The freshman signal-caller likely won't start in 2026, but his development this season could define the Tavita Pritchard era
After hiring new head coach Tavita Pritchard at the end of last season, the Cardinal have been hard at work on getting the new era started on a strong note, bringing in several new players via the transfer portal and assembling a very strong recruiting class for both 2026 and 2027.
This year, one freshman that could end up being more important than the others is quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr.
A three-star recruit from Archbishop Riordan in San Francisco, Mitchell Jr.'s signing is pivotal to the future of the quarterback position at Stanford, which has been struggling to get consistent play at the position over the last few seasons. Now two former Cardinal QBs are in charge of the program with GM Andrew Luck joining Pritchard.
Mitchell will most likely sit behind Davis Warren in 2026, and will use this season to develop and grow, which could mean that once 2027 arrives, he is ready to take the reins and be the star quarterback that Stanford has coveted.
Since Andrew Luck, the Cardinal have had a few other good quarterbacks such as Kevin Hogan, Davis Mills and Tanner McKee — all of whom have played in or are currently in the NFL. But none of those guys really took Stanford to the next level that Luck did.
Mitchell fielded over 10 offers during his recruitment and eventually chose Stanford.
With quarterback being the most important position on a football team, if Mitchell Jr. develops into a star, it could attract even more recruits and put Stanford in the running to land highly touted players who they may not be able to land otherwise.
Stanford, known for developing recruits into stars like Luck, Zach Ertz, and Christian McCaffrey, will hope Mitchell adds his name to that lineage.
With the program coming off multiple consecutive losing seasons, Mitchell's growth into a star could mean more wins for the Cardinal. That would see a program that went 3-9 each season between 2021 and 2024 and 4-8 last season return to a bowl game in the near future.
In an ACC that is loaded with talent, returning to success is a good sign for the long-term viability of the Cardinal in the conference and the program's ability to compete in the NIL/transfer portal era.
This season will be tough for the Cardinal, especially with their grueling schedule, but if guys like Mitchell show major signs of growth throughout the year, there will be a lot to be happy about soon.
