Michael Rector Suspension Opens Opportunity for Francis Owusu at Stanford

The Stanford Cardinal are looking for a bounce-back season in 2015 after falling flat a year ago. A major part of that will be improved efficiency on the offensive side of the ball, including passing the football more effectively. To get that done, the team will have to expand the role of Francis Owusu this season after announcing the indefinite suspension of redshirt junior Michael Rector.

Putting Rector on the shelf is not a decision that David Shaw likely came to lightly as the Cardinal offense is short on experienced playmakers at receiver. Last season, Rector finished No. 4 on the team in receiving with 24 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns. He was in line for a much bigger role in the offense this season as the team lost All-American Ty Montgomery and his 61 receptions for 604 yards and three touchdowns to the NFL. Rector was penciled in as a starter before his suspension alongside Devon Cajuste, the team’s leading returning receiver (34 receptions, 557 yards, six touchdowns), and tight end Austin Hooper (40 receptions, 499 yards, two touchdowns).

With Rector not available, however, his spot in the starting lineup likely falls to Owusu. The junior pass catcher is the younger brother of former Stanford standout Chris Owusu, who was an integral part of the team’s success from 2009-2011. Francis came to Palo Alto rated higher than his older brother as a prospect but has yet to really take off in the Cardinal offense. Last season, he posted just 11 receptions for 138 yards and no touchdowns. As a freshman in 2013, he recorded just two receptions for 56 yards with a touchdown.

At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Owusu is a big-bodied receiver with the speed to stretch a defense. The time is now for him to step up and deliver on his full potential, especially early on as Stanford is unsure on the status of Cajuste for the season-opener against the Northwestern Wildcats as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Owusu’s absence during a portion of spring practices isn’t doing him any favors, however. How he responds in a featured role during the remainder of fall camp will determine how much of the offense falls on his shoulders and likely how successful the Cardinal offense will be early on.

There will not be a better time than now for Francis Owusu to show what he can do for the Stanford offense. With Michael Rector suspended indefinitely and a lack of experienced options at receiver, the spotlight falls squarely on his him. Will he respond and become the featured playmaker the Cardinal were hoping he could be?

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