Link below offers quickest rundown on the Incoming class with highlights, and the quality is stunning from where we were in the 70s, or as recently as ten years ago. Since 2007-8, high schools (and video phones) put together much better highlight compilations. Now it's an industry.
Most impressive are the DBs and LBs. Snagging DB Coach Akina from the meltdown at Texas after Mack Brown was clearly a coup; and Richard Sherman continues to bring dividends. We are getting serious 4star DBs that are already at soph level out of State playoff programs. Everybody has stepped it up a level. We get players off state champions now. like McCaffrey (RB), Kalambayi (LB), Austin Hooper (TE). Example: Our Joey Alfieri (LB) tackled T.Tyner (Starting RB at Oregon, next to Royce Freeman) and killed Tyner's team. There's a bunch of rivalry stories on the team now where our stars played starters on other Pac12 teams in high school in big games.
OK, USC and Oregon are getting the 5star RBs, but now our LB recruits love making a mark against that NFL potential level, so we get them, and Shaw's team is landing national skill players. We didn't ten years ago. USC picked up RB Ron Jones (5star, #2 nationally), and our LBs want his head on a platter. Ditto our DBs on Juju Smith at WR, and taking down the Bear Air attack or WSU. All the recruits have seen Josh Rosen's film (frosh 5star QB for UCLA) -- they want sacks and pickoffs. They know that is their ticket to joining Sherman in the millionaire's club.
The Offensive Line in front of A.Luck built the pipeline we get now -- if you start at O-Line for Stanford, you get a crack at the NFL. That didn't happen in 2005-6. We just landed KJ Costello at QB for Fall 2016 -- #2 nationally (!), out of S.Calif. He will give Super Chryst a run for the post next year, I predict -- not as tall, but a more accurate thrower, picks up the 2nd look better. Crower already transferred. The talent overwhelmed. All the transfers we lost in summer, knew they were not going to start. [Wayne Lyons was one of a kind case; Harbaugh hired his mother at Mich. Several unique factors]
O-Line: We are stocked for the next 3-4 years. Big, smart trees.
QB: With Chryst and now Costello, we are gold in the pocket through 2020.
WRs: Now 7 or 8 deep. Chryst and Costello are magnets. Good pass protection helps.
RBs: Keep in mind, Gerhart and S.Taylor were 3stars. Let's see how B.Love and Cam Scarlett develop. Half the other Pac12 schools get a 5star. We need to improve at this position.
TEs: We are now TOP school for TEs in USA (I assert), and #1 TE in 2016 just committed to Stanford: Kaden Smith out of TX. A big get. Coby Fleener, NFL.
LB: We have killers like Murphy and Skov, and faster now. After the 2 Rose Bowls, we are really getting nationally ranked talent at this post.
Proof: We lost Murphy, Skov, and Gardner, and the Defense was BETTER last year! Look at the Stats. We stuffed people [But couldn't score.]
DBs: This crop is the best we have EVER had at Stanford. Good thru 2019. Akina has 30 of his players in the NFL. Money.
DL: DT is toughest spot for us to recruit. But, we manage with the 3-4 because we get good DEs. Fortunately, we picked up Brennan Scarlett as a grad transfer from Cal at DT (one year deal to play with his little brother RB Cam Scarlett). If Aziz and S.Thomas muscle up, we're in decent shape. Just-in-time Inventory.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4fIxU1nD9yDHHxVapxHcUyvhctREtw0a
