Stanford held an early 10-7 lead over Oregon in the fifth game of the season when Tanner McKee completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Brycen Tremayne for a 1st down. Big plays like this were no longer a surprise to Stanford fans who were familiar with Tremayne's story at that point. The former walk-on had earned a scholarship, and in his senior campaign he had become one of the most dependable receivers on the roster, leading the team with 240 yards receiving and a touchdown in each of the season's first five games. He didn't scare defensive backs, he just beat them.
But he didn't get up after this play, and when the camera zoomed in to check on him, viewers saw more than they wanted to see. His foot was bent at awkward angle, and it wasn't long before the entire Stanford team was out on the field surrounding him, then watching as he left the stadium on a cart. He was obviously out for the game and the season, and early reports that filtered out of the program told us there were moments when doctors were worried about whether or not he would walk, let alone play football.
When Tremayne showed up for the Cardinal & White game last spring, I thought it was nice that he was out there. He was soaking up the last few moments of his football career, he'd graduate in June, and then live happily ever after. But then we learned that he was still playing, and that he would, in fact, use his fifth year of eligibility this fall. All of that was unbelievable enough, but then at Media Day last month David Shaw mentioned that not only was Tremayne fully covered and ready to play this season, he was actually running faster than he ever had before the injury. There was no mention of bionics or six million dollars, but defensive backs up and down the league should be careful.
Tremayne's unexpected return makes the deepest unit on the team even deeper. Like much of the rest of the team, this group was riddled with injuries, beginning with Michael Wilson. The fifth-year player enters this season fully healthy and looking to return to the form he showed as a sophomore when he caught 56 balls for 672 yards and five touchdowns. Shaw frequently describes Wilson as one of the best route runners in the country, and he'll certainly be one of quarterback Tanner McKee's favorite targets this fall.
Junior John Humphreys is a big 6'5" target for McKee who caught 21 passes last year, and junior Bryce Farrell had 14 for 131 and a touchdown, but perhaps the most dynamic player in this group is senior Elijah Higgins. At 6'3" and 235 pounds, Higgins almost looks like a tight end, but that illusion dissolves away as soon as he gets across the line of scrimmage. His size is certainly an advantage against smaller defensive backs, but his wide receiver skills are impressive. If Wilson is the best route runner on the team, Higgins has the best hands, and just might be the fastest. Take a look:
.@StanfordFball staff told us WR Elijah Higgins hit 21.5 mph GPS on this 56-yard TD last year. Only offensive players faster than that at last year’s @seniorbowl were third-round WRs Danny Gray (22.0) & Velus Jones (21.7). Stupid speed considering @ehigggz is around 240 lbs. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ml4d6F8vb7
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) July 27, 2022
Among other things, Coach Shaw said that this year's team will be much faster than recent editions, and Higgins will apparently be leading the way. When I asked McKee about what it would be like to take the field with all of these healthy receivers -- and tight end Ben Yurosek -- he broke eye contact for a second and looked at the ceiling as if counting his blessings. "I can't wait."
There are obviously other factors that will come into play, but it's certainly possible that the depth and talent of this group will force opposing defenses to make some choices. If they decide to load the box against the Stanford running game as we've seen so often in the past, Wilson, Higgins, Tremayne, Humphreys, and Farrell will likely make them pay. It could be fun to watch.
But that assumes two things. First, the offensive line will have to give McKee enough time to find these receivers -- but that's true for every offense in America. The bigger variable will be how the coaching staff chooses to employ all this talent. Every week we see opposing offenses that feature innovative schemes designed to get the ball to athletes alone in space, but we haven't seen that recently from the Stanford offense. Instead, the typical Stanford passing play looks for one-on-one matchups and asks a receiver to exploit a physical advantage to beat his defender. In the past this has looked like Elijah Higgins using his size to seal off a defensive back on an inside slant or a 6'6" tight end using his height to outleap a smaller cornerback in the end zone.
Plays like this have their place. (I know that most Stanford fans are tired of seeing jump balls in the end zone, but they don't bother me.) But the hope here is that Shaw and offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard will look at the hand they've been dealt -- a future first round pick at quarterback and three targets with NFL futures (Wilson, Higgins, Yurosek) -- and craft more dynamic game plans that will force adjustments from opposing defenses. If that happens, it will be a fun season.
