Stanford's Elijah Brown On the Fast Track Towards Starting?

Stanford football has a quarterback problem. A promising game against Hawaii, that included numerous good plays on defense, was spoiled by inconsistent quarterback play from starter Ben Gulbranson, leading to Stanford losing 23-20.

The overall gist of the night was simple: a winnable game slipped through Stanford's hands because of an inability to make anything happen late in the game.

And for a program that has a lot at stake in 2025 and is eager to rebound after four straight 3-9 seasons, the question now becomes how much longer is Stanford willing to deal with its quarterback woes. Will the Cardinal make a change before it's too late in order to save their season? On a bye week before shifting gears towards preparing for BYU, a lot can happen between now and then.

If a change does occur, redshirt freshman Elijah Brown would be the next in line. Brown, a former four-star prospect out of Mater Dei High School, showed flashes of his potential in 2024--dazzling in his college debut against Cal Poly--but an injury suffered in that game forced him to miss time and when he did return, he struggled.

Nonetheless, Brown has earned the right to prove that he is the future of the program.

When Gulbranson won the job, experience, leadership and his ability to grasp the offense were reportedly the biggest factors for him pulling away from the competition. But Gulbranson showed that he has major limitations, and in a pro-style fast-paced offense like Frank Reich's, having the most skilled and talented player leading the way is key.

Brown, much more of a dual threat quarterback with a higher ceiling, could elevate Stanford's offense in a big way.

In a season where Stanford is building for the future by taking steps forward, starting Brown could be the answer while also showing to the college football world that with a talented quarterback, Stanford's offense offers a lot of opportunities for playmakers.

Reich is only expected to be in charge for one year and for whomever the long-term coach is that Stanford opts to hire, it is imperative that the program can show signs of life so that the next guy has an idea of what he has to work with.

Given how Gulbranson is in his final season and is not a long-term solution, seeing what they have in Brown during this rebuilding campaign may be more beneficial. Stanford invested a lot in him and it would be wise to make sure that he was worth the big investment.

But for now, Stanford is playing the waiting game and seeing how things play out over the next week before coming to a definitive decision.