Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports
As the Stanford Cardinal prepare for a summer of workouts before defending their Pac 12 Championship next fall, David Shaw is looking to figure out the depth of his quarterback position. While the upheaval under center in 2012 ultimately turned out well, including the emergence of Kevin Hogan as Stanford’s quarterback of the future, the team would like a bit more stability at the position. As spring practice wraps up, is Evan Crower the new backup quarterback for next season?
Crower hasn’t taken a snap in a game during his two years at Stanford, but has found his competitive edge this spring as he has gotten significant snaps under center. He got a lot of opportunities to show what he could do in the spring game as Shaw wanted to see how the team’s vertical passing game had developed during the spring. Crower completed 26-of-35 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
He has taken full advantage of the opportunity afforded him this spring by the injury to Josh Nunes. The former starter saw his job slip away to Hogan over the final five games of the season, but seemed content to slide into the backup role for 2013. However, an injury to his biceps while lifting weights forced Nunes out of spring practice.
There is still no timetable for Nunes’ return, so there is question about whether or not he will physically be capable of holding down the No. 2 quarterback job next season. That’s led the Stanford coaching staff to take a long hard look at Crower for their backup quarterback and Crower has delivered.
Shaw needs to have a quarterback ready to go in the event that Hogan suffers an injury and can’t go in 2013. With Nunes unable to answer the call this spring, is Crower the answer next fall?
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