Stanford Football

Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello has reportedly entered his name in the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com. 

Costello was a highly touted player entering the season but injuries limited him to just five games in 2019.

The quarterback should be eligible to play immediately in 2020 with one year left in college after spending four years with the program, seeing game action in three seasons. 

Costello was at his best in 2018, totaling 3,540 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 13 games while leading the Cardinal to a 9-4 record.

The 6'5" passer was considered a potential NFL draft prospect, even listed among the top 10 options at the position as recently as November by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. His coach David Shaw also expected him to leave for the NFL after this season:

Man, can a college player's stock turn in a hurry. Here's what David Shaw told me about KJ Costello before the season.

(Though he was right about the "not expecting him to come back" part.) pic.twitter.com/M6WhtmKe2o

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 19, 2019

However, he was in and out of the lineup in 2019 and only played two games after September. He finished the year with just six touchdowns with three interceptions while Stanford struggled to 4-8 overall.

Despite the lost season, Costello will likely be a hot commodity in the transfer pool:

KJ Costello is a lot better QB than he showed in 2019. He’ll be popular.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) December 19, 2019

David Mills would presumably enter 2020 as Stanford's staring quarterback if Costello does indeed leave.

Running back EJ Smith, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, will play college football at Stanford University starting next season. 

The Cardinal secured a commitment from Smith on Wednesday:

BREAKING: Jesuit RB Ej Smith is heading west to carve his own legacy. He chooses to sign with Stanford. @SportsDayHS | #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/KrxRRJ5UCn

— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) December 18, 2019

Emmitt, a graduate of the University of Florida, gave a hat tip to his alma mater before praising his son's decision to forge his own path:

Emmit Smith puts on a Florida hat at son EJ Smith's announcement and said he can wear the hat but his son didn't have to wear that hat, that he supported him to choose his own school. Pretty cool moment.

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) December 18, 2019

Smart off the field and exemplary on the field! Congrats on your pick and journey to @StanfordFball @ejsmith_22!! #SigningDay pic.twitter.com/85FlDzNLjQ

— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) December 18, 2019

He also expressed his support for EJ's decision during the announcement ceremony:

"At the end of the day, my son has his own journey. And it is his journey, not my journey."

– Emmitt Smith after his son, EJ, committed to Stanford pic.twitter.com/50gEfkyB4R

— ESPN (@espn) December 18, 2019

EJ is a significant addition for head coach David Shaw and his coaching staff for 2020. The Jesuit High School standout is a 4-star prospect, No. 3 all-purpose back and No. 144 overall player in next year's class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Smith was a highly coveted player and was picking from a group of finalists that included Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M before picking Stanford. 

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports raved about Smith's ability in March during the Dallas regional of The Opening: "Smith proved consistently good in 1-on-1's, winning vertical reps, then closer-quarters matchups in red-zone work. Smith owns a build perhaps a bit more reminiscent of a back, but regularly showed Sunday that he possesses impressive receiver acumen and the requisite athleticism to thrive on the perimeter." 

Stanford can use Smith as a receiver or running back. He ran for 905 yards and 22 touchdowns on 165 carries and caught 34 passes for 513 yards during his senior season, per Garrett Stepien of 247Sports. 

The Cardinal have done a terrific job of developing running backs throughout Shaw's tenure as head coach. Bryce Love won the Doak Walker Award and was the runner-up in Heisman voting in 2017. Christian McCaffrey finished second in Heisman voting in 2015 and a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers two years later. 

Smith will be the next in line to carry that torch previously held by Love and McCaffrey to get Stanford back on track following a disappointing 4-8 record in 2019.

Heading into the 2019 college football season, Stanford received a No. 25 ranking in the initial Associated Press poll. The Cardinal kicked off the campaign with a seemingly quality win over Northwestern, the reigning Big Ten West champions, and moved up to No. 23.

However, that was basically the highlight of the year.

USC and UCF both smashed David Shaw's club, which managed to upset Washington but otherwise trudged to a very un-Stanford-like 4-8 finish. The team battled injury issues while trotting out a subpar offense and unimpressive defense.

Stanford's 10-year bowl streak came to a screeching halt. The program had a losing record at home for the first time in 12 years, had its nine-game winning streak over rival Cal snapped and finished last in the Pac-12's North Division.

And as the season ended, the exodus began. In December alone, a head-turning 12 players entered the transfer portal.

On offense, that includes quarterback Jack Richardson, wideout Donald Stewart, tight end Scooter Harrington and linemen Devery Hamilton, Henry Hattis and Dylan Powell. Defensively, the list contains linemen Jovan Swann, Michael Williams and Bo Peek, plus linebacker Anthony Trinh and cornerback Obi Eboh. Kicker Collin Riccitelli completes the dozen.

The simple reaction: That isn't a good sign!

But context and nuance are important, too. Exactly how bad is it?

From a numerical perspective, 12 transfers is among the worst nationally. Connecticut has 18 players in the portal, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, but it is readying to leave the AAC and has 20 total victories over the last seven years. Coastal Carolina—which is new to the FBS—had 10 players decide to transfer on the same day.

Being mentioned in the same discussion as either program isn't great for Stanford. While transfers will always happen, no school wants to have its depth depleted so rapidly.

That's also where nuance is valuable. So far, the Cardinal are about to lose only a few likely contributors.

Hamilton tallied 27 career appearances on the offensive line, while Hattis entered 21 games and Powell played 20. They were all potential starters in 2020, along with Swann and Williams. They combined to provide 55 tackles with 13.5 stops for loss and five sacks in 2019 and will be missed.

The other six either recently dropped on the depth chart (Eboh and Riccitelli) or haven't yet made a significant impact (Stewart, Harrington, Peek and Trinh).

In fairness to the transfers, some of them may return—except for Powell, who has committed to Indiana. Harrington, for example, could be a larger factor in 2020 if tight end Colby Parkinson declares for the NFL draft. Some may need another offseason to develop, which could be a reflection of coaching.

The rumors connecting Shaw to the NFL might have contributed to the players' decision to enter the transfer portal as well.

Lastly, this isn't a matter of deciding to chase playing time because it isn't going their way immediately.

"All of the players who would be leaving are seniors who would be immediately eligible as graduate transfers," according to Daniel Martinez-Krams of the Stanford Daily.

Let's be clear: There is typically nothing wrong with a player seeking a place where he can earn more snaps. It's fine if a freshman wants to leave, but that decision shouldn't be rushed. As someone nears the end of his eligibility, though, making an honest assessment of opportunities—both athletically and academically—is imperative.

Unless there are some underlying culture worries—and there's no evidence of that—this is largely a depth problem.

After taking only 14 players in the 2018 recruiting class, the Cardinal added 23 in 2019. Entering the early signing period for the 2020 cycle, they hold 19 verbal pledges. The program will likely be a fair number below the 85-scholarship limit.

The deficit might be problematic if injuries wreak havoc on the roster, much like they did this year. Given that Stanford already had depth deficiencies in 2019, seeing a crowd of potential starters and backups head for the door is a major concern.

Yet because all 12 players are graduate transfers anyway, it's an issue basically limited to 2020. Other than a few with two years of eligibility left, they'd be leaving "The Farm" next year.

Stanford has a problem, yes. But if Shaw and Co. address the roster shortage properly with better recruiting and improved development of young players, this is more of a short-term dilemma than the origin of a future meltdown.

          

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Stanford Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello has been ruled out Saturday's showdown with the USC Trojans due to a head injury. 

Junior Davis Mills is expected to start for the first time in his career in place of Costello.

Costello led Stanford to a 17-7 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 1, as he completed 16 of 20 pass attempts for 152 yards and one touchdown. However, he left the game at the end of the first half after taking a late hit to the helmet from Northwestern defensive end Earnest Brown IV.

Mills replaced Costello and completed seven of 14 pass attempts for 81 yards.

"We'll see how his injury progresses during the course of the week," Stanford coach David Shaw said Tuesday, per the Mercury News' Vytas Mazeika. "Should hopefully make a decision by Thursday or Friday."

Costello has served as the Cardinal's starting quarterback since the middle of the 2017 season. He has made  21 starts over the past two-plus seasons. The senior was named to the preseason Davey O'Brien Award watch list.

With Costello entrenched as the starting quarterback, Mills has seen very limited action during his time at Stanford. Including his relief appearance against Northwestern, the 6'4", 214-pound signal-caller has played in just two games for the Cardinal.

He has just 16 career pass attempts and has yet to throw a touchdown pass.

Even though Mills does not have much experience at the collegiate level, Shaw will not water down the game plan.

"Whoever starts at quarterback, it’s not going to change our philosophy, it’s not going to change our scheme," Shaw said Tuesday, per Mazeika. "All of our quarterbacks know our offense and now it’s just about getting ready to play."

Saturday's clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will feature a pair of backups, as the Trojans will also be without their starter. J.T. Daniels is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in a season-opening win over Fresno State on Saturday, elevating true freshman Kedon Slovis to starter.

Stanford landed a potential cornerstone offensive lineman Wednesday, as offensive tackle Myles Hinton committed to the school.

He announced as much on his Twitter page:

Committed!!👀👀〽️🔵or 🔴🌲? pic.twitter.com/HK6ilBpKmv

— Myles Hinton (@myles_hint75) January 10, 2019

According to 247Sports, Hinton is a 5-star prospect who ranks as the No. 12 overall player, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 2 player from the state of Georgia in the 2020 class.

The Norcross, Georgia, native was a highly sought-after commodity on the recruiting trail, as the likes of Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma made him scholarship offers.

Michigan seemingly had a leg up on the competition since his brother, Chris Hinton, committed to play under head coach Jim Harbaugh for the Wolverines, but the Wolverines were unable to hold off the Cardinal.

Hinton has good size at 6'6" and 308 pounds to the point that he is unlikely to get manhandled at the next level, but he also has enough quickness and enthusiasm to handle speed rushers effectively.

Given Hinton's combination of size, strength and agility, it comes as little surprise that he excels in other sports as well.

According to the official Twitter account of Greater Atlanta Christian School, Hinton was a state champion in the discus throw in 2018:

ICYMI: Myles Hinton, nationally-ranked football O-lineman and incredible sketch artist, adds another notable accomplishment to the list. This weekend, Myles claimed the State Champion title for the discus throw in the Track & Field tournament. GAC Boys team placed 8th overall. pic.twitter.com/6fMF9lqb85

— GACSpartans (@GACSpartans) May 15, 2018

That level of power will come in handy against the top schools and pass-rushers in college football, and it suggests that he may be able to contribute immediately as a freshman.

It is difficult to envision Hinton sitting for long, and it may even behoove Stanford to start him off as a right tackle before transitioning him to the left side when he is ready.

Regardless of how he is utilized, Hinton has all the makings of a stud offensive tackle, and securing a commitment from him is a huge score for the Pac-12 program as it relates to the 2020 recruiting class.

Stanford running back Bryce Love announced Monday that he will not play in the team's bowl game and instead focus on the 2019 NFL draft: 

pic.twitter.com/e5e5p0miMX

— Bryce Love (@Blovee_20) December 18, 2018

The Cardinal are set to face Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 but will have to do it without the senior running back.

Love will finish his final season with just 739 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 10 games.

This season has been nothing short of a disappointment for Love, who has been limited by ankle problems and missed three games due to injuries.

The running back was one of the most explosive players in college football last season, totaling 2,118 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He was a consensus All-American, finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the country.

Unfortunately, he couldn't come close to matching this level of production in 2018.

Even when he was on the field, Love struggled with his efficiency while averaging 4.5 yards per carry, a major drop from his 8.1 yards per carry in 2017.

Still, his upside will be enough to interest NFL teams come draft time. According to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, Love is the No. 6 running back in the class with the best speed at the position.

By skipping the bowl game, he avoids risking further injury that would exacerbate his already falling draft stock.

He plays the position of receiver like he's playing basketball, not football. His explosion off the snap is deceptive, like he's crafting a route to the hoop, not showing his highest gear of speed until he's already past you. At 6'3", 225 pounds, he fights for a catch like he's boxing out, establishing position in the post before leaping in the air. And he attacks the open space like it has wronged him, like a rebound is suspended there and he cannot wait for the ball to sail into his palms.

JJ Arcega-Whiteside is, as his quarterback at Stanford, K.J. Costello, calls him, "an outlier."

"The way he runs routes, the way he operates," Costello says, "is just not normal."

Not for football, at least. But for Arcega-Whiteside, playing it any other way would be what defied norms.

The senior who's become a highlight-reel regular and put up video game stats this season (226 yards in one game and eight touchdowns in Stanford's first six games) maneuvers like a basketball player because that's what he's been all his life. Because he comes from a family that discussed offensive rebounds and fade screens and pull-up jump shots over dinner.

He is a former all-state basketball player for Dorman High School in South Carolina. His parents, Joaquin Arcega and Valorie Whiteside, played professional basketball in Spain and Portugal. Valorie was an All-American at Appalachian State. Arcega-Whiteside's uncles, Fernando and Pepe Arcega, played basketball for Spain's Olympic team, Fernando in '84 (winning silver) and '88, and Pepe in '92.

Arcega-Whiteside, though, played the game differently than any of them. He was the guy who would foul out nearly every high school basketball game. Who would dive into the bleachers to save a ball that clearly couldn't be saved. Who would hunt for the rebound and putback long after a referee stopped play. Who hungered to dunk, to dazzle, to defy on every possession.

"Every time I caught the ball, I wanted to make a highlight," Arcega-Whiteside says.

He laughs, realizing not much has changed as a football player. His wiring is the same, regardless of the sport he's playing.

He raises his palms, as if he's about to leap above the table in front of him, in Stanford athletics' conference room, for another staggering catch.

"I get a chance to make a play, I'm going to do something crazy," he says.

"You kind of want to be different. You don't want to be the same receiver everybody else is."

---

If Arcega-Whiteside's style is unique among receivers, it's no surprise considering his upbringing.

He considers Inman, South Carolina, his home, but he was born in Zaragoza, Spain, and lived in various areas of Portugal (Costa de Caparica, Oliveira de Azemeis, Lisbon) as a child, traveling every few weeks to places like France, Italy and Austria for his parents' European Cup games.

His mom says he knew the capital of every country in the world by age four. His parents would quiz him in the car in a game called "Capitals." "Buenos Aires!" little JJ would scream in delight when asked about Argentina, or "Tokyo!" when asked about Japan. The family moved to the U.S. when he was seven. But even all these years later, he still feels shaped by and connected to that part of his life.

He's fluent in Spanish and can still understand Portuguese, his first language, though he can no longer speak it. He's majoring in international relations and is fascinated by classes like Greek Art History, Virtual Reality and History of South Africa.

He enjoys being around different kinds of people, different kinds of creatives. His freshman roommate just got his app bought by Apple. Two weeks ago he met a student who is a prince. And he is innovative in his own way, too.

He doesn't want to be known as just fast, as just able to jump, as just strong or big. He doesn't want to be reduced to one lane.

On the field, his broad range of skills plays into why few can contain him one-on-one. He catches balls in traffic with ease, as if coverage is a fun obstacle course to navigate through and not a carefully manicured scheme designed to deny his every move. He has super-strong hands, making it especially difficult for defensive backs to strip the ball from him.

Arcega-Whiteside's eight receiving touchdowns rank first in the Pac-12 and third nationally. He has 30 receptions for 541 receiving yards and is averaging 18 yards per catch. The 226 receiving yards he had against San Diego State in the season opener were the third-most in a single game in program history. Stanford has fallen from No. 7 to unranked in the AP rankings after an overtime win over Oregon and consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Utah, but Arcega-Whiteside had 17 catches for 217 yards and three touchdowns in those three games.

Historic night for @jjarcega_22.

📊 6 receptions
📊 226 yards
📊 3 touchdowns#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/toLQ4rikZr

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 1, 2018

He has another year of eligibility (Stanford calls him a senior, but his eligibility is that of a redshirt junior), but his play has gotten the notice of the NFL. Draftscout.com ranks him as the No. 12 receiver in the 2020 draft.

"I definitely think he'll have a chance to play at the next level," says Bobby Kennedy, Stanford's wide receivers coach. "I've been doing this a long time, and he's a rare talent. … He understands the game, and at the next level, that'll transfer to being able to play him at a number of different positions because he comprehends things so well."

But Arcega-Whiteside is filling up box scores without one of his biggest supporters. His grandmother, Lonnie Means, was in the hospital just hours before Stanford's game against Oregon in late September. She sent him a video and told him she wanted to see him score two touchdowns, if not three. She ended the video with, "Love you, love you, love you, bye."

He got the two touchdowns, and after the game, he found out that she had died. He was devastated. "She was a sweet lady. The sweetest lady you'll ever meet," Arcega-Whiteside says.

He used to love stopping by her one-story brick ranch home every morning of high school, greeted by a big Southern breakfast plate she'd fix for him: grits, eggs, bacon, fruit. He loved how if he told her his leg was sore, for example, she'd find some Aspercreme and give him a massage right then and there. And when his mom would pick him up at school later that day, she'd notice the glimmer of his leg. "Boy, you shining!" Valorie would say, giggling, knowing it had been Lonnie's work.

Valorie was worried about how her son would cope with the loss, but he is the one who calls her every night to make sure she's OK. "He's my rock," Valorie says.

How Arcega-Whiteside was able to play, let alone score two touchdowns at Oregon, just as his grandmother had asked him to, he doesn't know. Goosebumps trickle up his arm as he tries to figure that out.

"I hate to talk about faith and God in interviews," he says, "but, like, things like that don't just happen, you know?"

---

Sitting in his blue stroller with white polka dots, four-year-old JJ did not like what he saw one night on the court in Lisbon. Valorie, playing for a team called Santarem, was mixing it up down low against a team from the Azores when her defender elbowed her hard in the chest.

JJ, who had taught himself to unstrap his stroller, bolted onto the court. "YOU HIT MY MOMMY!" he screamed, pointing to the culprit, who is a good friend of Valorie's. Players, coaches, referees and fans laughed and laughed.

Even then, Arcega-Whiteside had a toughness about him. But he was also the sweetheart of the team—the only baby of the group. His mom's teammates adored him and treated him as if he were their own. "My mom says they were all my girlfriends," Arcega-Whiteside says, jokingly.

He was too busy dissecting his parents' games to notice. "He never cried during games," Valorie says. All he wanted was to dribble the ball, though it was much bigger than his body. When he was seven months old, a photo circulated of him in the Belgian newspaper Vers l'Avenir, standing dead center of the huddle, the only "player" whose eyes were fixated on coach Jose Montero.

The family moved to the U.S. so that Arcega-Whiteside could pursue his education and play sports at the same time. Valorie and Joaquin insisted their son didn't have to play basketball if he didn't want to, but he was driven to do so on his own. He liked the idea that he could slash and overpower whenever he wanted to as a guard/wing—much different than Joaquin, a sharpshooting floor general, or Valorie, a bulldozer post player.

They signed JJ up for sports so he would make American friends, but he had bigger plans: to dominate.

He excelled in soccer, angering opposing parents by scoring five goals in the first five minutes of one game. He was a natural in football, too, scoring four touchdowns at running back during his first game. But he didn't like football at all. It was boring. He didn't understand it. Other kids knew to grab the ball, run, score. Arcega-Whiteside grabbed the ball and looked around the field like, What do I do now?

The sport started to grow on him in middle school. It was his "fun" sport, but basketball was his "serious" sport. He aspired to play in college, making varsity as a freshman.

He didn't even play wide receiver until his junior year on the football team, and he couldn't understand why everyone would rave when he'd make a play.

"I didn't know going up and catching the ball over somebody was such a big deal. Basketball, you do that all the time," Arcega-Whiteside says. "I just told my body, 'Go get it.'"

College football coaches came to his basketball practices just to get a glimpse of his explosiveness, his physicality. He competed within each drill as if it were a playoff game, too intense, too physical, for any of the other players on the floor.

"He was just relentless," says Thomas Ryan, Dorman's basketball coach. "A terror on the defensive end."

He received interest from college basketball coaches but not to the magnitude that he received from college football coaches after finishing his career with 3,779 receiving yards, 207 receptions and 38 touchdowns and being named South Carolina's 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year.

Once, Dorman trailed by five points with 10 seconds left against Hillcrest High. David Gutshall, Dorman's coach, could only think of one person to throw it to: Arcega-Whiteside.

"What do I do if he's double-covered?" Dorman's quarterback asked Gutshall.

"I don't care," Gutshall said. "Throw it."

Sure enough, Arcega-Whiteside rose over three defenders for the miraculous catch. "He wants to be in that situation," Gutshall says. "A lot of kids would get nervous. JJ lives for that situation."

---

Arcega-Whiteside watched from the sideline as his Stanford teammates blazed onto the field in special "blackout" uniforms: black jerseys and pants along with matte black helmets. It was the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game against USC. "Damn," he thought to himself. "They look so cool."

He didn't look cool. He didn't feel cool. He was wearing the Cardinal's standard travel gear: black sweats, black jacket, a beanie. Redshirt freshmen weren't allowed to dress that game. He stared at the blackout uniforms, wishing he could jump into one and into the air for just one ball. Just one.

But he couldn't. He had to watch and wait and work, as he did the entire season. "I gotta remember this feeling," he told himself as gold confetti rained down on the Cardinal players, who claimed the title with a 41-22 win. "I gotta show the guys I deserve to be here."

Throughout that season, he wasn't thinking he should be out there; he was just upset that he wasn't. He didn't create excuses to feel better, like: Oh, they already have receivers. Oh, they don't see my talent.

"That was the first year I felt like I wasn't good enough," Arcega-Whiteside says. "You come from being the man on campus at your high school, getting all the attention, all the love; now you're really nothing. You're just a guy on the team wearing a scout jersey, helping out other players. And it hurts, once you realize that's what you are."

He pushed to be more. He practically lived in the weight room. He studied the details of running routes: dropping his weight, leaning forward, foot fire, moving hands, learning when to do all of those things or none of those things to help get him open.

He could hear his parents telling him what they always did during his teenage years: Don't do anything half-hearted, because if you do, you're going to get a half-hearted result.

"We tried to teach him that whatever you want in life, you have to work for it," Joaquin says. "You have to sacrifice a lot of things to achieve your goals."

Back then, Arcega-Whiteside would tell his mom that he felt like he had been in a car wreck after every Friday night game. But every Saturday morning, just as his family was waking up, he'd still rush toward the door, cleats slung over his shoulder, to go run routes.

During team practice, if he ran a route that wasn't immaculate, he'd make himself do the drill over again, right there, until he mastered it.

While waiting for a breakthrough at Stanford, he kept telling himself: Be ready when your number is called. Then in 2016, his first season, Stanford found itself trailing to UCLA with 28 seconds left.

Arcega-Whiteside was playing in his first game in over a year, but a strange feeling seized him: He knew he was about to do something big. So big he had to tell Lance Taylor, then Stanford's running backs coach, who is now with the Panthers.

"If you throw me the ball, I'm going to score," he told Taylor, half-joking, half-serious. Smiling.

"All right," Taylor said. "Let's see it."

Arcega-Whiteside entered the game and caught a pass for an eight-yard, game-winning touchdown. Rather than scream or celebrate, the first thing he did was look up to the sky and thank God. His face indicated neither shock nor relief. It was peace.

Where were you when @ryanburns16 hit @jjarcega_22 in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining? #GoStanford #BeatUCLA pic.twitter.com/Arh1AC3mtB

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 25, 2016

"This is what I'm supposed to do," he thought. "I'm back."

---

Arcega-Whiteside continued to impress last season, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors with a team-high 48 receptions, 781 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He had a team-high five catches for 61 yards and three touchdowns against TCU in the Alamo Bowl.

But he's more than his numbers. He's funny without trying to be. He likes to pull pranks.

"Off the field, I'm just the goofiest, corniest guy you'll ever meet," Arcega-Whiteside says. "I smile at everything. I laugh at everything. I tell terrible jokes."

He has an ongoing competition with Bryce Love to see who can turn each other's phone off first without the other knowing. When one of them least expects it, the other will find his phone and turn it off. He will be confused and nervous until he realizes his phone isn't broken.

"It's JJ again," Love will realize.

The off-field persona has earned him light-hearted nicknames. There's "Arcegatron," a nod to the movie Transformers. And "Cuervo," because his full name is Jose Joaquin Arcega-Whiteside.

But on the field, his teammates know he's so focused, so intense, that sometimes somebody might say something to him and he might not even hear them because he's lost in his thoughts.

"I'm super serious," Arcega-Whiteside says. "I'm thinking: 'What do I need to do the next play, the next drive, to make sure we're doing what we need to do?'"

That's why he's got one more nickname. "Spider." Because his arms and legs are all over the place, stretching, leaping, clawing, doing anything he can do to make a catch. To make one more highlight.

           

Mirin Fader is a Writer-At-Large for B/R Mag. She's written for the Orange County Register, espnW.com, SI.com and Slam. Her work has been honored by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Follow her on Twitter: @MirinFader.

Stanford running back Bryce Love has been ruled out for Saturday night's game against Utah because of an ankle injury, the team announced on Twitter.

Love suffered the injury last week against Notre Dame.

Before that, he was struck by the injury bug when he missed the Cardinal's Sept. 15 game against UC Davis with an undisclosed issue. He was initially hurt during a 17-3 win over USC the previous week.

The senior standout is a critical piece of Stanford's success on the field. He set a school record with 2,118 rushing yards and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2017.

He has rushed for 327 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.

Stanford head coach David Shaw runs a balanced offensive attack with 28.8 passing attempts per game compared to 27.6 rushing attempts a night. Love's ability to create big plays opens up the play-action pass and takes pressure off quarterback K.J. Costello.

With Love on the shelf for the time being, senior Cameron Scarlett will likely receive a majority of snaps in the backfield.

The No. 7 Stanford Cardinal overcame a 24-7 deficit to beat the No. 20 Oregon Ducks 38-31 in overtime at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.

Stanford recovered a fumble with 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and kicker Jet Toner made a 32-yard field goal to force overtime before tight end Colby Parkinson caught the winning touchdown in the extra session.

The Cardinal are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12, while Oregon fell to 3-1 (0-1).

Junior quarterback K.J. Costello was the driving force behind Stanford's comeback, as he went 19-of-26 for 327 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

After quarterback Justin Herbert combined with Oregon's running game and defense to build a big lead, a major red-zone mistake by the Ducks offense in the third quarter allowed Stanford to get back in it.

On 3rd-and-goal from inside the 5-yard line, the snap went over Herbert's head, and linebacker Joey Alfieri scooped the fumble before returning it 80 yards for a touchdown:

Stanford's defense then forced a three-and-out, setting the stage for a 22-yard touchdown scamper by running back Bryce Love to help close the gap to 24-21.

Oregon appeared to put the game away with a one-yard touchdown run by Cyrus Habibi-Likio with 4:39 remaining, but the Cardinal refused to go quietly.

Stanford moved quickly down the field, and Costello found wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside from 15 yards out for his second touchdown catch of the game:

After Herbert ran for a first down on the ensuing drive, Oregon needed to just hang on to the ball to seal the win. Running back CJ Verdell fumbled with 51 seconds remaining, though, and Stanford recovered.

Costello masterfully got Stanford into field-goal range, and Toner nailed a 32-yarder as time expired to force overtime.

Stanford got the first possession in OT, and Parkinson bailed out Costello's risky throw to the end zone by tipping it to himself for a 23-yard touchdown:

The Ducks had a chance to tie it, but cornerback Alameen Murphy intercepted Herbert's pass in the end zone on fourth down to complete the Stanford comeback. 

                      

Costello Outshining Love as Star of Stanford's Offense

Love was expected to carry the load for the Stanford offense after rushing for over 2,118 yards last season, but it continued to be apparent Saturday that Costello has taken charge.

While Oregon's offensive mistakes were a big help in Stanford's comeback, Costello made huge passing plays in the fourth quarter and overtime to complete the win.

After Oregon scored to go up 31-21 with 4:39 left in the fourth, Costello showed off his strong arm with a 49-yard completion to Osiris St. Brown:

That set up a touchdown to Arcega-Whiteside to end a drive that took little time off the clock and left Stanford with enough time to tie it after recovering the fumble.

Costello has great weapons in Arcega-Whiteside, Parkinson and tight end Kaden Smith, and he took full advantage of them Saturday.

Former NFL and Oregon tight end George Wrighster is convinced Costello is the key to Stanford's success:

I've been saying it since week 1: Stanford's best player is KJ Costello. I know they want to be the physical team but they have something special back there. Have to let him sit back and sling it!

— George Wrighster III (@georgewrighster) September 23, 2018

After missing last week's game, Love returned, but he ran for a modest 89 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He also had one catch for nine yards.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted Love had never produced such little yardage with so many carries:

First time in Bryce Love's career he recorded 19+ carries and had under 100-yards rushing. This game was all kinds of weird.

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 23, 2018

Love is outside the Heisman Trophy race, and there have been few signs he'll get back into the conversation.

Ian Wharton of Optimum Scouting and Bleacher Report is among those who believe Love should have entered the NFL draft early:

Bryce Love is quickly approaching the "I feel bad he went back" group. Just completely different seeing him this year compared to last year, and that's certainly not all on him.

— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) September 23, 2018

Love is still a supreme talent who could heat up, but most of Stanford's offensive success has come from Costello.

If Stanford is to beat Washington in the Pac-12 North, win the conference and reach the College Football Playoff, then all signs point toward Costello's being the person to lead it there.

            

Oregon's Late Blunder Will Define Its Season

Oregon had a chance to control its destiny in the Pac-12 North and get into the CFP conversation, but losses like this one are difficult to overcome.

The Ducks had numerous opportunities to put away the game, including the third-quarter play that saw Stanford score an 80-yard defensive touchdown due to a defensive snap.

Oregon's TD with 4:39 left should've been enough. And even when the Ducks defense allowed Stanford to score quickly, Herbert's third-down conversion on Oregon's final drive of regulation should have been the nail in the Cardinal's coffin.

Instead, Verdell fumbled on a play that likely shouldn't have even happened, since head coach Mario Cristobal could have had Herbert kneel on the ball and left Stanford with essentially no time remaining.

ESPN's David Pollack put the game in perspective:

Oregon fans have to be sick right now! Completely out played Stanford but had a few unlucky bounces and lost. Wow! Crazy game!

— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) September 23, 2018

Michael Lombardi of The Athletic echoed his sentiments, noting the Ducks should have won:

Oregon is going to watch that tape tomorrow and know they gave one away.

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiuncgm) September 23, 2018

It isn't impossible for Oregon to beat Washington in a couple of weeks, run the table and win the Pac-12, but it's more likely the loss will haunt the Ducks in a division as talented as theirs.

Whether Oregon falls short of the CFP, the Pac-12 title game or both, most pundits will look back to Saturday's loss as the moment that took it out of contention and put the spotlight back on Stanford and Washington.

                

Herbert Still a Heisman Contender Despite Loss

Saturday's loss won't look good on Herbert's resume, but he passed the eye test and did enough to stay in the Heisman Trophy conversation.

The quarterback went 26-of-33 for 346 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 35 yards on 11 carries.

He had an especially good connection with wide receiver Dillon Mitchell, who caught 14 passes for 239 yards, including a 53-yard first-quarter gain:

Herbert could have thrown for more than one touchdown had he not let the running game shine in the red zone, but his touchdown pass was a bullet to tight end Jacob Breeland:

Herbert's accuracy was especially impressive, as he completed 78.8 percent of his passes. That number would have been much higher if not for four consecutive incompletions in overtime.

During the fourth quarter, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic compared Herbert's showing to one of the most impressive quarterback performances in Pac-12 history:

Anyone old enough to remember Aaron Rodgers' near-perfect 2004 game against USC?

Justin Herbert is having one of those games tonight against Stanford. 23-of-25 for 305 yards.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) September 23, 2018

ESPN's Mina Kimes was among those who took notice of how Herbert was dissecting a talented Stanford defense that allowed just 23 points over its first three games:

haven’t watched a ton of justin herbert—has he always been this good? OL is giving him a lot of room to work with, but he looks ridiculously sharp/accurate/poised

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) September 23, 2018

The argument can be made that Herbert didn't come through in clutch moments during overtime, but the game never should have come down to that. He converted a key fourth down on Oregon's final scoring drive that saw Mitchell fall inches short of the end zone, and he rushed for a first down on 3rd-and-3 on the next drive.

That rush should have put the game away, but questionable coaching and poor ball security rendered it moot.

It will be difficult for Herbert or anyone else to keep pace with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins and Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray in the Heisman race as long as their teams remain undefeated, but Herbert did enough Saturday to remain in the mix. 

      

What's Next?

Stanford will look to build on Saturday's remarkable win next week when it takes on a fellow undefeated team in No. 8 Notre Dame on the road.

Meanwhile, Oregon will attempt to bounce back next week at California.

Stanford running back Bryce Love will return to the field for the team's Week 4 game against Oregon, according to the school's director of athletic communications Alan George.

Love missed last Saturday's game against UC Davis with an undisclosed injury, although the team was able to survive with a 30-10 victory.

"The game against USC was a physical game and (Love) took a lot of shots," head coach David Shaw said of the team's Week 2 game, per Joel Anderson of ESPN. "It was good to get him a chance to recover."

The star runner has gotten off to a relatively slow start to the season considering his outstanding production in 2017. Love finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting last season while totaling 2,118 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

He has just 165 rushing yards through two games this year, averaging 4.1 yards per carry after averaging 8.1 a year ago.

The Cardinal will hope this extra time off will help him make a bigger impact Saturday against Oregon, an opponent that could produce the toughest test of the season for the No. 7 team in the country. The Ducks are off to a 3-0 start and have moved into the Top 25, which means beating them on the road will require a big-time performance from Love and the rest of the Stanford offense.