What happened to Stanford's starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson?

Gulbranson suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game against Florida State.

Who is Elijah Brown, and what is his role now?

Elijah Brown is Stanford's backup quarterback, a highly-recruited player who is now taking over the offense after Gulbranson's injury.

How does Stanford's head coach Frank Reich feel about Elijah Brown's ability to lead the team?

Coach Reich expressed confidence in Brown, saying he is a "very mature young man" who is "made for this moment" and has "a lot of football under his belt."

Home / Sports / Stanford Quarterback Sidelined with Knee Injury, Backup Steps Up

Stanford Quarterback Sidelined with Knee Injury, Backup Steps Up

19 Oct

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Summary

Stanford's starting QB Ben Gulbranson out for the rest of the game
Backup QB Elijah Brown takes over, has experience from last season
Coach Reich expresses confidence in Brown's ability to lead the team

Stanford Quarterback Sidelined with Knee Injury, Backup Steps Up

On October 19th, 2025, Stanford's football team faced off against Florida State at home. The Cardinal had a three-point lead going into the second half, but they were dealt a significant blow when starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson was ruled out for the rest of the game due to a knee injury.

Head coach Frank Reich told ESPN that Gulbranson would be "down in the second half" and they would have to assess the severity of the injury. This meant that second-year quarterback Elijah Brown, a highly-regarded recruit, would now be taking over the offense.

Reich expressed confidence in Brown's ability to step up and lead the team, saying, "Elijah is a very mature young man, he's made for this moment. He's got a lot of football under his belt. We've got a lot of confidence in him." Brown, who played high school football at Mater Dei in California, was a four-star prospect and the No. 256 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle.