Gap Down Backer.

[redsox907]

when is Mack finally going to get the death penalty with all this tampering

[ShireNiner]

Good for Mack. Nothing wrong with telling a kid to go to a different school to help his development.

[Soapy]

Having a murderer writing for your publication is crazy work.

I feel like this is the most tampering tampering that has ever tampered. Mack gotta be sanctioned for this.

when is Mack finally going to get the death penalty with all this tampering

Mack ain't tell him to jump in the portal

It's funny because that was a fun and quaint article written by someone I'm convinced can't spell

his wife probably wrote it for him

michigan grad smh

Good for Mack. Nothing wrong with telling a kid to go to a different school to help his development.

agreed. a man of the people.

[Soapy]

Coach Mack updates Stanford QB battle post Spring Showcase
by Rex Phillips · 4/26/31

(Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Stanford head coach Bubba Mack finally uttered the dread b-word on Saturday evening following the Cardinal's Spring Showcase, ending speculation whether there was or wasn't an open competition for the starting quarterback spot.

"Those guys have battled it out all spring," Mack said of quarterbacks Alex Rowe and Earl Nienhuis, "They've really separated from the pack and had a really good spring and just have been consistent down the stretch with the last few scrimmages and even today."

Rowe, last year's starter, took the bulk of first team snaps during the public portion of practices this spring which are limited in nature. According to reports, the split has been closer to 50/50 during periods that weren't public, including the scrimmages leading to Saturday's showcase.

During the showcase, Rowe was firmly with the first team offense based on the offensive line ahead of him that featured entrenched starters Shaquille Marks and Jalen Freeman. Mack has avoided any notion that the job is up for grabs, instead leaning on coach speak and highlighting that every position is a competition.

Rowe was the more impressive passer on Saturday and while no official stats were kept, he had just two incompletions, both of them on deep shots to redshirt freshman Timmy Neil. It was a more up-and-down day for Nienhuis who certainly pushed the ball down the field more than Rowe, including a deep post to Brent Baker that was intercepted by senior safety Shaquille Duke, the Central Michigan transfer.

Battling it out
One battle has been open and clear is along the offensive line where outside of the left side with Penn State transfer D.J. Baas and third-year starter Shaquille Marks, the rest of the offensive line has been a constant revolving door of faces in different places.

Another guaranteed starter is Jalen Freeman although its not clear where Freeman is going to start as he's played both guard and tackle on that right side, depending on whose rotating in. Joe Nunn, who played at left tackle as a true freshman last season when Neil Pryor went down with an injury, has been one of the options at right tackle and was the early starter in the earlier scrimmages. Since then, we've seen Freeman start at right tackle and when he does, Shontrelle Madu has gotten the start at right guard and on Saturday, it was Jamal Harris who got the start there so the battle between Nunn, Madu and Harris will likely carry into fall camp.

Center is also pretty wide open with four different players playing the position on Saturday, an unusually high number for a position that requires stability. The clubhouse leader is Brenton Rahman, whose played in spot duty for the last two seasons and was a starter, due to injuries, in 2027 prior to Mack's arrival. He's stuck around and his experience gives him the edge but at six-foot-two and 282 pounds, he remains undersized.

The most impressive looking of the options is Lawrence Hepburn, the redshirt freshman from Minnesota that looks like a tackle at six-foot-five and nearing 300 pounds. He's the sort of high upside player we've seen Mack roll with at other position in hopes they figure it out but at such a crucial position, a more experienced player might be in order. We saw them move Memphis transfer Wayne Hoffman from guard to center to give them another viable option and he remains a dark horse to win the job.

The eye catchers
A few players really stood out in the showcase in terms of their performance but also their body type and movement skills.

He's probably a few years away due to the talent at the top of the depth chart, including two true freshmen in Malik Marshall and Trevon Winbush, but Fernando Hooey looks the part at six-foot-one and 200 pounds and is probably one of the faster players on the team. He failed to bring in the reception but he ran a wheel route on a pass from redshirt freshman quarterback D.J. Sapp and he dusted the defensive back that was in coverage.

A true freshman that also caught a lot of eyes but might actually be a contributor this season is Colt Mixon, the three-star tight end that was ironically the lowest rated recruit in the class. Mixon looks more like a running back than a tight end at six-foot-two and 223 pounds and he moves like one with his fluidity and soft hands. The question with him is going to be his blocking and if he can hold up there but even if he's not a starter, he could be an instant impact player as a flex tight end option.

The most impressive looking athlete out there this spring might have been safety Mike Thomas, the converted linebacker from Utah. Thomas is listed at six-foot-three and 234 pounds and he doesn't look out of place in open space at safety. The aforementioned Duke has really helped steadied that safety room but Thomas could be that box safety option we saw the Cardinal have last year in Alec Dalton who had 43 tackles for Stanford.

Budding stars
Five-star cornerback Kentrell Marvin had a really good true freshman season with 83 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three interceptions along with nine pass breakups as a Freshman All-American. He could be an All-American, period, by the end of his sophomore season with the jump he's taken this offseason so far.

Marvin played in the slot last year at nickel but he could be in line to be one of the outside corners as he continues to get stronger, bigger and faster. He's trusting himself in coverage more which has helped reduced some of the gaffs we saw last year where he was in position but failed to make a play on the ball. The coaching staff have been raving about him since the winter workouts and the improvement is evident when you watch him.

Another highly ranked recruit that could be in line for that second-year jump is Percy Cadet, the four-star out of Mountain View. He was solid last year with 5.5 sacks and eleven tackles for loss with a lot of those plays being effort plays. Cadet has really focused on his technique and adding to his bag of tricks as a pass rusher which could turn him into a double-digit sack artist which is an area that the Cardinal defense could improve on.

The name to watch on offense is running back Rashawn Crouse who is certainly looking like RB1 and the heir to Lasike's throne. While a committee is likely in store and has always been the M.O. for Mack's teams, dating back to Kennesaw State, Crouse's physicality is something that Mack and this coaching staff have always valued in running backs. Even when they added Jamarice Wilder in the portal, the offense still ran through Lasike and Trent Parrish, the more physical of the backs.

[ShireNiner]

IMO you have to start Rowe. Give last years starter the chance to keep his spot or lose it.

[Captain Canada]

Position battles might be a little messy this year. Going to be interesting how you manage the QB situation.

[Soapy]

IMO you have to start Rowe. Give last years starter the chance to keep his spot or lose it.

I agree, he did lead us to our first real trophy (ACC Champ) and who knows if we beat ohio state with him healthy

Position battles might be a little messy this year. Going to be interesting how you manage the QB situation.

competition breeds champions.

and contempt.

[Soapy]

CC told me to lock in

[Soapy]

so i did that

[Soapy]