"We could throw money at this guy": Analyst highlights deep trouble for Andrew Luck's Stanford as transfer portal window hits hard

By Ben Tredinnick

Modified Apr 02, 2025 21:09 GMT

NCAA Football: Cal. Poly - SLO at Stanford - Source: Imagn

The Stanford Cardinal football program is not in a great place going into the 2025 season. In the last week, general manager (and former NFL quarterback) Andrew Luck fired coach Troy Taylor after an investigation into bullying.

Taylor's work on the field with the team was not the best, either. The Cardinal were second from last in the conference during the 2024 season, only one win ahead of the Florida State Seminoles, who had a historically bad year.

But things are going from bad to worse for the Cardinal, as key player David Bailey has entered the transfer portal.

Bailey's decision was discussed on the lastest edition of the "Cover 3 Podcast," where Tom Fornelli spoke about the possible opportunities for Bailey now that he is out of the Stanford program (Timestamp: 7:05):

"Some teams are like, 'We have an opportunity to throw money at this guy to get him to come,' and that is what happened."

David Bailey is a linebacker who is going into his senior year. He had spent three seasons with Stanford and was able to immediately make a difference for the team. He made more than 30 tackles each season, with his freshman season being his best (46 tackles). During the 2024 season, Bailey made 32 tackles with seven sacks and five forced fumbles.

Bailey was one of the strongest performers of the Stanford defense, which struggled last season. Without him (or a general improvement from the team), the defense is likely to continue struggling well into 2025.

Where is David Bailey's next location now that he has left Stanford?

David Bailey is one of the highest-ranked players who will be available to teams in the transfer portal. In order to put his name on the radar of potential teams, Bailey has been making visits this week.

On Monday, he visited Texas Tech and has reportedly scheduled a visit with the Texas Longhorns for the next few days. The next team that he plays for is going to be in a much better position than the Stanford Cardinal are in. Bailey will be able to impact these teams positively.

Joining the Longhorns, in particular, would be a massive step up for him and would make the impressive Longhorns defense (one that is already one of the best in college football) even stronger.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

Texas Longhorns Fan? Check out the latest Texas Longhorns depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein