I will be the first to admit it: This column was born out of the toxic fumes of delusion — from the refusal to believe that the calendar has indeed left college football in the dust.

With the desperation of an Aaron Rodgers last-second heave (without nearly the same chance of success), I’m going to try, for at least one more time, to write about a sport that won’t be truly relevant again for eight months.

There are, in my mind, still some stories to be told. Though, quite honestly, we likely won’t know how the majority of these tales end until years down the road when we can finally redeem that gift known as perspective.

If the scintillating first chapter is any indication, however, one such tale we will tell in the future is of a special 2015-16 freshman class, one that David Shaw has described as arguably the most ready-to-play group he has coached. And, in the context of the arsenal of talent the Cardinal have assembled with each recruiting class this decade, it’s a statement of substantial praise as opposed to vacuous truth.

By this point, we are all well-acquainted with one side of this coin: the freshmen who saw the field this season and almost immediately established themselves as key contributors. We’ve gushed repeatedly about what Bryce Love, Quenton Meeks, Trenton Irwin, Justin Reid, Ben Edwards, Mustafa Branch and Jake Bailey were able to bring to the table right away on an elite, Rose Bowl-champion squad, and the bright future that lies ahead for each of them.

In reality, though, any discussion of the potential of this class in marking its place in Stanford lore would be lacking without a discussion of the redshirt freshmen, several of whom appeared tantalizingly close to seeing action in their first year. As we move into a long offseason, here are five redshirt freshmen who could rise to make a serious impact in 2016.

JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR

With Michael Rector announcing his return to The Farm, the wide receiver unit appears to be in good hands (pardon the pun) with the likes of Francis Owusu, Irwin and Conner Crane also coming back. However, it will be no easy task to replace Devon Cajuste, not only in terms of production, but also in providing the on-field presence of a physical receiver who can stretch defenses thin. With Rollins Stallworth and Austin Hooper also moving on, the Cardinal could be in need of another reliable red-zone target. This is where Arcega-Whiteside can enter the equation. Complementing a 6-foot-3 frame with an envious amount of athleticism, the South Carolina native could fill the perceived “big receiver” role and provide another safety net for an offense breaking in a new quarterback.

Frank Buncom, CB

It was the year of the true frosh DB for Stanford despite the fact that Buncom, the highest-rated member of the group coming out of high school, did not see any action. Hampered for most of the year with a broken hand, Buncom very well might have entered the rotation if he were fully healthy. What we do know for sure is that the freshmen defensive backs are a tight-knit group and Buncom doesn’t want to miss out on the fun for much longer. Add his presence to a talented secondary that will also be bringing back Zach Hoffpauir and you could be looking at one of the deepest units in the country.

Cameron Scarlett, RB

After the nightmare in Northwestern back in September, there was talk amongst some folks in The Daily sports department that we might see Stanford burn Scarlett’s redshirt in the hopes of injecting a true power back into the Cardinal offense. History, of course, took a different turn, but redshirting Scarlett was a tough decision at the time and it might be harder to keep him off the field with a full offseason of Turley under his belt. Carries might be hard to come by in the Stanford backfield with the return of No. 5, but the loss of Remound Wright might open the door for Scarlett to carve out a niche. It’s too early to say for certain how things will play out, but the fire-ice combination of Scarlett on one hand and McCaffrey and Love on the other sounds delicious.

Nick Wilson, OG

David Bright will likely find himself starting on the offensive line next season, which opens the door for one of Stanford’s young Tunnel Workers to take over the ogre position. Wilson looks poised to be in the thick of that competition, given his strong run-blocking ability. In line with Shaw’s offensive philosophy, Wilson should be in a spot which accentuates his strengths while also grooming him to become one of Stanford’s guards of the future in a short amount of time.

Jay Tyler, WR

It’s hard to know how on earth Stanford will use Tyler next season, and that’s what makes him so intriguing. By all accounts, he’s a dynamic athlete and slippery in the open field, reportedly returning his first punt for a touchdown back in training camp. And then there’s the fact that he played quarterback in high school, which could prompt the Cardinal to bring the Drew Terrell trick plays out of the vault. In short, Tyler provides something that no one else on the team really does, and that should make for some real intrigue come spring practice and opening week.

 

Ask Vihan Lakshman how he intends to move on with his life now that football is officially over and now that he can no longer write his column about his favorite sport at vihan ‘at’ stanford.edu.