Christian McCaffrey, RB (So.)

Stanford’s jack-of-all-trades once again demonstrated how vital he is to the team in last week’s victory against Cal, singlehandedly accounting for nearly 70 percent of the team’s yards and allowing the Cardinal to win comfortably despite being dominated statistically. The nation’s all-purpose yardage leader will need another strong outing in order to keep the team’s College Football Playoff aspirations and his own Heisman hopes alive.

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Jaylon Smith, LB (Jr.)

A finalist for the Butkus Award, awarded to the nation’s top linebacker, Smith has had another remarkable season for the Fighting Irish. A Second-Team All-American selection in 2014, Smith leads Notre Dame in tackles with 98, 30 more than any other player on the team. He is also the team leader in pass breakups with 5 and has posted 8 tackles for loss on the season.

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Stanford secondary

Stanford’s pass defense is on shaky ground, as No. 1 and 2 cornerbacks Ronnie Harris and Alijah Holder are huge question marks going into Saturday’s game. Regardless of who is able to start in the secondary, the unit will have its hands full dealing with the arm of quarterback DeShone Kizer, who ranks top 20 in the country in passer efficiency, and his talented wide receiver squad.

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Will Fuller, WR (Jr.)

Leading the charge in the passing game for the Fighting Irish is Fuller, whose 1,009 yards on 50 receptions are a team-best. The junior is a formidable deep-threat, as he averages 20.2 yards per catch, and has 12 touchdowns, good for seventh-best in the country. 

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Joshua Garnett, OG (Sr.)

The senior’s play this season has raised eyebrows across the country, earning him recognition as a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s most outstanding lineman. Garnett may also be the best pulling guard in the country, paving the way for the Cardinal backfield, while also making the weekly highlight reels for his obliteration of defenders.

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Sheldon Day, DT (Sr.)

Day is the most disruptive player on the Notre Dame defense, as he leads the team with 14.5 tackles for loss. Both Day and and Garnett figure to be playing on Sundays next year, and the matchup will surely be an intriguing one.

Contact Neel Ramachandran at neelr ‘at’ stanford.edu.