Sports

Stanford GM Andrew Luck Takes Practice Reps To Help Sad QB Room Amid Mass Transfer Portal Exodus

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by Last Updated
Andrew Luck at a Stanford football game.

© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images


The Stanford Cardinal had a surprise guest under center at a recent practice session. Former NFL QB Andrew Luck took a few reps while working with the offense this week.

The appearance comes amid a mass exodus in the Cardinal QB room. The program now has a third signal caller expected to hit the portal.

Luck spent three seasons at Stanford before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The three-year starter threw for nearly 9,500 yards and twice finished a Heisman trophy runner-up.

Injuries largely derailed his professional career, though he did lead the league in passing touchdowns in 2014 and won Comeback Player of the Year in 2018. He retired after six seasons and has since landed back at his alma mater.

Andrew Luck was hired as the program’s first-ever general manager last December. He now provides guidance to the team he once led.

That’s included a coaching change as he fired Troy Taylor amid controversy in March. He then made an eyebrow-raising decision to bring in Taylor’s replacement, Frank Reich, for just one season.

This week, Luck took a break from his general manager role to fill in under center. He got hands-on with the offense as a member of what’s becoming a very small Stanford QB room.

Andrew Luck went viral at Stanford Cardinal practice.

The former Cardinal passer was seen handing the ball off to Stanford running backs during some team drills. His presence might’ve been a necessity given recent transfer portal attrition.

The program had already lost two signal callers from the roster in December. Former starter Justin Lamson and last year’s QB1 Ashton Daniels stepped away at season’s end. They’ve since landed at Montana State and Auburn, respectively.

Freshman Bear Bachmeier waited until the spring to make his decision. Rumors of his expected transfer portal entry surfaced earlier this week.

The California native, who boasted offers from the likes of Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oregon, initially signed with Stanford in the early December period. Four months later, he’s had a change of heart.

Since he’s yet to pick a school, Bachmeier is still listed as one of four QBs on the 2025 roster. There’s still a chance he could opt out of his transfer decision and return to campus. He showed up for practice Monday despite the transfer reports.

Bachmeier has been splitting first-team reps with sophomore Elijah Brown, the only quarterback with actual game experience (three appearances). Should Bachmeier ultimately leave, he would hand the keys of the offense over to Brown while decreasing the QB room to just three passers.

If that happens, we might see a bit more of Andrew Luck on the football field ahead of the 2025 season.