Taking a closer look at the pass catchers who will surround whichever QB becomes the starter
In the Kevin Hogan era (November 2012-January 2016) the Cardinal have had little difficulty replacing receiving production between seasons. Despite the passing game being the less critical half of Stanford's offense, recent squads have consistently featured a clear number one target: Zach Ertz in 2012, Ty Montgomery in 2013 and 2014, and Christian McCaffrey in 2015.
"Top target" is not a common descriptor for running backs, but McCaffrey did lead the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2015. It should also be noted that, even with McCaffrey as the clear top producer, receptions were distributed much more evenly in 2015 than in previous seasons.