Stanford football training camp has come to an end and the 2010 season is set to begin. For the most part there was hardly any shocking news during this camp, which is just the way the coaching staff would prefer. The depth chart looks much like we thought it would look like at the beginning of camp.
That said there were a few minor surprises. A few names that did float up the depth chart faster than anticipated. Here are some candidates for the biggest surprises of training camp:
LEVINE TOILOLO: While everyone certainly expected the redshirt freshman to see some significant playing time this season, most fans were a little surprised when he was named the starter at tight end. With returning veterans like Coby Fleener and Konrad Reuland, the prevalent thought was Toilolo would just be in the mix. Not so fast. The 6-9 giant is the starter Saturday against Sacramento State.
BARRY BROWNING: Anytime you have a true freshman running with the first string in the last week of camp that will be a surprise. Then you add the fact that Browning was a quarterback and safety in high school and now he is playing cornerback, and that is just a shock. Neither head coach Jim Harbaugh nor defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would commit to Browning playing as a true freshman, but both certainly leaned in the direction that he will see some time this season.
DOUG BALDWIN: The forgotten man. He dropped off the depth chart last year after a couple of critical dropped passes. The preseason expectations were for second year players Jamal Patterson, Drew Terrell, and Jamari Roberts to step up into backup roles. But with Chris Owusu likely out of the first game this weekend it is Doug Baldwin who is back in the starting lineup opposite Ryan Whalen.
MATT BENTLER: Who you ask? Coach Harbaugh kept mentioning him as having a great camp. Many did not believe him until the one open practice of the spring. There was the redshirt junior playing as the starting left guard replacing Andrew Phillips while he was away on bereavement. Will he play this season? Maybe not, but he certainly made a name for himself during camp.
COREY GATEWOOD: This may be the biggest surprise of all. Not sure what it says but at the beginning of camp when players were talked about for switching sides of the ball, Gatewood was never mentioned. Yet in the final week of camp, the senior switched from cornerback to wide receiver. It will be very interesting to see what kind of playing time he can earn on the offensive side of the ball.
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