The offensive line has been the most unpredictable position group for Stanford football (2-2, 1-1 ACC) during its past four games this season.
Before the season opener against TCU, three of the five offensive line positions appeared solidified with the returns of fifth-year right tackle Connor McLaughlin, fifth-year center Levi Rogers and senior left tackle Jack Leyrer. But quickly after the TCU game, Stanford head coach and offensive coordinator Troy Taylor decided to add more youth to the starting offensive line.
Sophomore tackle Luke Baklenko took over for McLaughlin at right tackle, but most impressively, true freshman Kahlil House surpassed Leyrer at left tackle.
Coming out of high school, House was never projected to be a tackle. Praised for his athleticism, college coaches imagined the player would be center or guard at the next level. Despite some early growing pains with playing a relatively new position, the freshman from Georgia has demonstrated notable improvement in his first three games, especially in pass protection.
The games against Cal Poly and Syracuse “were two great experiences to get a feel of the game at the college level,” he said.
House admitted he was nervous during his first game — the face-off against Cal Poly — and felt like he didn’t play as well as he would have liked. Even so, the experience was overall a positive one. According to House, the game allowed him to get the nerves out, get his first reps in and learn about some of his weaknesses.
Against Syracuse, House felt a lot more comfortable. Having a start under his belt was the confidence boost he needed, and the result was a much better game.
“Everything just started to slow down for me,” he said. “Once the second game came around, it was just football.”
In last week’s press conference, Stanford head couch Troy Taylor praised House and Baklenko as “really talented guys.”
“Our emphasis in recruiting is always guys who love football and are super competitive,” he said. “It’s tough to come in and play right away up front on the offensive line like Kahlil House is doing.”
While the emergence of a true freshman on the offensive line is one of the biggest storylines for Stanford this year, House also praised the versatility and depth that he feels the Cardinal now possess on the offensive line.
“We’re maturing day by day,” he said. “We’re all starting to click more. The bond is growing. We can switch guys out and it’s like the same five.”
Stanford’s offensive line had a surprising showing against Clemson on Saturday, as the Cardinal ran for 236 yards against the Tigers. House’s presence appears to be one of the reasons for the offensive line’s noticeable improvement during the past two weeks.
While House is already making an impact, his humility is a characteristic that makes him stand out. The focus for the 6-foot-5 offensive lineman is constant improvement at his craft every day — and his improvement is not just for himself.
“Being able to better myself so I can be a better help to my team is just [an] amazing feeling,” House said.