Troy Taylor, the head coach of Stanford, was just fired, and the Cardinals will undoubtedly lose a number of players on their roster. When ace pass rusher David Bailey logged into the Transfer Portal over the weekend, we already seen a significant one. Bailey finished his Stanford career with 111 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, and seven forced fumbles in his three seasons with the club.
Bailey has real NFL potential when looking at him only as a skill. NFL scouts from all across the league are already interested in the 6-3, 250-pound pass rusher. It should come as no surprise that Bailey immediately attracted a lot of attention once he joined the site and now has a sizable following.
On Tuesday, Bailey made the trip to visit the Texas Longhorns. Bailey is also setting up visits to both Texas Tech and UCLA. The Longhorns are especially an intriguing fit, and could potentially create an elite group if they can close on Bailey.
On paper, Texas does not have a significant need at the defensive end position. The Longhorns have all of Colin Simmons, Trey Moore, and Ethan Burke back, despite losing Barryn Sorrell to the NFL this summer. These three combined for 16.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, 110 total tackles, and 33 tackles for loss. As 2025 approaches, that trio is among the most effective in all of college football.
You just cannot deny Bailey’s skill. What’s superior than Simmons, Moore, and Burke together? Simmons, Moore, Burke, and Bailey as a group.
Another intriguing possible match for Bailey is Texas Tech. For the Red Raiders, the EDGE position is not quite as strong. Romello Height, a pass rusher for Georgia Tech, committed to them this offseason, but they still need more players and output. Bailey would supply it right away, and Texas Tech has demonstrated that they aren’t hesitant to spend money.
UCLA is another interesting potential fit for Bailey. They have developed the EDGE position at a high level the last couple of years. That includes Femi Oladejo this past year, and the Murphy twins the year before. It is going to be viewed as a bit of a wildcard, but the developmental track is pretty attractive.
