Three of Stanford Football's Key Position Battles to Watch in Fall Camp

There are officially just 34 days until the 2025 college football season kicks off, and buzz is starting to build. The Cardinal will go on the road to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors on opening day, a part of a few other games in Week 0.

With the days counting down, Stanford’s fall camp is just a few days away from its own kick-off and there are many question marks to be answered. Let’s take a look at a few, and get a good sense of what to look for in fall camp.

The biggest question mark going into 2025 is the running back room. There is no question that it is one of the deepest rooms that Stanford has to offer with plenty of options for head coach Frank Reich to choose from, but there is no solidified starter.

Players such as Micah Hyde, Sedrick Irvin, and Cole Tabb return to the Cardinal, hoping to take the spot, but impact transfers such as Tuna Altahir have other plans. Fall camp should be the perfect place to get a good sense of who will be leading the rush game for the Cardinal this season.

Another very important battle happening throughout fall camp will be the quarterback battle. Redshirt freshman Elijah Brown looks to be the ideal starter, after having an incredible high school career at Mater Dei. But after having just 274 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions in limited action last season, it leaves the door open for others who strive for the spot.

Dylan Rizk, for example, is a great competitor. The sophomore who transferred from UCF had 904 yards, five touchdowns and just two interceptions with the Knights last season. Ben Gulbrenson, who has started for multiple seasons with the Oregon State Beavers comes in as well, with a possibility of earning the spot.

Throughout four seasons in Corvallis, he has racked up 2,649 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. This battle could be one of the tightest ones, and definitely the most interesting.

The third and final key battle will be the wide receiver position. With essentially no returners from last season, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Andrew Luck had to look to the portal and recruiting, hoping to find their guy.

Most notably, CJ Williams comes in from Wisconsin. Last season, he had 248 yards and two touchdowns with the Badgers, and hopes to bring experience to the Cardinal. David Pantelis, a transfer from Yale, racked up 901 yards and eight touchdowns at the FCS level. He will be taking a big step, but if someone can fill those shoes, it’s Pantelis.

Another FCS star last season, Caden High, comes in from South Carolina State. Last season, he had 908 yards and seven touchdowns. They also bring in Jon’Anthony Hall, the top player in Indiana and a four star recruit per 247. This room will be stacked, but who will be the number one guy?

Clearly, there will be some massive battles going on during fall camp, especially on the offensive side of the ball. These key position battles could make or break the Cardinal’s season, and that all starts in fall camp.