Stanford football may be just two months removed from the end of its 2009 season, but it has already undergone dramatic changes. With spring practice beginning today, head coach Jim Harbaugh will get a first glance at his new-look squad.
“I’m super excited about this spring. Probably even more so than the first year I got here,” he said.
Spring practice, which is split into two sessions–one before the finals break, and one after, culminating in the April 17 spring game at Kezar Stadium–fills a football void that lasts until the summer. Although the Cardinal can continue to workout during the off-season, the NCAA only allots a certain amount of days for the team to fully practice during that time. As such, spring practice acts as an important way station–both a chance to integrate new coaches and to see which players have improved or stayed stagnant.
In particular, Stanford rolls out a vastly different coaching staff and defensive scheme, and at the same time, must find a way to replace the production of Toby Gerhart.
With the introduction of Vic Fangio as the Cardinal’s defensive coordinator, Stanford has begun a switch from a 4-3 base to a 3-4 hybrid, which means that players’ roles will subsequently change. Along with the rest of a largely new defensive staff–Lance Anderson (outside linebackers) is the only returnee, with Randy Hart (line) and Derek Mason (secondary) joining the team as newcomers–Fangio must begin to assess the talent available for the 3-4.
He describes his philosophy as one contingent on harassing the quarterback.
“It has been a pressure-oriented defense in the past. It will have to be tailored to the players we have here. We are not going to cram a system down on players that maybe they are not capable of doing,” Fangio said. “So it will be a 3-4 base, but it will be a hybrid 3-4 where we are able to do a lot of 4-3 stuff within the 3-4 personnel. We will take the package where the players lead us.”
The final sentence is particularly important, as few defenders are considered safe in their jobs. Mason, for example, emphasized that the entire secondary was, theoretically, up for grabs. With a need for a nose tackle and defensive ends with different responsibilities than in a 4-3, Hart was open to a number of candidates to fill those roles.
“It’s a clean slate, especially this year with new coaches,” Harbaugh said. “That’s exciting for a ballplayer, to learn, to grow, to learn new concepts, and have a new shot with new eyes on you.”
Those eyes also dart outside of their specified positions, as the staff is open to moving players between units and even different sides of the ball. Harbaugh, light-heartedly or not, said that Fangio could experiment with any offensive player except quarterback Andrew Luck. The crossover has already begun: fullback Owen Marecic is currently slated at the top of the depth chart at inside linebacker, a spot he dabbled in during the 2009 season. Quarterback Alex Loukas may be a candidate for safety, and Harbaugh said that there’s “an ongoing fight” for the services of Levine Toilolo between the tight ends and the defensive line.
And while the defense, the Cardinal’s weak link last season, will surely get a makeover, it may be running back where the biggest hole is left. With Gerhart moving on to the NFL, Stanford must find a way to replicate the nearly 1900 yards and 28 touchdowns he accounted for in 2009.
“We can’t replace him and the production he had,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t believe that one man on our roster can do that for the 2010 season, but I do believe that we can replace his production in combination, in tandem, in group.”
Harbaugh did not put a time table on establishing a depth chart, but he did offer some candidates for the role(s): Stepfan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney, Jeremy Stewart and, once he’s healthy, Usua Amanam–on track to be ready for the second spring session. Gaffney is on the baseball team, but is still expected to participate, at least partially, in football practice.
From listening to Harbaugh and his assistants, not too much is set in stone, particularly this year, when a number of highly-rated recruits at places of need will be thrown into the mix in the summer. But even if this respite from the off-season serves only to intensify position battles, it has, in Harbaugh’s eyes, fulfilled its purpose.
“We like competition around here,” Harbaugh said. “This sets up really nice going forward.”
NOTES: Luck is healthy and healed from a broken finger that kept him out of the Sun Bowl…Cornerback Corey Gatewood will also be limited in the first session due to a broken foot…Offensive tackle Matt Kopa, who is applying for a sixth year of eligibility, has not yet received word from the NCAA, and cannot practice until he is cleared…Associate head coach Greg Roman said that the main candidates to replace right tackle Chris Marinelli are Tyler Mabry, Derek Hall and Kevin Danser…Defensive ends Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy will move to outside linebacker in the 3-4…New wide receivers and quarterbacks coach Ron Turner left the team before the beginning of spring practice to take a job with the Indianapolis Colts.