The countdown of Stanford's Top 5 position groups with room to improve concludes today.
No. 1: Offensive line
Must replace: LG David Yankey, C Khalil Wilkes, RG Kevin Danser, RT Cameron Fleming
Returning starters: LT Andrus Peat
Players to watch: Kyle Murphy, Joshua Garnett, Johnny Caspers, Graham Shuler, Kevin Reihner, Brendon Austin
Outlook: Stanford's recent success has been closely tied to the play of its offensive line, which makes it kind of strange that the position group also stands as the one with the most room to improve. Thanks to the early departures of Yankey and Fleming, the Cardinal must replace four of their five starters, with only Peat returning to protect quarterback Kevin Hogan's blindside. When the Cardinal signed seven offensive linemen in 2012, coach David Shaw predicted it could go down as one of the best offensive line classes in "modern football history." We'll find out how accurate that statement is in the fall, when all five spots have a chance to be occupied by players from that class. Garnett (guard), Murphy (right tackle) and Caspers (guard) are all heavy favorites to earn starting spots, while Shuler will have to beat out Reihner at center. There will also be competition for the roles in Stanford's multiple-lineman packages that will give regular playing time to at least two other linemen, which was the case for Murphy and Garnett last season.
The countdown
No. 2: Running back
No. 3: Linebacker
No. 4: Defensive line
No. 5: Wide receiver
