he leads. I am excited for the next chapter of Cardinal football and eager for our student-athletes to experience Troy's passion, wisdom and leadership."

Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was a finalist for the Stanford job, according to Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, but he announced Thursday that he would remain an analyst for NBC Sports. Former Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio were also reportedly in the running.

Taylor has served as Sacramento State's head coach and offensive coordinator. He has been the Big Sky Coach of the Year twice and won the Eddie Robinson Award in 2019 as the FCS coach of the year.

Prior to his time at Sacramento State, the 54-year-old was the offensive coordinator for Eastern Washington in 2016, coaching receiver Cooper Kupp, before moving to the Pac-12 and leading the offense for Utah in 2017 and 2018.

He played four years as a quarterback for California, tallying 51 touchdown passes from 1986 to 1989. He played two years in the NFL with the New York Jets and then moved into coaching, including five seasons as a position coach at Cal from 1996 to 2000.

Taylor will try to turn things around for Stanford after back-to-back 3-9 seasons.

The Cardinal were a perennial Top 10 team in the first part of former coach David Shaw's tenure after he took over in 2011, but the program has floundered in recent years and has only 14 wins in the last four seasons.

Shaw resigned in November as the winningest coach in Stanford history.

Despite receiving strong consideration for the Stanford head-coaching job, Jason Garrett will remain in his current position with NBC Sports.

Garrett announced on Twitter he won't be replacing David Shaw:

Thanks so much to AD Bernard Muir and everyone at Stanford! While I enjoyed exploring a great opportunity at such a special place, I’m so excited to continue my work at NBC on Football Night in America and with Notre Dame Football!

— Jason Garrett (@JasonGarrett) December 9, 2022

On Thursday, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reported Garrett and Sacramento State's Troy Taylor were among the finalists to get the Stanford job.

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman was also among the candidates Stanford's athletic department met with. Mandel noted Roman, Bronco Mendenhall and Vic Fangio are no longer in the mix for the position.

Shaw made the surprise announcement that he was stepping down immediately following Stanford's 36-25 loss to BYU on Nov. 26.

"A week ago, 10 days ago, I was gung-ho to be the person to lead us there, and over the last few days I realized it was time," Shaw told reporters. "It was time for me to step aside, time for the next group to come in, and hopefully whoever they hire next wins more games than I do. That would be awesome."

The decision came as the Cardinal finished with a 3-9 record for the second consecutive season. They are 14-28 in the past four seasons and haven't made a bowl appearance since 2018.

Garrett joined NBC Sports as an analyst for NFL games and Notre Dame football in April. He spent the previous two years as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

The Giants hired Garrett in January 2020 after he was fired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The 56-year-old former quarterback had an 85-67 record in 10 seasons with the Cowboys.

In the wake of David Shaw's resignation as Stanford head football coach, the program is narrowing its list of potential replacements.

Per The Athletic's Stewart Mandel, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is one of the finalists for the job.

Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor is also a finalist.

Shaw told reporters after the Cardinal's 36-25 loss to BYU on Nov. 26 he was stepping down after 12 seasons with the program.

"A week ago, 10 days ago, I was gung-ho to be the person to lead us there, and over the last few days I realized it was time," he said. "It was time for me to step aside, time for the next group to come in, and hopefully whoever they hire next wins more games than I do. That would be awesome."

The decision came after Stanford finished 3-9 for the second consecutive season. Shaw began his tenure with eight straight winning records from 2011 to 2018, but the Cardinal have had losing records in three of the past four years.

Mandel noted other candidates, including Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, are no longer being considered for the job.

Taylor has a 30-7 record in three seasons at Sacramento State. The Hornets are getting set to play Incarnate Word in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs on Friday.

Garrett is serving as an announcer for NBC Sports. He covers Notre Dame football and is an analyst for Sunday Night Football and Football Night in America.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Garrett most recently served as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 2020 to 2021. The 56-year-old had a 10-year run as Cowboys head coach from 2010 to 2019.

The Cowboys went 85-67 with three playoff appearances under Garrett. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the Cowboys and Miami Dolphins before becoming a head coach.