[SamuelMcF]

I've been wondering about the player ratings for this class. It seems like the California players are undervalued, maybe because of the extreme disruptions from last season/junior years? Zach Rowell is a great example. He's rated as the 95th-best DL in the nation by 247sports (not rated in the top 50 strongside DEs by Rivals), but, as SamuelMcF shared, has offers from Stanford, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Miami and Michigan, among others. Are there 94 DLs with a better offer sheet? I seriously doubt it.

In any case, here's hoping for the 40-year decision from Zach.

Book him.

Re ratings: this was the case for 2021 too, as many couldn't participate in 7-on-7 tournaments, junior summer camps, or even their senior seasons. Whereas guys like Austin Uke - formerly committed to Holy Cross without a single P5 offer - totally blew up based on senior film in states that went ahead with their seasons (he's from Texas). I hypothesize we'll see more "underrated" guys doing well from the 2 Covid-affected recruiting classes than from the average recruiting cycle.

[SamuelMcF]

I've been wondering about the player ratings for this class. It seems like the California players are undervalued, maybe because of the extreme disruptions from last season/junior years? Zach Rowell is a great example. He's rated as the 95th-best DL in the nation by 247sports (not rated in the top 50 strongside DEs by Rivals), but, as SamuelMcF shared, has offers from Stanford, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Miami and Michigan, among others. Are there 94 DLs with a better offer sheet? I seriously doubt it.

In any case, here's hoping for the 40-year decision from Zach.

Book him.

Re ratings: this was the case for 2021 too, as many couldn't participate in 7-on-7 tournaments, junior summer camps, or even their senior seasons. Whereas guys like Austin Uke - formerly committed to Holy Cross without a single P5 offer - totally blew up based on senior film in states that went ahead with their seasons (he's from Texas). I hypothesize we'll see more "underrated" guys doing well from the 2 Covid-affected recruiting classes than from the average recruiting cycle.

[BobK]

Echoing Samuel it's the same with WBB rankings. Those in the West dropped when they couldn't play too much travel ball.

[BobK]

Echoing Samuel it's the same with WBB rankings. Those in the West dropped when they couldn't play too much travel ball.

[BostonCard]

247 says Rowell to Oregon.

I don't see that.

https://247sports.com/player/zach-rowell-46113145/

As of yesterday, there had been one crystal ball prediction to Oregon, but it was back in February from the Oregon beat writer (84% accuracy), before Stanford offered or there were any visits.  This morning Greg Biggins (94.5% accuracy) predicted Rowell to Stanford.  And if Sam is saying "book him", then I think things are looking quite good.

BC

[BostonCard]

247 says Rowell to Oregon.

I don't see that.

https://247sports.com/player/zach-rowell-46113145/

As of yesterday, there had been one crystal ball prediction to Oregon, but it was back in February from the Oregon beat writer (84% accuracy), before Stanford offered or there were any visits.  This morning Greg Biggins (94.5% accuracy) predicted Rowell to Stanford.  And if Sam is saying "book him", then I think things are looking quite good.

BC

[BobK]

Looks very good for Stanford and has for awhile

[BobK]

Looks very good for Stanford and has for awhile

[TrumpCard]

Cool!  Stanford desperately needs solid DL recruits. Rowell always seemed interested in Stanford, but seeing the reported 3.4 GPA from last summer threw me off a bit. I guess he cleaned up the transcript. Good news for him and Stanford. I’m also paying attention to whether maybe this signals a more accommodating admissions office.

[TrumpCard]

Cool!  Stanford desperately needs solid DL recruits. Rowell always seemed interested in Stanford, but seeing the reported 3.4 GPA from last summer threw me off a bit. I guess he cleaned up the transcript. Good news for him and Stanford. I’m also paying attention to whether maybe this signals a more accommodating admissions office.

[TrumpCard]

And he committed. Good sleuthing Samuel and Bob.

[TrumpCard]

And he committed. Good sleuthing Samuel and Bob.

[BobK]

We both read Rivals. :)

[BobK]

We both read Rivals. :)

[BostonCard]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GregBiggins/status/1427810449567850500?s=20[/tweet]

BC

---

Nicely balanced class so far.  We have 15 commits, 8 on offense, 7 on defense.
On O:
1 QB
1 RB
2 TE
4 OL

We need wide receivers after only signing one last year (c'mone, Bobby Kennedy), but otherwise we are looking pretty good.
On D
1 DL
3 LB
3 DB

As always, more defensive linemen would be welcome, as would more linebackers considering we signed one last year.  But again, there are no big holes in the class.

BC

[BostonCard]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GregBiggins/status/1427810449567850500?s=20[/tweet]

BC

---

Nicely balanced class so far.  We have 15 commits, 8 on offense, 7 on defense.
On O:
1 QB
1 RB
2 TE
4 OL

We need wide receivers after only signing one last year (c'mone, Bobby Kennedy), but otherwise we are looking pretty good.
On D
1 DL
3 LB
3 DB

As always, more defensive linemen would be welcome, as would more linebackers considering we signed one last year.  But again, there are no big holes in the class.

BC

[SamuelMcF]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GregBiggins/status/1427810449567850500?s=20[/tweet]

BC

---

Nicely balanced class so far.  We have 15 commits, 8 on offense, 7 on defense.
On O:
1 QB
1 RB
2 TE
4 OL

We need wide receivers after only signing one last year (c'mone, Bobby Kennedy), but otherwise we are looking pretty good.
On D
1 DL
3 LB
3 DB

As always, more defensive linemen would be welcome, as would more linebackers considering we signed one last year.  But again, there are no big holes in the class.

BC

Pat Caughey will be a DE and you're missing returning LDS DB Scotty Edwards from 2020.

[SamuelMcF]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GregBiggins/status/1427810449567850500?s=20[/tweet]

BC

---

Nicely balanced class so far.  We have 15 commits, 8 on offense, 7 on defense.
On O:
1 QB
1 RB
2 TE
4 OL

We need wide receivers after only signing one last year (c'mone, Bobby Kennedy), but otherwise we are looking pretty good.
On D
1 DL
3 LB
3 DB

As always, more defensive linemen would be welcome, as would more linebackers considering we signed one last year.  But again, there are no big holes in the class.

BC

Pat Caughey will be a DE and you're missing returning LDS DB Scotty Edwards from 2020.

[BostonCard]

Pat Caughey will be a DE and you're missing returning LDS DB Scotty Edwards from 2020.

Thanks... I was counting him as TE.  That does take some pressure off DL recruiting, but you can never have too many.

What do you think the remaining priorities are in this class after receivers and LB?  Best player available?

BC

[BostonCard]

Pat Caughey will be a DE and you're missing returning LDS DB Scotty Edwards from 2020.

Thanks... I was counting him as TE.  That does take some pressure off DL recruiting, but you can never have too many.

What do you think the remaining priorities are in this class after receivers and LB?  Best player available?

BC

[TrumpCard]

Let’s not go wild here. Daniels, Rose, and Edwards have 1 other P5 offer between the three of them. Not to pick on them. There are other commits from the last two classes with pretty moderate profiles too. Any of those guys could end up being a star, and I’m rooting for them, but objectively there are weaknesses in this class. Nevertheless, things are looking up compared to last year, and overall, I’m pleased with the current status of the 2022 class.  Even more so if Patu turns out to be good. I’m worried about having a QB pipeline that goes West, Skip, McKee, Patu, Daniels. Only 1 4/5-star QB in a 5-year period is very un-Stanford-like, but like I said, if Patu turns out well, all will be forgiven.

[TrumpCard]

Let’s not go wild here. Daniels, Rose, and Edwards have 1 other P5 offer between the three of them. Not to pick on them. There are other commits from the last two classes with pretty moderate profiles too. Any of those guys could end up being a star, and I’m rooting for them, but objectively there are weaknesses in this class. Nevertheless, things are looking up compared to last year, and overall, I’m pleased with the current status of the 2022 class.  Even more so if Patu turns out to be good. I’m worried about having a QB pipeline that goes West, Skip, McKee, Patu, Daniels. Only 1 4/5-star QB in a 5-year period is very un-Stanford-like, but like I said, if Patu turns out well, all will be forgiven.

[LDN/SG Card]

RE WR - seems like according to 247 we have a decent shot at:

Hagan
Reuban 
Ayomanor

[LDN/SG Card]

RE WR - seems like according to 247 we have a decent shot at:

Hagan
Reuban 
Ayomanor

[TrumpCard]

Re: position breakdown, Stanford always has room for elite players, like say, David Bailey. As far as needs, those 3 WRs mentioned above would be welcome, and DLs are always needed. Ernest Cooper, Selah Brown, and Dallas Vakalahi seem like possibilities.  247 says that Terian Williams is a good bet too. Not sure whether he plays WR or whether he’d be the 5th DB in the class. Among guys whom 247 lists as “cool” on Stanford, note that Akim Sledge has Stanford in his final 5 schools and there is some talk that Carson Tabaracci (LB with recent offer from tOSU) is interested. I also don’t know whether Stanford has a need to use a scholarship for a specialist this year.

[TrumpCard]

Re: position breakdown, Stanford always has room for elite players, like say, David Bailey. As far as needs, those 3 WRs mentioned above would be welcome, and DLs are always needed. Ernest Cooper, Selah Brown, and Dallas Vakalahi seem like possibilities.  247 says that Terian Williams is a good bet too. Not sure whether he plays WR or whether he’d be the 5th DB in the class. Among guys whom 247 lists as “cool” on Stanford, note that Akim Sledge has Stanford in his final 5 schools and there is some talk that Carson Tabaracci (LB with recent offer from tOSU) is interested. I also don’t know whether Stanford has a need to use a scholarship for a specialist this year.

[LDN/SG Card]

Read somewhere Terian will be a DB but not sure where... am hoping once he gets accepted he will commit as his list of priorities defo sounds like Stanford...

Am really hoping David Bailey and Ernest Cooper IV come as they would seem to add real quality to defensive recruitment - it seems positive on both altho I see Texas A&M are also thought to be close for EC IV. 

Things are defo moving in the right direction but need to finish strong in terms of WR and Defence... especially DL and LBs.

[LDN/SG Card]

Read somewhere Terian will be a DB but not sure where... am hoping once he gets accepted he will commit as his list of priorities defo sounds like Stanford...

Am really hoping David Bailey and Ernest Cooper IV come as they would seem to add real quality to defensive recruitment - it seems positive on both altho I see Texas A&M are also thought to be close for EC IV. 

Things are defo moving in the right direction but need to finish strong in terms of WR and Defence... especially DL and LBs.

[BostonCard]

Fair point, but the back end of the class will always be more lightly recruited, and I could easily point out that Rowell was being recruited by Oregon, SC, and others.

The class is looking better, but does lack the sort of headliners that we’ve seen in years gone by (I am thinking of guys like Mills, Párkinson, Little, and Sarrell, who were all at or near the top of their position in 2017), but it also looks like it’s not going to have any big holes either, which has been a problem in the past (that 2017 class was ranked 14th in the country but had 5 defensive players, and was the beginning of a multi-year trend when we didn’t fill all our scholarships).

We will see where the class ends up, and after a weak 2021 class we really need a strong class next year.  I’m under no illusion that the class will be transformative unless a few of the less highly regarded recruits surprise to the upside.  But I do think the class will form a strong foundation going forward and can set us up for the future, especially if we can attract some top end talent next year (QB in particular, as you point out).

BC

---

I haven’t done the math, but how many scholarships are we looking at?  I think we are at 83 right now, and there are ten or so fifth or sixth year seniors.  Seems reasonable to expect eight players with eligibility remaining to transfer, graduate/retire from football, or go pro (not sure how many prospects we have other than Booker, and maybe an offensive lineman or two).  But does anyone know what size class we are targeting?

BC

[BostonCard]

Fair point, but the back end of the class will always be more lightly recruited, and I could easily point out that Rowell was being recruited by Oregon, SC, and others.

The class is looking better, but does lack the sort of headliners that we’ve seen in years gone by (I am thinking of guys like Mills, Párkinson, Little, and Sarrell, who were all at or near the top of their position in 2017), but it also looks like it’s not going to have any big holes either, which has been a problem in the past (that 2017 class was ranked 14th in the country but had 5 defensive players, and was the beginning of a multi-year trend when we didn’t fill all our scholarships).

We will see where the class ends up, and after a weak 2021 class we really need a strong class next year.  I’m under no illusion that the class will be transformative unless a few of the less highly regarded recruits surprise to the upside.  But I do think the class will form a strong foundation going forward and can set us up for the future, especially if we can attract some top end talent next year (QB in particular, as you point out).

BC

---

I haven’t done the math, but how many scholarships are we looking at?  I think we are at 83 right now, and there are ten or so fifth or sixth year seniors.  Seems reasonable to expect eight players with eligibility remaining to transfer, graduate/retire from football, or go pro (not sure how many prospects we have other than Booker, and maybe an offensive lineman or two).  But does anyone know what size class we are targeting?

BC

[TrumpCard]

From 2010-2019, Stanford averaged about 2 scholarship recruits (not including specialists) per class who were outside the top 1000 recruits in the 247composite.  There were never more than 3 in a class. I’m no longer sure who was a scholarship recruit in 2020 or 2021 because 247sports has taken to adding walk-on recruits to the team lists, but suffice to say that the bottom in recent years has been larger than it was last decade.

I also agree that the very top is smaller. 

Take a smaller top group and a bigger bottom group, and suddenly the talent pool looks less elite. That is not to say Stanford can’t win games. There is plenty of talent to win some games and get to a decent bowl. I just don’t think the current roster feels like the 2015 roster, for example. It’ll take a bit of a turnaround to get back to that level. And note that, even on that very-talented team, a number of quality starters had been sub-1000 recruits on 247sports. That includes Caspers, Rector, and Marx. So hopefully some of the guys who are similarly rated in the recent classes will turn out just as well.

[TrumpCard]

From 2010-2019, Stanford averaged about 2 scholarship recruits (not including specialists) per class who were outside the top 1000 recruits in the 247composite.  There were never more than 3 in a class. I’m no longer sure who was a scholarship recruit in 2020 or 2021 because 247sports has taken to adding walk-on recruits to the team lists, but suffice to say that the bottom in recent years has been larger than it was last decade.

I also agree that the very top is smaller. 

Take a smaller top group and a bigger bottom group, and suddenly the talent pool looks less elite. That is not to say Stanford can’t win games. There is plenty of talent to win some games and get to a decent bowl. I just don’t think the current roster feels like the 2015 roster, for example. It’ll take a bit of a turnaround to get back to that level. And note that, even on that very-talented team, a number of quality starters had been sub-1000 recruits on 247sports. That includes Caspers, Rector, and Marx. So hopefully some of the guys who are similarly rated in the recent classes will turn out just as well.

[Papa John]

Sorry to change the subject, but doesn't Zach Rowell look a bit like Toby Gerhart?

[Papa John]

Sorry to change the subject, but doesn't Zach Rowell look a bit like Toby Gerhart?

[TrumpCard]

Those hoping for a WR in the class may soon get their wish. Wiltfong and two other analysts entered a CBall for Elic Ayomenar to Stanford last night. That would not be a surprise as Stanford has a terrific record of converting summer offers into commitments.

An uneducated response to the question above regarding the size of this class. I haven’t counted the scholarships and don’t have access to the info about who is likely to stay for a 5th year, but I can count seemingly viable offers. There are 14 current commits and, by my count, roughly 10 viable offers out there. In past years, that might have indicated that Shaw was willing to take up to 24. Im guessing he’s a *little* more liberal with the offers now, both because he’s been burned by making too few and because the covert rate has been much worse during the last few classes than it was for the first bunch when Stanford was going to New Year’s Day bowls routinely. So maybe 21?

[TrumpCard]

Those hoping for a WR in the class may soon get their wish. Wiltfong and two other analysts entered a CBall for Elic Ayomenar to Stanford last night. That would not be a surprise as Stanford has a terrific record of converting summer offers into commitments.

An uneducated response to the question above regarding the size of this class. I haven’t counted the scholarships and don’t have access to the info about who is likely to stay for a 5th year, but I can count seemingly viable offers. There are 14 current commits and, by my count, roughly 10 viable offers out there. In past years, that might have indicated that Shaw was willing to take up to 24. Im guessing he’s a *little* more liberal with the offers now, both because he’s been burned by making too few and because the covert rate has been much worse during the last few classes than it was for the first bunch when Stanford was going to New Year’s Day bowls routinely. So maybe 21?

[Papa John]

Those hoping for a WR in the class may soon get their wish. Wiltfong and two other analysts entered a CBall for Elic Ayomenar to Stanford last night. That would not be a surprise as Stanford has a terrific record of converting summer offers into commitments.

An uneducated response to the question above regarding the size of this class. I haven’t counted the scholarships and don’t have access to the info about who is likely to stay for a 5th year, but I can count seemingly viable offers. There are 14 current commits and, by my count, roughly 10 viable offers out there. In past years, that might have indicated that Shaw was willing to take up to 24. Im guessing he’s a *little* more liberal with the offers now, both because he’s been burned by making too few and because the covert rate has been much worse during the last few classes than it was for the first bunch when Stanford was going to New Year’s Day bowls routinely. So maybe 21?

Another great example of more-unreliable-than-usual player ratings this year due to lack of exposure for many recruits. Elic Ayomenar attends Deerfield Academy in MA, which canceled its 2020 season. According to 247sports, EA is the 138th ranked WR and 996th overall player in the 2021 recruiting class. Rivals doesn't rank him at all as a WR or overall player. However, he has offers from Stanford, Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia, West Virginia, Cal, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Arizona, Iowa, Boston College, Kentucky, some Ivies and others. There's no way that there are 137 WRs and 995 players with a better offer sheet.

[Papa John]

Those hoping for a WR in the class may soon get their wish. Wiltfong and two other analysts entered a CBall for Elic Ayomenar to Stanford last night. That would not be a surprise as Stanford has a terrific record of converting summer offers into commitments.

An uneducated response to the question above regarding the size of this class. I haven’t counted the scholarships and don’t have access to the info about who is likely to stay for a 5th year, but I can count seemingly viable offers. There are 14 current commits and, by my count, roughly 10 viable offers out there. In past years, that might have indicated that Shaw was willing to take up to 24. Im guessing he’s a *little* more liberal with the offers now, both because he’s been burned by making too few and because the covert rate has been much worse during the last few classes than it was for the first bunch when Stanford was going to New Year’s Day bowls routinely. So maybe 21?

Another great example of more-unreliable-than-usual player ratings this year due to lack of exposure for many recruits. Elic Ayomenar attends Deerfield Academy in MA, which canceled its 2020 season. According to 247sports, EA is the 138th ranked WR and 996th overall player in the 2021 recruiting class. Rivals doesn't rank him at all as a WR or overall player. However, he has offers from Stanford, Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia, West Virginia, Cal, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Arizona, Iowa, Boston College, Kentucky, some Ivies and others. There's no way that there are 137 WRs and 995 players with a better offer sheet.

[TrumpCard]

I don’t have inside info, but feel reasonably confident that the offers from ND and PSU are not committable. Those are the top two recruiting classes in the country as of now and both have been filling up with priority, elite recruits. That said, I’d be pleased to see Shaw add Ayomenar and I do suspect that a number of those reported offers are real.

[TrumpCard]

I don’t have inside info, but feel reasonably confident that the offers from ND and PSU are not committable. Those are the top two recruiting classes in the country as of now and both have been filling up with priority, elite recruits. That said, I’d be pleased to see Shaw add Ayomenar and I do suspect that a number of those reported offers are real.