Stanford football is back in the win column after beating Georgia Tech, but it's football, so of course the injury bug did not take a day off. Brandon Nicholson suffered a non-contact injury in the game after securing an interception and is set to miss a significant amount of time.

Now, the program needs to figure out a way to keep the standards of the defense high while missing a core player.

While it's never easy to be down a star player, the Cardinal always use a next-man-up mentality. Here are the three players that need to step up in particular.

Bryant generated interest from Stanford for a reason, and now he'll have a chance to shine. Spending the first three seasons of his career at Washington, with a limited role his first two years, he finally showed flashes of his talent in his final year, registering 19 tackles and intercepting two passes.

Bryant is a ballhawk, and in a pass-heavy ACC, there is no better trait to have.

Bryant has spent the season starting at slot corner/nickel back, but now that Nicholson is down, he may need to shift to the outside. Defenses will test him early, but the key for him is to adjust quickly to his new role and show off his versatility.

Bryant has taken steps forward with the Cardinal this season. Now those steps will be put to the test. 

Green is one of the more experienced guys on the roster this season, and has played fairly well to start the year. 

Green needs to remain healthy with Nicholson out, as he suddenly becomes a focal point for the defensive backs room. He has only one interception in his Stanford career, but now has the chance to really unleash himself as a main piece of the defense.

Green transferred from Washington prior to the 2024 season, and even though he was not as much of a focal point, he helped guide the Huskies program to the national championship game in 2023. Green has experience in high-stakes moments, and the Cardinal need that to come out on full display the rest of the season.

Pollard is in his true freshman campaign, joining Stanford as a four-star recruit in Tavita Pritchard's first season as a head coach. He now becomes an important player on the Stanford defense. Nicholson and Pollard lined up in the same cornerback spot, and now that Nicholson is out for an extended period, Pollard will have to grow up quickly. 

His tackling has been terrific through four games, earning an 80.6 grade on PFF, but his coverage sits at just a 49. 

A focal point on defense at Clark High School in Las Vegas, he registered five interceptions his final two seasons and knows when he needs to take his game to that next level. Pollard is very versatile, and in a depleted defensive back room, he provides options.

Relying on freshmen to take on a big role is a mixed bag, but in his case, he has the opportunity to prove that he is a player that the program should build around in the future. Pollard just needs to take it one game at a time.