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Teammates OT Devery Hamilton and RB Dorian Maddox, committed as a package deal on Saturday morning. Four-star Devery Hamilton flipped his commitment from Michigan--it feels so good to poach a Harbaugh recruit. After these past two weeks, it good to see Michigan's bad karma catch up to them. Maddox (two-star) isn't as highly touted, but he did have offers from Harvard, Yale, and Navy. Hamilton and Maddox are from Maryland powerhouse Gilman School which finished the season 10-1 and finished the season as MIAA Division A conference champions.
Blessed to announce that I will further my education and football career at Stanford University ⚫️⚪️#CardClass16 pic.twitter.com/pCTlsgPzkb
— Dorian Maddox (@d_nicee009) January 30, 2016
My future pic.twitter.com/bDfngQLb5Y
— Devery Hamilton (@D_Hamilton19) January 30, 2016
These two commits have pushed Stanford to be the number one class in the Pac-12 247sports rankings and moved the Cardinal up four to regain the number eleven spot in the nation. Hamilton is Stanford's 8th four-star in this class and 2nd four-star offensive line recruit. He is also the 4th offensive line commit in this already stacked class. Dorian Maddox joins Trevor Speights as the only two running backs in the class and he is also the 3rd two-star commit. This class is shaping up very well, and the Stanford faithful should expect more to come as signing day approaches.
Dorian Maddox runs like he is a man on a mission, dare I say he runs like a muscle hamster. He has incredible power in his upper and lower extremities, which allow him to extend runs. His yards gained after contact is quite impressive, and I could see him taking over the "Remound Wright TD Vulture" role. Maddox isn't just a bruising back, though, as he has a great acceleration. He can burst through holes and dash up field at alarming rates. Maddox isn't a one trick pony, because of his speed, but if he is going to take over the RWTDV role, he is going to have to put on some more muscle.
Although Devery Hamilton is listed as an offensive tackle, he is still just making the transition from the other side of the ball. Hamilton also played defensive tackle in high school and his lack of experience shows. That being said, Hamilton shows his raw skills that can be developed during a redshirt year. He can get in front of the defender, through his quick first step, which is an important aspect in both run and pass blocking. Hand placement is something he also needs to work on; it just needs to become more consistent in between the shoulders. Hamilton will need to work on adding a little bit more muscle, but he is already 6-6 290 lbs. His size allows him to clog up the middle and use his wide body to open up gaping holes.
Stanford's class has grown to 23 members after todays commits. Devery Hamilton and Dorian Maddox are huge commits to this already great class. Hamilton's size and raw ability will be a cornerstone for this line in the future. Maddox has a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow, but don't be surprised if he becomes the next Remound Wright.
Check out both, Hamilton's and Maddox's, highlights courtesy of Hudl: