Stanford Cardinal Football: Phil Steele 2025 Forecast

Stanford had another disappointing season, both overall and in its debut in the ACC, with a fourth-consecutive finish of 3-9 overall and fifth losing record in the past six years, going back to 2019. Now, with the changes the Cardinal had to make this offseason, leading to an interim year under Frank Reich, the they may not be much better this fall.

Phil Steele released his annual preview magazine earlier this offseason, going into the upcoming year in college football. That included a two-page bit of a pessimistic preview of Stanford, which Steele projected to finish in last place in the ACC – just as the Preseason ACC Media Poll did as did the latest odds for the conference at BetMGM.

Here’s Steele’s full breakdown of the Cardinal for 2025:

Offense

Stanford posted a scoring offense outside the Top 100 again for the fourth consecutive season last year, with averages of 22.8 points and 323.9 per game. Steele is now projecting similar struggles for the unit, especially because of the pass game with the losses of QB Ashton Daniels, who was also their leading rusher, and WRs Elic Ayomanor (Tennessee Titans) and Emmett Mosley (Texas).

“This year, new OC Nate Byham has six starters back and is very optimistic even though they are inexperienced at QB and WR,” wrote Steele. “My computer is calling for 301 ypg and 22.4 ppg.”

Defense

Stanford has then struggled just as much defensively the past four years, also finishing outside the Top-100 in scoring defense again in allowing 33.7 points and 414.1 yards per game. That said, Steele was much higher on this side of the ball considering all the experience this unit will return and the opposing offenses that they’ll face on the schedule.

“This year, eight starters are back and they will continue to make strides and face just two experienced QBs who are back on their same team,” Steele wrote.

Forecast

Again, Stanford has fallen off over the past half-decade from 94-27 (.777) from 2010-2018 to just 20-46 (.303) from 2019-2024. They’ll now, in trying to end the program’s skid, have to do so while being challenged with the circumstances of an interim season as well as by their conference schedule, particularly because of the road slate.

“Stanford travels 26,000+ miles (more than the circumference of the Earth),” wrote Steele. “They have 14 starters returning, but it is tough bringing in portal guys.”

“Frank Reich will get the most out of them in his lone season. They have an us against the world mindset and are out to prove all the doubters wrong,” Steele wrote.