The Stanford Cardinal will hold their annual spring football game on Saturday, April 13 at 6 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks as part of the channel's coverage of all 12 conference spring games.
2013 Stanford spring game TV schedule, roster battles and more
Find out when and where to watch Stanford’s spring game.
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Among the biggest questions facing David Shaw and the Cardinal is who will replace running back Stepfan Taylor. Taylor's hard running has been the backbone of the Stanford offense for the past few years. It will be difficult to replace a player that's rushed for three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, but it would seem that the Cardinal have built up their program to the point where this type of loss can be overcome.
Anthony Wilkerson was the primary backup in 2012, rushing for 224 yards on 50 carries. He and Tyler Gaffney figure to be the main competitors for the job. Gaffney is back at Stanford after spending 2012 in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, but he rushed for 449 yards and seven touchdowns in 2011.
A wildcard option could be incoming recruit Barry Sanders. Yes, he's the son of that Barry Sanders. The Oklahoma City native chose Stanford over schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Notre Dame. He may not be his father, but the four-star recruit looks like he can really play. Just watch:
Elsewhere, the Cardinal will have to replace outgoing tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. The favorite to become the new number one tight end, a position of significant importance to the Stanford offense, is Luke Kaumatule.
On defense, the biggest loss is that of linebacker Chase Thomas. James Vaughters looks to be the man to beat for the job, but fifth-year senior Jarek Lancaster could get in on the action, as well.
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