FB Onovughe from Spring Ball used 4-21-25FB Onovughe from Spring Ball used 4-21-25
Lily Friebel
Football

Spring Ball 2025 – Week 3

Highlighting some new transfers on the team

STANFORD, Calif. — The penultimate week of spring ball wrapped up just prior to the Easter holiday for the Stanford Cardinal. Three weeks into the Frank Reich era, it is clear to see that this team has improved from where it was during the first practice to where it is after 11 practices.

A notable occurrence this week was the first practice with full pads, which only cranked up the intensity a few more notches. Several times over the course of the week, Coach Reich complimented his players on the physicality of practice, noting how the energy levels mirrored that of a professional practice.

Someone who might know a thing or two about professional practices is former Cardinal great Zach Ertz, who made his way to The Farm to catch up with his former offensive coordinator (Coach Reich) from their time in Philadelphia together. The two won Super Bowl LII together, with Ertz catching the winning touchdown from Nick Foles, helping Philadelphia win the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

As is the case with so many former Stanford Cardinal who have gone onto the NFL, they speak highly of their alma mater. Ertz understands that Stanford is different than other universities, but that’s what makes the guys in the locker room special.

“What makes Stanford special is you can’t just be good at football to get here. You guys have competed from the moment you were born. Your parents have instilled in you a desire to compete in athletics, to compete in football, and to compete in other sports as well if you played another sport. You can’t just be good at one thing. You have to be elite at everything you do.”

He spoke to the team about his mentality in spring ball, something that tied in well with his time being coached by Reich in Philadelphia. “I wanted to do everything I could to be at my best. Every time I step on that field, I’m auditioning for a role, a play, or a situation. I want there to be no doubt in the coaches’ minds about who they are going to in those spots because of the reps that I did.”

That mindset seems to have already been instilled in several of the Cardinal, echoing the statements made from Coach Reich since day one: get 1% better every day. Transfer wide receiver Caden High, arriving from South Carolina State, mentioned exactly that when he chronicled how his spring has gone.

“I feel like every practice, I’m getting more detailed in the way I’m doing things and understanding the overall concept of the offense. If I keep getting 1% better every practice, then nobody will be able to stop me when game time comes.”

There are a bevy of fresh faces on The Farm this spring, with the Cardinal hitting the transfer portal to bring in 11 newcomers. Eight of those are already here with the team: six of them arrived in the winter, while two more came this spring.

The wide receiver room in particular saw a large increase in newcomers, with three transfer wide receivers joining the program already for 2025, and one more on the way. CJ Williams is a Mater Dei High School product, joining others from his former high school such as Elijah Brown, Marcus Brown, and fellow transfer wideout Jordan Onovughe. 

Williams knew he wanted to be at Stanford all along, despite starting out at USC and then transferring to Wisconsin for two years. Now that he’s here, he sees the positive direction this place is going.

“I think the program is going in a really good direction,” he explained. “I’m very happy with the teammates around, they are all really genuine guys. There’s great academics here, obviously, that’s what Stanford is. But football-wise, I couldn’t be happier. This is my dream school and I’m happy to be here.”

There was also something to be said for having Andrew Luck as the program’s general manager, and Williams said that played a big role in getting him to Stanford. His connection to the players goes beyond the football field, and that was important to Williams.

“He cares about you as a person. He wants you to be the best person you can be, both in the program and at Stanford,” Williams said. “He knows the culture he’s set and is making sure guys are aligning with that. It’s great having an NFL guy around when that’s your aspiration.”

Onovughe was also asked about playing with some of his former teammates from high school and he smiled when that was brought up. It was almost like this was meant to be, as he was interested in coming to Stanford straight out of Mater Dei. 

“When Stanford reached out, I just had to go here,” said Onovughe. “It’s perfect for me. It’s come full circle after having played with so many other Mater Dei guys in high school, so when the opportunity came up, I had to come back to my guys.”

No stranger to the spotlight, Onovughe played at Colorado the last two seasons, getting to see all of the media attention that the Buffaloes saw as a result of Shadeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. He only managed one reception during his time in Boulder, but he knows what he has in his arsenal and is excited to bring that to The Farm.

 “I’m extremely physical, extremely selfless, and know that sometimes I have to lay out for my guys and make sure to block. Then when I get the ball in my hands, I know I can do my thing and make plays.”

Going back to High, he might be one of the most explosive newcomers the Cardinal has on its roster this season. A twitchy wide receiver who has a knack for getting open, High has overcome a lot of adversity throughout his career, including injuries, but when he’s healthy, he knows he is one of the most dangerous weapons on the field.

“I’m a playmaker with or without the ball in my hands. I’m here to make plays and help the team win,” High stated. “My strengths are route running and getting open, in both man and zone coverage. I feel like there’s nobody out there that can guard me. And I think I’ve gotten better at blocking, which I know is equally important. I’m also trying to work on reading coverages and understand what the quarterback is thinking as the play is happening.”

Rounding out some of the new skill position players on offense is Eastern Washington transfer running back Tuna Altahir. A back with a knack for the end zone, Altahir scored 18 touchdowns with Eastern Washington, with 13 of them coming in his final two seasons.

When he entered the portal, Altahir knew exactly where he wanted to go. He had a deep connection with Stanford running backs coach Malcolm Agnew, and the chance to play with him was too great to pass up.

“He had been recruiting me [to Sacramento State] since high school, about 2020, and we’ve had a tight relationship since,” Altahir explained. “He cares truly about the player and the person. That was a big thing for me. I already had a relationship with him and I knew this would be a good fit with him." 

There’s a special aura about Stanford that is clear when you arrive in the Bay Area. It spreads. It sticks with you. And it stays with you for a lifetime. Altahir mentioned it simply when he closed out his interview.

“Once you get onto campus, it’s hard to turn this place down.”