Kevin Hogan Is the Face of Stanford Football Heading into 2013

Name an undefeated starting quarterback in college football.  Here’s one, Kevin Hogan.  After taking over near the end of the season as the starting signal-caller for the Stanford Cardinal, Hogan arguably became the most known player on the football team. 

Reeling off five consecutive wins which included defeating Oregon in his first true road start of his career and beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, Hogan has put himself among the best Pac-12 QB’s and will look to stay on top in 2013.

At 6’4, 225 pounds, Hogan has the size to be a legitimate NFL prospect.  The amazing thing, though, is that he is entering his sophomore season.  Over the first five starts of his career, Hogan is undefeated, completes over 71 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns to go along with just three picks. 

Just a year ago, questions surrounded Stanford’s quarterback position after Andrew Luck departed for the NFL.  Fast forward one year and the tables are completely turned.

Kevin Hogan isn’t just a prototypical drop-back passer, the kid has the mobility and athleticism to keep plays alive with his feet.  There's nothing more crippling to a defense when everything is covered and the QB breaks and scampers for a first down.  Though Hogan won''t blaze by people, he can move the chains when needed and is big enough to run through arm tackles.  Heck, the guy was the second leading rusher on the team last season.  

There’s no doubt that Hogan is the quarterback of the future for the Cardinal.  His best football came over the last few games of the season last year, as Hogan accounted for zero turnovers in the Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl. That could have been the difference between winning and losing those contests.  

It's not easy beating teams twice in the same season, let alone in back-to-back weeks, and Hogan did just that to UCLA.  He's a rock star that knows how to win in crunch time. 

It’ll be intriguing to see Hogan’s game rise with a full offseason; getting No. 1 reps in the spring and during fall camp can’t be overlooked. 

If Hogan performs like he did last season when he took over, we’ll start to hear the comparisons to another QB who suited up for the Cardinal not too long ago.  Maybe I’m getting too far ahead of myself, maybe not.  One thing is certain though, Kevin Hogan is the real deal and he’ll be looking to keep Stanford on top of the Pac-12 in 2013.