When you talking about the Stanford offense heading into 2014, chances are you'd be naming a few players before reaching wide receiver Devon Cajuste.
You've got quarterback Kevin Hogan, star wideout Ty Montgomery and standout offensive tackle Andrus Peat, just to name a few.
But overlooking Cajuste would be a mistake, according to head coach David Shaw, and he's making that clear to both opposing defenses and the media.
"He's worked extremely hard this year. He's 224 and runs in the low 4.4s," Shaw told reporters last week. "Numbers like that don't make sense."
If you're looking for a comparison for Cajuste, numbers like those would make him an inch taller and a tad heavier than Atlanta's Julio Jones, with a similar 40-yard dash time.
In other words, not bad.
Cajuste gives the Cardinal offense a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses with his tight end size with receiver speed. He caught just 28 passes last season, but they went for 642 yards and five touchdowns -- good enough for 22.9 yards per catch.
"He broke our yards-per-catch record, which hasn't been talked about much," Shaw added. "I'm excited we're taking the next step to give guys (like Cajuste) the chance to influence football games."
Cajuste figures to have a major role in the passing game in the opener with Ty Montgomery possibly sidelined until Week 2 or later. He'll slot in as the No. 2 receiver when Montgomery returns and should see his targets increase significantly despite a quality group at the position with Michael Rector and Francis Owusu also contributing.
The Cardinal are ranked No. 12 in the country heading into the season in College Football 24/7's team rankings. They open against UC-Davis before taking on fellow top 15 team USC after that.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
