Stanford football is rebuilding its offense with a former Michigan quarterback now at the helm. Davis Warren will soon get a star from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) realm to throw to. Yale standout Nico Brown is making the jump to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports confirmed the move Wednesday. Brown hands Warren and new Cardinal head coach Tavita Pritchard an FCS statistical leader to build with — as he averaged a nation's best 108.5 yards a game.
But Brown isn't just crossing over to the west coast to play in this revamped Cardinal offense, as Zenitz notes.
“Brown, who has two years of eligibility left, will now get a chance to team up with his brother Marcus, who’s a redshirt freshman receiver at Stanford,” Zenitz posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Brown becomes one of the more prized College Football Transfer Portal finds for the incoming coaching staff.
Stanford recreating NFL atmosphere under new regime?
Pritchard emerged as the new Cardinal head coach on Nov. 28. His hire reteamed him with former CFB teammate Andrew Luck, as the general manager helped orchestrate the move.
The former Washington Commanders QB coach Pritchard returns home following his 13-season run with the Cardinal. He played then coached for Jim Harbaugh before transitioning to David Shaw. The former quarterback never got retained by Troy Taylor after his Dec. 2022 hire as head coach.
Pritchard technically replaces Taylor, though. While Frank Reich vacates the head coaching spot, Reich took over following Luck firing Taylor amid bullying accusations on a female staffer before 2025 spring practices.
The 38-year-old head coach appears to be rebuilding an NFL atmosphere in Palo Alto — something last seen in the Harbaugh/Shaw era.
Pritchard lured in former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line coach Keli'i Kekuewa on Jan. 17. He'll hold the same position at The Farm. Incoming offensive coordinator Terry Heffernan is another with past NFL ties too joining Pritchard.
