Roughly half of Pac-12 teams must replace their starting quarterback in 2016. We’re checking on the status of each open competition. Here’s the situation at Stanford, where four-year starter Kevin Hogan has exhausted his eligibility.

Who’s in the race? Ryan Burns, redshirt junior, 6-foot-5, 233 pounds; Keller Chryst, redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-5, 237 pounds

What does Burns bring to the table? Prototypical size, for one. If a coach were to build a quarterback in a laboratory, he'd make him 6-foot-5 and would pack about 230 pounds of muscle on him. That accurately describes Burns' physical presence, which includes a strong throwing arm.

Burns ran a triple-option offense back in high school, so Stanford has long known that he can change a game with his legs. They've spent the past couple of years developing his polish under center, as Burns had lined up exclusively in the shotgun prior to college. During the recent spring game, Burns showed that his command of the offense and passing touch have improved significantly.

What does Chryst bring to the table? A similar body type to Burns. Chryst is also 6-5 and weighs 237 pounds. For comparison's sake, Andrew Luck was listed at 6-4 and 235 during this final year at Stanford. So David Shaw has a pair of tall quarterbacks to choose from, both with cannons as their right arms.

Chryst ran a pro-style offense in high school, making him the more polished prospect of the two upon arrival in college. He also can run -- both quarterbacks' speed is virtually identical -- and he's enjoyed some quality coaching growing up: Former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst is Keller's father, and Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst is his uncle.

Is either QB in the lead? Although Shaw would not comment on this publicly, it was widely assumed that Chryst was in the lead last season because he saw the initial backup reps behind Hogan. However, it seems that Burns has made strides and grown more comfortable within the offense, and -- to the naked eye -- both looked to be on relatively even ground during the spring game.

What are coaches saying? Cardinal coaches don't divulge much about position battles until they're ready to make an announcement, and the staff is indicating that this is a relative tie that won't be broken until August camp.

Here was Shaw's evaluation of Burns and Chryst after the spring game: "It's hard to say who had the upper hand because we have to see what the decision-making looked like, but I was excited to see both guys come back and make some big-time throws. You have two big quarterbacks with strong arms that are athletic and they made some big plays down the field. ... So there were a lot of positives for both guys."

What can we expect moving forward? We can expect Shaw to name a starter about 10 days before the Sept. 2 opener against Kansas State. The quarterback who shows a more complete mastery of Stanford's large playbook and orchestrates better pre-snap adjustments will get the nod, because the physical attributes and capabilities are essentially even.

Keep in mind that Chryst has three potential years of eligibility remaining, while Burns has two. Regardless of the winner, Stanford can expect a prototypically built, strong-armed quarterback to replace Hogan and complement Christian McCaffrey on the offensive side. Don't forget that the Cardinal are also waiting for touted prospect K.J. Costello, cut from a similar cloth as Burns and Chryst, to arrive on campus this summer.