Kaden Smith was selected in the sixth round with the 176th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday by the San Francisco 49ers. A tight end from Flower Mound, Texas, Smith is the sixth Cardinal tight end drafted since 2012.
“Kaden is a very versatile tight end,” Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. “His size and strength give him the ability to be an every down blocker in the NFL and his athleticism will give him the opportunity to be a very good pass catcher as well. Kaden has a knack for making contested catches down the field and tight ends that work the seams in the NFL play for a long time.”
A 2018 Mackey Award finalist, Smith was named All-Pac 12 second team a season ago. He finished his career with 70 receptions for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns in 25 career games. He also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention two times.
“Kaden is the most complete tight end coming out in this year’s class,” Cardinal tight ends coach Morgan Turner said. “His ability to make tough catches is rivaled by very few. He also wants to be part of the run game, which very few guys want to do these days. You can put him at the point of attack and trust him in the run game. Kaden really embraced that and did a great job with it.”
Smith shined in 2018, playing in 11 games with 10 starts. He totaled 47 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns. He was named Mackey Award Player of the Week following an eight-catch, 107-yard, one-touchdown performance against Washington. As a sophomore in 2017, he played in 14 games and totaled 23 catches for 414 yards and five touchdowns.
Jake Bailey was selected in the fifth round with the 163rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday by the New England Patriots. A punter from Solana Beach, Calif., Bailey is the first Cardinal selected by the Patriots since 2015.
Jake Bailey has been a weapon for us for years,” Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. “He has the strong leg to be a very good kickoff specialist that pins the opponent’s offense back to start their drives. Jake also has the ability not only to boot long punts that change field position, but also to pin the opponent back inside their 20-yard-line, sometimes inside the 10. That is a skill that is very coveted by NFL teams and the Patriots are getting a good one.”
Bailey was named All-Pac-12 three times during his career with the Cardinal and finished as Stanford’s all-time leader in career punting average (43.81). His 185 punts are sixth-most in school history as are his 8,105 career punt yards. He totaled just 17 touchbacks with 51 fair catches, 76 inside the 20, and 54 punts of 50+ yards in 52 career games. Bailey also totaled 291 kickoffs for 18,428 yards (63.3 avg) and 173 touchbacks.
“Jake has an ability to directional punt,” Cardinal special teams coordinator Pete Alamar said. “He can put the ball into tight spaces which helps your coverage unit. He’s a high ball hitter–he’s not a guy that drives the ball. He has a great relationship between the distance and the hang time to allow his coverage unit to get down the field. The Patriots are also going to like him because of his kickoff ability. He takes the returner out of the game in that aspect.”
Bailey totaled 86 punts for 2,996 yards (44.06 avg) in 2018, playing in all 13 games. His 68 punts were the seventh-most in school history while his 2,996 yards were the fourth-most. He had 20 punts of 50+ yards and 24 punts inside the 20. He also kicked off for the Cardinal, with 60 touchbacks as a senior. He punctuated his career with a school-record 84-yard punt against Cal.
As a junior in 2017, Bailey earned All-Pac-12 honors after punting 57 times for an average of 45.5 yards. He had touchbacks on 58 of 83 kickoffs. As a sophomore in 2016, he punted 50 times for 2,176 yards with 13 punts over 50 yards and 22 inside the 20. He had 44 touchbacks on 71 kickoffs. He was the Cardinal kickoff specialist as a freshman in 2015 and also punted 10 times situationally.
Bryce Love was selected in the fourth round with the 112th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday by the Washington Redskins. A running back from Wake Forest, N.C., Love is the first Cardinal selected by Washington since Trent Murphy in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
“Bryce Love is special,” Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. “He’s not just a speedy outside-the-box guy, but he’s a running back. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry and had 13 50-yard runs in 2017, things that just don’t make any sense. Bryce is fast and explosive, but he also breaks tackles. He led the nation in yards after contact a year ago. He’s a game changer, a field position changer. He scores touchdowns and he’s also a phenomenal human being. He’s going to be a strong asset for the Washington Redskins.”
The 2017 Heisman Trophy runner-up and 2018 team captain, Love was a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree. He won the 2017 Doak Walker Award, Lombardi Award, was a unanimous All-American and the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. He finished his career with 3,866 rushing yards, 30 rushing touchdowns and 16 career 100-yard games. His 6.79 yards per carry average set a new school record.
“The reason Bryce is going to be successful is because he’s a professional, he works hard, he’s competitive and he’s very talented,” Cardinal running backs coach Ron Gould said. “He’s going to make plays where there aren’t a lot of plays to be made. He’s a lot stronger than people think — he had over 1,000 yards after contact his junior year – and he’s the fastest guy in the draft. You can’t count Bryce out because he has an impeccable work ethic, he’s passionate and he wants to be the best to ever play the game. When the lights and cameras aren’t on, Bryce is still going to be working.”
During his record-breaking season in 2017, Love rushed for 2,118 yards, averaged 162.9 yards per game and a school-record 8.05 yards per carry. He had 12 100-yard games, 30 rushes of more than 20 yards, 24 of more than 30 yards, 15 40-yard rushes, an FBS record 13 50-yard rushes and seven 60-yard rushes. He set a new FBS record with 13 consecutive games with a 30-yard rush and 11 straight games with a 50-yard rush.
Love was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 last season when he totaled 166 carries for 739 yards and six touchdowns–playing in and starting 10 games. In 2016, he was also honorable mention All-Pac-12 as he totaled 783 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He finished his career with 32 touchdowns and two two-point conversions for 196 career points.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside was selected in the second round with the 57th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft on Friday night by the Philadelphia Eagles. A wide receiver from Inman, S.C., Arcega-Whiteside is the first Cardinal selected by the Eagles since Ed Reynolds in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
“JJ makes big catches that change field position and scores touchdowns,” Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. “He is a difference maker that can make highlight catches and that is one of those traits that translates really well from college to the NFL.”
A 2018 team captain and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Arcega-Whiteside earned All-Pac 12 second team honors last season while tying a 41-year-old school record with 14 touchdown catches. He finished second in school history with 28 career touchdown receptions and third in school history with nine 100-yard receiving games. His 2,219 career receiving yards are the 12th-most all-time at Stanford and his 135 receptions rank 18th.
“His work ethic is unbelievable,” said wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy. “He wants to be a really good player. I think he’s only scratched the tip of his potential. Play after play after play after play, if you look at him throughout his career at Stanford, he just continued to make plays. He’s not only a great player, but a great person. The Eagles are getting a player who will not only improve the organization as a player, but even more so as a person.”
Arcega-Whiteside totaled 63 catches for 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior in 2018. His 14 touchdown catches led the Pac-12 and ranked No. 3 in the country. His 1,059 receiving yards were the fifth-most in Stanford history for a single season and his five 100-yard receiving games were the fourth-most in a given year.
In 2017, Arcega-Whiteside earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention after totaling a team-high 48 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. He totaled 24 catches for 379 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore in 2016, earning Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.
Bobby Okereke was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the 89th overall pick on Friday night by the Indianapolis Colts. An inside linebacker from Santa Ana, Calif. Okereke is the first Cardinal selected by the Colts since Henry Anderson in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
“Bobby has intrigued the scouts during the pre-draft process,” Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. “His length, speed and athleticism have truly put him on the radar for a lot of teams. From day one, he will probably be a starter on multiple special teams and will be battling to get on the field as a linebacker early in his career for the Colts.”
A 2018 team captain, Okereke was twice named All-Pac-12 honorable mention during his career. He played in 51 career games, totaling 240 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. He also had nine passes defended, one interception, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He added a touchdown and safety for the Cardinal.
“Bobby Okereke is an all-down linebacker,” inside linebackers coach Peter Hansen said. “He is long, he is fast, he has good hip flexibility and he can flip his hips and cover in space. He can tackle in space, too. He has extremely long arms so he can keep himself clean off blockers. He will fit in really well with the Colts.”
As a senior last season, Okereke was named a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and was on the watch lists for the Butkus and Bednarik Awards. He started all 13 games, leading the team for a second straight year with 96 tackles (52 solo). He also had 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, five pass breakups and a safety.
In 2017, Okereke played in 14 games and had 96 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also had one forced fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown at Washington State. As a junior in 2016, he started all 13 games he played and made 41 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks. He played in 11 games with seven tackles as a sophomore in 2015.
One of the biggest question marks entering spring practice was whether reduced hitting would delay the development of young and inexperienced Stanford Cardinal football players heading into fall camp.
After watching last Saturday’s Cardinal and White Spring Game, that doesn’t seem to be the case for the team.
Bodies were flying around Cagan Stadium, especially on defense, who recorded a 20-14 win by limiting the offense to two touchdowns. The defense recorded four sacks against four quarterbacks and played aggressively throughout.
“I like where our defensive backs and young linebackers are right now,” said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football.
Due to injuries, especially on the offensive line, Shaw and his staff chose to limit physical contact and focus on technique and individual skill development this spring.
“We played fast and hard,” said freshman inside linebacker Ricky Miezan, who hopes to contend for one of two spots created by the departure of mainstays Bobby Okereke and Sean Barton. “All the work we put in this spring manifested itself.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Miezan and Jacob Mangum-Farrar are expected to battle converted outside linebacker Curtis Robinson, Andrew Pryts and Ryan Beecher for inside playing time.
“In the fall, I picked up so much from Bobby and Sean,” Miezan said. “The older guys kind of mentored us into what a Stanford linebacker is.”
For the record, Okereke led the team with 96 tackles each of the last two seasons.
“Not having as many live periods definitely helped, just focusing in on us and building the inside linebackers,” said Miezan. “We haven’t had that much game experience, so we have been focusing on techniques. We need to start with the basics and build from there.”
The nation’s third-ranked high school lacrosse player, the Alexandria, Va., native, didn’t play football until his junior year, but caught on quickly. As a senior, he made 55 tackles and earned all-state honors.
“I was a midfielder, so the back and forth running really helped with conditioning,” he said. “I feel I can stay out and endure a lot of plays and stay fresh. Lacrosse really helped with my side-to-side movement and agility.”
As a true freshman last season, Miezan appeared in four Cardinal games on special teams. He quickly learned that skill does always translate to success.
“You can be a great athlete, but you need to know the scheme to be able to go out there and play,” said Miezan. “That’s the number one thing: hone-in on the details and understand what you’re doing so you can play fast.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
New roles
Several young receivers stood out this spring, notably Connor Wedington, Michael Wilson and Simi Fehoko. Wedington was limited by injuries last year and appeared in four games and redshirted, while the 6’2″ Wilson played in all 13 contests with two starts, catching 14 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The 6’4″ Fehoko returned after a two-year church mission and saw action in the last four games, grabbing one reception.
“It’s been so good to finally get back on the field and play the game I love,” said Fehoko, who teamed up with K.J. Costello for a 19-yard touchdown catch Saturday on a short crossing route.
“We’re young but we’re talented.”
Big contributions are also expected from Osiris St. Brown, Donald Stewart and Brycen Tremayne.
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“We’re cautiously optimistic,” said Shaw, looking to replace JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Trenton Irwin. “Michael and Connor had outstanding springs. Simi started off with an injury but was able to come back. I think the combination of guys we have right now is pretty exciting.”
So does cornerback Paulson Adebo. As a first-year starter, he led the nation with 24 passes defended and earned FWAA All-America second team.
“We have a chance to let them loose and do some good things,” he said of the Stanford wideouts. “We didn’t get to see that much of Connor last year, but I think he’s going to do some big things.”
Costello and the other quarterbacks spent extra time after practice working with the receivers to improve timing and chemistry. That will continue during voluntary workouts the next few months.
Fehoko and Costello have a long-standing connection.
“All the way back to high school,” said Fehoko. “We played in the Army All-American Game together. We’re close and we’re going to get there.”
Added Costello, “The second half of last season, every guy on the field, every route they ran, I just had insane confidence.”
Admittedly, it’s a process.
“Even with JJ, I remember barely missing on stuff for a year-and-a-half,” Costello said. “I’m going to do everything I can to help them develop. I want success from one-on-one and seven-on-seven to correlate to the team.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Not satisfied Adebo intercepted one pass and nearly had another in the spring game.
“I gotta finish the second one,” he said.
After establishing himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the country last year, Adebo is looking to step up his game.
“I think the big thing for me is just trying to keep being aggressive, having good eye control, and knowing that there are going to be a lot of double moves since I’m jumping routes,” he said.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Running backs, tight ends praised Shaw singled out his running backs for their work this spring. A new starter is assured with the loss of Bryce Love.
“I like the way they are running right now,” he said, “there are a lot of things we worked on that we didn’t do (Saturday), but our guys are running hard.
“I think we used our tight ends well. Maybe not like we typically do, but our tight ends are in a good spot. I told them I really appreciate all they have done. I told them to execute and that’s what we did.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
Sense of urgency Fall training camp begins August 1 and the season opener is August 31 against the Northwestern Wildcats at Stanford Stadium. The Wildcats (9-5) were Big Ten West Division champs last year and capped their season by winning the Holiday Bowl 31-20 over the Utah Utes.
The Cardinal opens Pac-12 play at perennial rival USC on Sept. 7, then travels to Orlando to face UCF, who has lost one game in two years.
“Our offense needs to be ready to go by day one,” Costello said. “Last year, I feel like we started late. We got into a groove the last half of the season. If we can do that for the bulk of the season, everything else will take care of itself.”
Good stick Costello, a scratch golfer, found time after the season to sharpen his game. He fired a career-best 3-under-par 69 at California Golf Club in South San Francisco.
Costello is a big fan of Cardinal alum Tiger Woods, who earned his 15th major championship on Sunday at the Masters. Costello was glued to his television.
.@kj_costello got to meet Tiger Woods during his freshman year…well, kinda.
Full effort
Stanford was short on offensive lineman this spring so Drew Dalman, Henry Hattis, Grant Pease, Dylan Powell and Foster Sarell played every down in the Spring Game. The team needed each of them on every play to make the game possible and they delivered. Tucker Fisk also played a key role for the offensive line as he filled in when needed during spring practices.
Familiar faces
Among the former players who attended the Spring Game to lend support were Toby Gerhart, Kevin Hogan, Brennan Scarlett, Frank Buncom, Kaden Smith, Trenton Irwin, Nate Herbig, Keller Chryst, Jake Bailey, Arcega-Whiteside, Okereke and Nick Wilson.
Many attended an alumni networking social the previous night. Gerhart, enrolled at Stanford Graduate School of Business, arrived wearing cleats and had gloves hanging out of his back pocket. He left early to play in an intramural football game for his GSB team.
KZ Okpala captured the Hank Luisetti Most Valuable Player Award, as the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team celebrated the 2018-19 season at its awards banquet at Bing Concert Hall Monday.
The Cardinal highlighted the accomplishments of Josh Sharma and recognized the overall achievements of a roster that featured 11 of 15 student-athletes in their first or second year. Anne & Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball Jerod Haase thanked both Sharma and senior manager Ryan Cole for their outstanding efforts throughout their respective Cardinal careers. Haase also expressed his enthusiasm for a promising future with an experienced roster back on The Farm for 2019-20.
Okpala, a First Team All-Pac-12 selection, First Team USBWA All-District pick and a Second Team NABC All-District selection this past season, took home the Hank Luisetti MVP Award. He averaged a team-best 16.8 PPG to go along with 5.7 RPG and a SPG. He finished fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with the second-most 20-point games (15) in the conference. He also ranked 16th in the conference in rebounding and 12th in defensive rebounding (4.5 DRPG). During the Pac-12 regular season, he finished fifth in the conference in scoring (17.5 PPG).
Sharma and Oscar da Silva were each the recipient of the Howie Dallmar Coach’s Award.
Sharma was recognized following a standout senior season on The Farm. He was a candidate for the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player Award and established a school record for field goal percentage in a season. His mark of .673 was not only a program record, it was the eighth-best field goal percentage in a season in Pac-12 history. He completed his standout career eighth on Stanford’s field goal percentage list, shooting .563 for his career. He was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection, after finishing the year as the conference’s field goal percentage leader and ranking in the top-10 in the league in offensive rebounds (3rd, 2.6 ORPG), blocks (7th, 1.4 BPG) and rebounds (9th, 7.1 RPG). He averaged 11.3 PPG and 8.2 RPG during Pac-12 play, posting double-doubles in five of his final seven games. He averaged 14.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG over those final seven contests. He was selected to play in the NABC College All-Star Game at the Final Four, which featured the top seniors in the nation.
da Silva was recognized for the second consecutive season. He was the lone Cardinal to start all 31 games. He averaged 9.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG. He averaged 28.3 MPG and finished second on the team in blocks with 40 on the season. He finished the season ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.3 BPG) and 13th in rebounding. He registered four 20-point games on the year, posting a career-best 23 points against both San Jose State and Oregon State. He recorded three double-doubles for the season.
Rodney Herenton was the recipient of the Peter Sauer Most Inspirational Award. Named in honor of the late Peter Sauer, who was the inspirational leader and captain of the 1998 Final Four Team, the award recognizes an individual who embodies the same qualities as Sauer did — enthusiasm, leadership and courage, which serves as an inspiration to the team. He has been a constant voice of encouragement and inspiration as a true representative of the Invested, Tough and Selfless pillars. He played in six games, highlighted by four points in four minutes of action in the win over Washington State in February. He has represented the program globally, earning a selection to the prestigious Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program. He traveled to India, where he served as a mentor and teacher for English, math and athletics to children. Commanding the utmost respect of his teammates, he has exemplified the exceptional character and charisma that helps define the Peter Sauer Most Inspirational Award.
Bryce Wills captured the Roy Young Toughness Award, recognizing the individual who was a leader in floor burns for the season. Originally created at Kansas in honor of Haase, the floor burns stat was adopted by Stanford when Haase was hired as head coach. Floor burns recognizes individuals for diving for loose balls, taking charges and making the extra effort to help their team win. He collected 48 floor burns and was recognized for giving the extra effort on both ends of the floor, highlighted by scoring performances down the stretch to win games and blocks on the defensive end to help seal victories. He became a regular starter as a freshman. He averaged 7.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.2 APG from the guard spot, scoring in double figures in seven Pac-12 games. He also recorded multiple steals in five games, including four in the win over Middle Tennessee in the Battle 4 Atlantis. He scored four of his 11 points in the final 14 seconds, including the go-ahead basket in the 79-76 come-from-behind win over USC in February.
The banquet concluded with speeches by Sharma and Cole, who both shared their gratitude to everyone involved in the team.
The Stanford Cardinal football team concluded its spring session Saturday with a spring game at Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal will not be in action until the start of training camp. The Cardinal last edged the Pittsburgh Panthers 14-13 in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve 2018.
Cardinal and White fans flocked over to Cagan Stadium to snag sweet posters of KJ Costello, Cameron Scarlett, Malik Antoine, Colby Parkinson, Jordan Fox, Casey Toohill, Paulson Adebo and Walker Little; and, of course, stuck around for the game as well as postgame autographs.
It was a beautiful day at Cagan Stadium. Cardinal head coach David Shaw and his players were all set for the game. The Cardinal turned heads when Connor Wedington flawlessly caught a pass in the early minutes of the game. Paulson Adebo then caught a perfect pass near the 10-yard line.
Meanwhile, some members of the Cardinal women’s basketball team were in attendance to watch their fellow Cardinal student-athletes battle it out on the field.
Dorian Maddox made a fast burst for a big gain, which was very fun to watch. Maddox was able to get past several defenders on the field. Also, Simi Fehoko found himself a little bit of space, just like Maddox.
The game ended in one of the greatest ways possible — a pass for a touchdown!
Stanford sophomore standout forward KZ Okpala has declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft, submitting his name to the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee.
“After several discussions with my family and my coaches, I have decided to declare for the NBA Draft,” Okpala said. “The NBA is a dream and certainly a goal of mine. I am truly blessed to continue to learn from so many people here at Stanford as I grow as a person and a player. It’s exciting to apply what I have learned so far as I begin this journey and see where it takes me.”
Okpala has submitted his name to the NBA’s Undergraduate Advisory Committee for evaluation. Under NCAA policy established within the past year, undergraduates can submit paperwork to the NBA to be evaluated, attend the NBA Draft Combine, conduct workouts with NBA teams and sign with NBPA-certified agents, while remaining NCAA eligible. He has until May 29 to decide to either remain in the NBA Draft or withdraw his name to retain his NCAA eligibility.
“KZ has certainly put himself him in position to be evaluated by the NBA,” said Jerod Haase, Stanford’s Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball. “He possesses tremendous talent and a skillset that fits the NBA. KZ is also an exceptional person and the consummate teammate. We wish him all the best and continue to support him throughout this process.”
Okpala earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors this past season, averaging a team-best 16.8 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and a steal per contest. He was also a First Team All-District selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association and a Second Team All-District pick by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Okpala finished fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring with the second-most 20-point games (15) in the conference. The sophomore also ranked 16th in the conference in rebounding and 12th in defensive rebounding (4.5 DRPG). During the Pac-12 regular season, he finished fifth in the conference in scoring (17.5 PPG). He has averaged 13.8 PPG over his first two seasons on The Farm.
Okpala scored a career-high 30 points in the win at Cal in February. He recorded four consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his career in the middle of the conference season, achieving the mark against Arizona (29), Arizona State (21), Washington (22) and Utah (22). He earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in November, after averaging 29.0 PPG in victories over Seattle and UNC Wilmington. He finished his sophomore season on The Farm with a pair of double-doubles, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds in the Pac-12 opener against UCLA and 20 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener against Seattle.
Five Stanford Cardinal football players were honored on Wednesday by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame as members of the 2019 Hampshire Honor Society. Jake Bailey, Sean Barton, Frank Buncom, Jesse Burkett and Dylan Jackson were recognized for their high achievements in the classroom and on the field.
In its 13th year, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society honors student-athletes who have:
• Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2018; or graduated players who have remaining eligibility but will not return to collegiate play
• Achieved a 3.2 cumulative GPA throughout the entire course of undergraduate study
• Met all NCAA-mandated progress toward degree requirements
• Been a starter or significant contributor throughout the 2018 season
Jake Bailey (3.22 GPA; Science, Technology and Society), a punter from Solana Beach, Calif., was a three-time All-Pac 12 honoree during his career. He was also a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention honoree and finished as Stanford’s all-time career leader in punting average (43.81). He also kicked off for the Cardinal, in addition to his punting duties, and had 173 career touchbacks.
Sean Barton (3.49 GPA; International Relations), an inside linebacker from North Salt Lake, Utah was twice named to the Pac-12 All-Academic second team during his career. He finished with 141 career tackles (76 solo) with 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. He also forced three fumbles, had three fumble recoveries and an interception in his career.
Frank Buncom (3.31 GPA; Human Biology; minor in Communication), a free safety from San Diego, Calif., was a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree during his career. He finished with 115 tackles (66 solo) in 39 career games with five interceptions and 17 passes defended. He also had one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a touchdown in his career.
Jesse Burkett (3.50 GPA; Japanese; minor in Computer Science), a center from St. Augustine, Fla., was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2017 and was CoSIDA Academic All-District three times during his career. He was also a four-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree. He played in 42 career games and made 37 starts, earning All-Pac 12 honorable mention in 2018. He was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy last season.
Dylan Jackson (3.32 GPA; Political Science; minor in History), a defensive end from Maryville, Tenn., earned first team Pac-12 All-Academic twice and earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors a total of three times. He posted 84 tackles (33 solo) with 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and two fumble recoveries in 39 career games.
Stanford hosts the Cardinal and White Spring Game on Saturday at Cagan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 pm PT and will be live on Pac-12 Networks. In addition to the Spring Game, fans can take advantage of all of Saturday’s events on campus during the Cardinalpalooza.
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