Stanford navigates coaching changes and portal departures, aiming for bowl eligibility with a veteran offensive line and returning defensive talent.
The Tavita Pritchard era has begun at Stanford and he's look to continue the program's ascent. It was a tumultuous offseason for the Cardinal last season after letting go of their former head coach and had several key losses to the transfer portal and the NFL Draft. The hiring of new GM Andrew Luck started to turn things around. In 2025, they brought in interim head coach Frank Reich who luck played for when he was an Indianapolis Colt.
Reich improved Stanford's record from 3-9 to 4-8 and was significantly more competitive in some of the games they played this season. Pritchard, a Stanford alum, knows what it takes to be a successful football player for the Cardinal and has done a good job retaining key pieces from their 2025 roster. With the talent returning and a favorable schedule, Stanford has the opportunity to be bowl eligible this season, something they haven't been since 2018.
Let's take a look at the Cardinal.
2025 Record: 4-8 / 3-5
2024 Record: 3-9 / 2-6
Stanford Offense
Starters Returning - RB Micah Ford, WR Caden High, LT Niki Prongos, LG Josh Williams, C Fisher Anderson, RT Khalil House,
Starters Lost - QB Elijah Brown, WR CJ Williams, WR Bryce Farrell, TE Sam Roush, RG Emeka Ugorji (Transfer - Florida),
New offensive coordinator Terry Heffernan has some solid pieces to build the offense around, specifically in the trenches. Four of their five offensive lineman return from the 2025 season including their left tackle, left guard, center and House (22 career starts) who will likely move inside to guard which is how he finished the 2025 season.
Ford (145 att., 643 yards, 4.4 YPC, 4 TD) returns as the team's leading rusher from a season ago and will be running behind a very experienced unit. High (37 rec., 414 yards, 11.2 YPC, 1 TD) is the lone returning pass catcher from last season, but portal reinforcements are expected to play a factor here. Across the board, Stanford did a solid job retaining experience and leadership from last year's squad.
Stanford Defense
Starters Returning - EDGE Tevarua Tafiti, EDGE Ernest Cooper, LB Matt Rose, CB Brandon Nicholson, S Jay Green, S Scotty Edwards,
Starters Lost - DT Clay Patterson, DT Anthony Franklin, LB Hunter Barth, CB Collin Wright, S Mitch Leigber, DB Che Ojarikre (Transfer - Duke),
It's odd to think that Stanford only lost two starters total (one on offense, one on defense) to the transfer portal this offseason, but that's exactly what happened. Their other departures were due to eligibility. Several impact players return to Stanford on the defensive side of the ball, which is a main reason they only brought in one defensive player in via the transfer portal.
Rose (106 tackles, 3.0 sacks) returns to anchor the defense. He was their leading tackler in 2025. Cooper (23 tackles, 3.0 sacks) and Tafiti (32 tackles, 2.0 sacks) return after both starting at defensive end this past season. Their secondary returns two starting safeties in Green (38 tackles, 6 passes defended) and Edwards (54 tackles, 2.5 sacks) as well as Nicholson (27 tackles, 6 passes defended, 2 INT) at cornerback.
Portal Additions
Top Transfers - Offense: QB Davis Warren (Michigan), RB Davion Godley (Weber St.), WR Nico Brown (Yale), C Aidan Kilstrom (Harvard), RT Dara Adeyemi (Bucknell)
Top Transfers - Defense: CB Leroy Bryant (Washington)
Shockingly enough, the portal cycle for the Cardinal was rather uneventful. They brought in seven total players, six on offense and one on defense. One thing they needed was a starting quarterback. Warren comes over from Michigan after not starting in 2025. Hopefully, Pritchard will be able to groom him into a serviceable starter for the Cardinal.
Brown (71 rec., 1,085 yards, 15.3 YPC, 11 TD) comes over from Yale and will immediately be inserted into the starting lineup. Adeyemi (1 career start) comes over from Bucknell and will likely start at right tackle, moving House to right guard. Defensively, they brought in Bryant (19 tackles, 2 INT) from Washington who started five games for the Huskies last fall. He'll replace Wright who is headed off to the NFL.
2026 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 37 On3/Rivals - No. 54 247Sports
2026 SCHEDULE
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