The Yale transfer posted a 78.9% catch rate and a 92.2 PFF receiving grade in 2025. Now he gets to prove it against Power 4 competition
Stanford football will be looking to make a bowl game for the first time since 2018 when the season kicks off, and the Cardinal have made a number of key additions to the roster to get them there.
One key factor for helping them potentially achieve that goal in 2026 will be wide receiver Nico Brown, a transfer from Yale. His new quarterback, Davis Warren — a transfer from Michigan — has called Brown a "big factor."
The redshirt junior earned AFCA FCS First-Team All-American, and Walter Camp FCS All-American as well as being an All-Ivy First Team selection in 2025.
This past season with Yale, Brown made 71 catches for 1,085 yards, the third-most yards in Yale history, and recorded 11 touchdowns. While this will be a different level of competition as he joins Stanford in the Power 4, the production he showed last season is certainly eye-opening.
Pro Football Focus provides grades for college and pro players, and Brown's grades were exceptional across the board in 10 games with Yale.
PFF+Brown was targeted 90 times for his 71 catches, a 78.9% catch rate. That's a top-10 catch rate in the FBS last season among players who suited up for at least half of the 2025 season.
The consistency stands out. At 6-foot, 185 pounds, he was able to put up an OFF grade of 91.9 (grade for offense) with a receiving grade of 92.2 (snaps where he ran a receiving route). Those two grades would have ranked among the best of the best in the FBS. The question is just how much of his game will translate to the next level.
He's predominantly a slot receiver, and will provide Warren, or any Stanford QB, a key receiver to target in the middle of the field.
Stanford, still rebuilding its recruiting infrastructure, has leaned on transfers who may have fallen under higher-profile programs' radars. They'll take a chance on Brown, who surpassed 100 yards receiving in seven of his ten games played last season.
CJ Williams was a huge find in last year's transfer portal, and he ended up being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft.
The best-case scenario here could be Brown turning into a player similar to San Jose State's Danny Scudero, who racked up 1,299 yards in 2025 and lined up in the slot 89.5% of the time. He was targeted 156 times and hauled in 88 catches, making him a volume target, whereas Brown could be a key piece and a focal point, but with more efficient production.
Playing for the Cardinal will be a good test for Brown to show the NFL what he has against stiffer competition, and Stanford is the perfect place for him to start building that resumé. The Cardinal need playmakers, and Brown needs to be showcased.
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