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Tanner McKee named Stanford Cardinal’s starting QB

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Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee signals at the line of scrimmage

Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee signals at the line of scrimmage during an NCAA college football game against Kansas State in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.

Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press

Tanner McKee time has officially arrived.

On Tuesday, Stanford Cardinal football coach David Shaw announced that McKee, the once highly touted high school prospect who is now a sophomore, will start at quarterback on Saturday against the USC Trojans.

The move comes after a bad 24-7 opening loss for the Cardinal against the Kansas State Wildcats in which Jack West started but struggled, going 8 of 12 for 76 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Shaw had said pregame that West and McKee would rotate during the contest, and that indeed happened throughout. McKee was better than West, as he went 15 of 18 for 118 yards with a touchdown (late in the fourth quarter) and no interceptions.

McKee was one of the best quarterback prospects in the country coming out of Centennial High School in California in 2018 before he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil from 2018-2020.