[OutsiderFan]

I'm totally not getting the pubes reference but can understand the Lealao question, so here's a take on that.

First of all, this sort of begs the question why Tucker was passed on, and why Lealao is still in the running.  Are we to believe, based on Hulk's previous post, the staff didn't feel Tucker was a big enough difference maker, he really did miss the minimum standards by too much of a margin, or both?

If Tucker and Lealao are of roughly similar admission strength profiles, the fact is DL are a much tougher position to fill with good enough athletes to win conference championships.  Look no further than Lloyd switching to Safety or both 2013 starting CBs being recruited as Safeties, for proof of that.  So purely from a "choosing your battles" standpoint, Lealao would seem to be the higher priority to go the 15 rounds on.

That all said, there always has to be some concern with the whole slippery slope dynamic when it comes to dropping standards for admits.  The "forbidden fruit" pull of a winning football program can be strong.  There are several places schools can make compromises to win more, like more pay for coaches, more money for facilities, and for Stanford, an incremental erosion of admission standards. 

I've heard Lealao be interviewed, and to use David Shaw's assessment vehicle, it sure seems to me Lealao sounds like a Stanford kid and would fit right in.  I also seem to remember him starting a clothing business in addition to being a committed student and one of the top football recruits in the country.  I know I'm biased to giving kids the benefit of the doubt who have worked hard and want to do something, but I don't see why Lealao shoudn't be given the benefit of the doubt given all the factors involved.  Plus, it's not like he is thinking of going to ASU as an alternative either.  His alternative is Berkeley.  That says something about the kid too.

[OutsiderFan]

I'm totally not getting the pubes reference but can understand the Lealao question, so here's a take on that.

First of all, this sort of begs the question why Tucker was passed on, and why Lealao is still in the running.  Are we to believe, based on Hulk's previous post, the staff didn't feel Tucker was a big enough difference maker, he really did miss the minimum standards by too much of a margin, or both?

If Tucker and Lealao are of roughly similar admission strength profiles, the fact is DL are a much tougher position to fill with good enough athletes to win conference championships.  Look no further than Lloyd switching to Safety or both 2013 starting CBs being recruited as Safeties, for proof of that.  So purely from a "choosing your battles" standpoint, Lealao would seem to be the higher priority to go the 15 rounds on.

That all said, there always has to be some concern with the whole slippery slope dynamic when it comes to dropping standards for admits.  The "forbidden fruit" pull of a winning football program can be strong.  There are several places schools can make compromises to win more, like more pay for coaches, more money for facilities, and for Stanford, an incremental erosion of admission standards. 

I've heard Lealao be interviewed, and to use David Shaw's assessment vehicle, it sure seems to me Lealao sounds like a Stanford kid and would fit right in.  I also seem to remember him starting a clothing business in addition to being a committed student and one of the top football recruits in the country.  I know I'm biased to giving kids the benefit of the doubt who have worked hard and want to do something, but I don't see why Lealao shoudn't be given the benefit of the doubt given all the factors involved.  Plus, it's not like he is thinking of going to ASU as an alternative either.  His alternative is Berkeley.  That says something about the kid too.