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Hall Of Fame
OVR: 43
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: OS Midwest Office
Posts: 42,499
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Re: Stanford Cardinal (NCAA 12)
Recruiting 2015
Stanford must be ultra-selective in this year's cycle
Quarterback: The future is still set for Stanford with redshirt freshman Shane Williams, but with Brett Nottingham entering his final year, the need to acquire a signal caller in this class is more important than meets the eye. The midwest has not been major recruiting territory for Brian Kudron in his first few years at Stanford, but that may be about to change, as the Cardinal head coach is becoming involved with some of the region's top prospects this year - one of whom being Ryan Miller, quarterback of Moeller High School in Cincinnati. At 6'4, 200 pounds, Miller has the size of a prototypical pro-style QB, but he also possesses above average elusiveness and speed, which makes him a very valuable prospect. Miller is a four-star recruit and is ranked as the #13 quarterback in the country. He is hearing from Stanford, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, USC, and others.
Running Back: Kudron has excelled at continuing Stanford's growing lineage of punishing power-backs, and as it stands now, with five backs on the roster and no seniors, it does not appear as if the Cardinal will target a running back in this cycle.
Wide Receiver: The same applies here. Of the nine wideouts on the roster right now, Ty Montgomery is the only upperclassman; the other eight are freshmen and sophomores.
Tight End: With Jay Hicks shifting to more of a fullback position this year, and Kevin Jackson entering his junior year, taking at least one tight end in this class is recommended for Stanford, and taking two would not be overkill at all. In the process of scouting QB Ryan Miller at Moeller High in Cincinnati, the Stanford coaches became aware of another star in the Queen City: four-star tight end Alexander DeAngelis, who plays for one of Moeller's archrivals in the Greater Catholic League in Cincinnati, St. Xavier. The 8th-ranked tight end recruit in the nation is college-ready sizewise at 6'6, 255 pounds, and appears to be Stanford's most-wanted player at his position. Although the process has only just begun, DeAngelis already has a group of four standing out: Ohio State, Stanford, Pittsburgh, and Georgia. Other notable recruits likely to be targeted by Stanford include 4* Quinton Alston of Lakeside (CA) El Capitan and 4* Phil Anderson of Monroe (NC) Sun Valley.
Offensive Line: Kudron's recruiting and development on the offensive line has been masterful, and the Cardinal will once again have an elite unit up front in 2014. There is exceptional depth as well, making the position group less of a priority in the 2015 class. Still though, it's never a good idea to skip the offensive line in an entire class. Some high profile recruits hearing from Stanford early on include the nation's top tackle, 4* Kyle Davis of Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol, the 2nd-ranked tackle, Chad Battle of West Palm Beach (FL) Dwyer, and the 8th-ranked tackle, Chris Day of Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco.
Defensive Line: Stanford is loaded and deep at defensive tackle, so the tedious search for the ever-elusive 3-4 nose guard will not be needed this year. At the defensive end positions, however, the Cardinal is a bit thin, so one or two recruits would be a good idea. Such a prospect happens to play his high school football right in Stanford's neck of the woods. Four-star defensive end Jason McKnight is a standout for Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, roughly 70 miles north of Palo Alto. At 6'7, 252, McKnight looks the part of a Stanford defender.
Linebacker: Linebacker is another position Stanford has stocked up at, with star recruits like Adrian Turner, Tremayne Simmons, Matt Turner, Cedric Phillips, Michael Ross and Trevor Galloway just waiting to break out. Still though, in a 3-4 defense, you can never have enough linebackers, and three of the West Coast's best have caught the eye of the Cardinal coaching staff. Rangy outside linebacker Justin Toth of Monte Vista High School in Casa de Oro is rated at the nation's top prospect at his position, and is being pursued by the who's who of college football: USC, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Florida. Also in Southern California is the country's #5 inside linebacker, 6'2, 245-pound Michael Downing of Newport Beach Newport Harbor, alma mater of current Cal standout linebacker Cecil Whiteside. Also, up the coast at Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett, Washington, is four-star Josh Butler. Oregon and Washington are in hot pursuit of the 6'4, 235-pound prospect, but Stanford should be right in the mix if they choose to toss their hat into the ring.
Cornerback: Brian Kudron has admitted that cornerback might be his favorite position to both recruit and coach, and the results have been evident, as the Cardinal are talented, deep, and physical at the corner position entering 2014. The need is not dire, but with a distinct possibility of Scott Mitchell leaving early for the NFL, Kudron will look to cover his bases. To that end, one of the top targets on Stanford's board this cycle will be the country's 5th-ranked corner, four-star Corey Thomas from Eisenhower High School in Houston. Stanford's presence in Texas is increasing with every cycle, as 11 Texans currently inhabit the Cardinal roster. One caveat, however, is that, surprisingly, Stanford has yet to go toe-to-toe with the flagship Longhorns in the Lone Star State. Thomas could prove to be litmus test, as Texas (along with TCU, Alabama, and LSU) is very interested in the 6'0, 195-pound prospect. Should things not work out with Thomas (or if Stanford decides they want more than one corner), four-star Benamin Gilbert is a teammate of four-star tackle Chris Day at St. John Bosco in Bellflower.
Safety: All-American safety Wayne Lyons is entering his final year at Stanford, and although Coach Kudron has barely set foot in Lyons' native state of Florida during his tenure, the Cardinal may venture to the Sunshine State for Lyons' successor at free safety. The nation's #56 prospect and top free safety recruit, Chad McBride, hails from Deerfield Beach High School in the South Florida city of the same name. Best known as the alma mater of former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, Deerfield Beach may now feature one of the country's most heated recruiting battles, as Alabama, Stanford, Miami, Michigan, USC, LSU, Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State are all in touch with the 6'0, 210-pound McBride.
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01-04-2012, 04:32 PM
