Stanford Football: Early preview of Stanford’s quarterback competition

Kevin Hogan and Andrew Luck have been the last two great Stanford quarterbacks, and the two have led Stanford to five BCS bowls while dominating teams in their way. Andrew Luck came close to winning the Heisman trophy twice, and Kevin Hogan is the program's winningest quarterback. Undeniably, Stanford has depended on an experienced quarterback, and whoever fills in for Kevin Hogan will have big shoes to fill.

Stanford seems to have two options with a possible third. Keller Chryst will be the favorite heading into Spring practices, but Ryan Burns will give him some competition. Both quarterbacks were highly touted out of high school. Burns was a four star on multiple recruiting sites and succeeded throughout his high school career. Once at Stanford, Burns redshirted his freshman year and will become a redshirt junior next year. Last year, Burns saw minimal time behind Hogan and Chryst.

Serving as the primary backup last year, all signs indicate Chryst will be the next quarterback to follow Hogan's footsteps. After throwing eighty five touchdowns in high school, Keller Chryst was no doubt Stanford's highest ranked quarterback recruit ever. Chryst was a four star on every recruiting service and ranked as high as the nation's second best pro-style quarterback. The redshirt sophomore has the size and strength to be an NFL quarterback; Chryst is 6'5" and weighs 237 lbs, and according to Tom Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Chronicle, he can throw the ball roughly 70 yards. Also, Chryst comes from a football family. His dad is the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers while his uncle is the head coach for Wisconsin.

On the field last year, Chryst showed promise after throwing four for four against Arizona for 39 yards and a touchdown. Chryst even showed his physicality after an awesome block against an Arizona defender while blocking for Christian McCaffery. If Chryst can adapt the knowledge of his family, he can pair it with his size to become a serious threat for defenses.

Although unlikely, K.J. Costello could be another possibility for Stanford. K.J. will be a true freshman next year, but he shined in high school, where the four star from Santa Margarita High School, broke many school records and was an Army All-American. Costello seems like an unlikely candidate for this year's starting job but could be a star in years to come.

Stanford has many good options for quarterback next year. Ryan Burns and Keller Chryst both will be able to fill in, but Chryst seems to be leading at the moment. Either way, David Shaw will have an able quarterback under center next year. Stanford should have stability at the quarterback for the next few years.