Stanford’s offseason has brought about a nearly-wholesale change on the offensive side of the football.

The Cardinal’s entire offensive line either entered the transfer portal or left for the NFL Draft. Quarterback Tanner McKee declared for the draft in early December. Elijah Higgins, Brycen Tremayne, and Michael Wilson are all off to the NFL as well. When it comes to cupboards, first-year Stanford coach Troy Taylor is looking at a pretty empty shelf trying to hang on to at least one ‘ole reliable.’

Benjamin Yurosek gave him exactly that on Monday.

The standout tight end announced his return for the 2023 season, giving the Cardinal a pass-catcher with more than 1,000 combined yards and 92 receptions over the last two seasons.

“In the past month, I’ve had the chance to speak with Coach Taylor and hear about his vision for our program, and I could not be more excited about where we are headed,” Yurosek said in a statement shared on social media. “It’s something I want to be a part of, and I am proud to announce I’ll be back on the Farm in 2023!”

The Bakersfield native will be a true senior next season. He played in all six games as a freshman in 2020, then stepped into the full-time starter role he has held the last two seasons. Yurosek was an honorable mention on the official All-Pac-12 team in 2021, and he earned a first-team nod from Pro Football Focus thanks to a 79.9 receiving grade that was the third-best among league tight ends.

Taylor is coming off three consecutive FCS Playoff appearances with Sacramento State. No doubt his track record with the tight end position helped give Yurosek some comfort he could raise his draft stock with a year in Taylor’s offense.

Marshel Martin, a 6-foot-2 tight end, led the Hornets in receptions (65), yards (859), and touchdowns (12) last season. The year prior, Martin had a team-leading 53 receptions for 649 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns. As a freshman in 2019, Marshel had 39 catches for 550 yards and seven scores.

With a talented tight end, Taylor has proven more than willing to feed him the football. And Yurosek is certainly a talented tight end.