Why Stanford Football is Rolling with Ben Gulbranson at QB

Stanford football has finally picked its starting quarterback for the 2025 season. On Tuesday, the program announced that sixth year transfer, Ben Gulbranson, would be the one under center against Hawaii in Week Zero and will be the starting quarterback for the Cardinal in their new era under interim coach, Frank Reich.

The decision came as a surprise given how much the Cardinal invested in the QB room this offseason, but when you really think about it, Gulbranson starting makes all the sense in the world.

In college football since 2020, Gulbranson has experience in multiple schemes, playing under multiple head coaches during his time at Oregon State. Reich, who runs a much different and a much more complex scheme than former head coach Troy Taylor, needs a quarterback with experience under center and one who can quickly learn the ins and outs of the offense.

Throughout camp Gulbranson was able to show that he could grasp the offense.

But coming off of four straight 3-9 seasons, the Cardinal are desperate for a spark and need someone who can handle big time opponents. Gulbranson, a starter for Oregon State during the 2022 season, has played in multiple big games in his career and has had to be a leader in big moments.

With the Cardinal struggling with inconsistent quarterback play in recent seasons, Gulbranson as the starter gives the Cardinal a fresh face and also someone who has been around for a while.

Elijah Brown, who went into camp as the presumed starter, showed flashes of his talent last season, but injuries combined with some inconsistencies kept him from reaching his full potential.

He also struggled at times to run the offense, and with Reich's offense being more of a pro-style scheme and Gulbranson being older, giving Brown more time to develop could help him in the long run. He also has three years of eligibility left, making it more likely that he will be better equipped to start next year.

However given the past few seasons, it would not at all be surprising if the other quarterbacks get a chance to show what they can do later on. Last season, Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson began the season as the starting quarterback before Brown took over later on. Personnels are always changing in football so just because Gulbranson is the starter now, does not mean he will be for the entire season.

Now that Stanford has its quarterback figured out, the next step is shifting focus to game prep and getting ready for its matchup against Hawaii to begin the new season. Starting the season a week earlier than normal, the Cardinal will head to the islands to face Hawaii on August 23 before getting a week one bye week. Kickoff for the Hawaii game is slated for 4:30 p.m. (PT) and will be available to stream on Paramount+.