On Tuesday, Stanford football head football coach Troy Taylor spoke at a weekly press conference before Saturday’s game against Clemson.

Injury updates

Taylor revealed the injury statuses of freshman quarterback Elijah Brown and freshman wide receiver Emmett Mosley V. Brown was injured during the bye week and will be out for some time but is expected to make a full recovery, according to Taylor.

“Once he’s physically ready to go, he’s obviously going to be a really good player,” Taylor said.

Mosley V, who made waves throughout training camp during the spring and fall, has not seen any in-game action to start the year due to a leg injury. Many around the program believe he is a dominant receiver with the potential to greatly impact the offense. However, Taylor assuaged concerns, telling the media that Mosley is currently practicing with the team. 

“He’s getting close, for sure. If it’s not this week, I think it’ll happen soon,” Taylor continued. “We’re really excited for him.”

An offensive shake-up

In a surprising move to start the season, Taylor appears to favor youth talent over veteran experience. Connor McLaughlin, a fifth-year lineman widely thought to remain the starting right tackle, seems to have lost his starting job to sophomore Luke Baklenko. Similarly, first-year Kahlil House appears to have beaten out senior left tackle Jack Leyrer. Taylor praised the young tackles’ raw talent, competitive spirit and dedication.

“When we recruited them we knew they were talented and they had an opportunity, but it’s tough to come in and play up front on the offensive line as a freshman like Kahlil House is doing,” Taylor said. “He’s doing a good job and he’s getting better and better.”

Weather challenges

After playing Syracuse last week, Stanford will once again head across the country to play against Clemson. But the Cardinal will have more to worry about than just the long flight. 

Numerous weather forecasts anticipate that a tropical storm will cause inclement weather in South Carolina during the weekend. But Taylor plans to combat the unexpected conditions in several ways, including keeping the ball dry and supplying gloves and towels for players. He expressed confidence that the field “drains really well” and that it will be “in great condition” by game time.