Tanner McKee is hoping to build on some of the flashes he had in 2021. Crissy_Froyd talked with McKee about the season that was, his goals for the future, and much more. FrontOffice33 | GoStanford
The Stanford Cardinal made a statement back in October when they defeated the No. 3-ranked Oregon Ducks 31-24 in overtime. It was also around that stretch of time that quarterback Tanner McKee got on the radar for potential 2022 NFL Draft prospects to watch.
“Oregon was ranked No. 3 at the time and we were unranked and showed we were a lot better than what that reflected,” McKee said. “We came out and played well, battled a few injuries that game, one of our best receivers went down that game and broke his leg. “We’re bringing in some new concepts and we have a lot of guys who have been hurt that I feel like I have good timing with who are coming back—a lot very talented wide receivers, running backs, O-linemen, we didn’t really lose anybody on the offensive side of the ball,” McKee said. “Our expectation is to put up 40-50 points per game. We’re not going to settle for anything less. We feel like we have that capability and we should be able to do that.
“I think first off for me is that I’m a leader. Somebody who will rally the troops,” McKee said. “I feel like that’s one of the most important jobs. Being a quarterback, being a facilitator, having guys trust you. Having a guy back there that people will follow. I think that’s one thing I really take to heart and I think that’s one of the most important things at the quarterback position.”
Some quarterbacks who have played in the West Coast system have called it an offense that one never fully masters and the quarterback has a lot on his plate in terms of pre-snap responsibilities. McKee says that with time and repetition, though, things become more second-nature and the quarterback doesn’t find himself thinking as much about the intricacies of the play itself, allowing his mind to focus on other things like how a defense may be disguising.