Stanford players predict biggest surprise for 2023

After 12 straight seasons, the David Shaw era is officially over at Stanford as he stepped away from the program following the team’s final game last year and two straight 3-9 finishes. Troy Taylor now takes center stage as Stanford’s head coach following an impressive turnaround at the FCS level with Sacramento State, bringing over an entirely new coaching staff with him.

There are plenty of changes going down in Palo Alto this offseason, and sometimes changes lead to pleasant surprises. And at Pac-12 Media Days, a pair of Stanford players from both sides of the ball spoke about how they expect to surprise teams this season.

“Yeah, I think first off, just of the standard of Stanford football has been set by so many great players and teams before us. That style of play is different than what Coach Taylor brings to the program, his style of offense,” wide receiver John Humphreys said, “It’s been really fun to learn this and kind of just play in the new offense. I think the guys have really enjoyed adjusting to it. The more up-tempo pace, the new routes, it is a new style. It’s been really fun.”

Stanford’s ground-and-pound offensive attack has served them well for a while now, but Taylor comes in not only as the team’s head coach, but their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who will be looking to shake things up.

His Sacramento State offense last season ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense with 42.9 points per game, and was the only FCS program that averaged at least 240 yards passing and 240 yards rushing per game.

His offense was a major part of the Hornets’ turnaround from a 2-8 record before his arrival in 2018 to a 9-2 finish the following season, capped off with a 12-1 record last year to end his coaching tenure in Sacramento. But scoring alone won’t turn this around for the Cardinal.

“Yeah, I think for the defense, growing up as a kid, it was all about the party in the back field, the defensive line, the pass-rush,” linebacker Tristan Sinclair said. “I think we’re going to get back to that. I think teams are not going to know what’s coming. We’re going to bring some pressure, so I’m excited for that.”

Revamping Stanford’s defense is the job of new defensive coordinator Bobby April, who will be entering his first season as a coordinator after spending the last five as the outside linebackers coach at Wisconsin, a position group he’ll be coaching at Stanford as well.

He’s been a part of Wisconsin’s defenses that have excelled at stopping the run and generating pressure, most recently mentoring the Big Ten’s sack leader from a season ago Nick Herbig. And hopefully, he can create similar success for Stanford immediately on the defensive side of the ball this upcoming season.