[Psyblast]

Kudron lands his Quarterback
Stanford steals Mater Dei's Williams from USC

PALO ALTO, CA - Several years ago, Matt Leinart quarterbacked USC to three straight BCS bowl games, winning the 2005 National Championship and the Heisman Trophy for the 2004 season. Presently, Matt Barkley is finishing his fourth year at the helm for the Trojans, and has them on the brink of their second straight Pac-12 title game and a shot at the Rose Bowl.

And now, the latest star quarterback to come from Mater Dei High in the Orange County haven of Santa Ana is headed to the Pac-12 as well.

The difference is, this one has said no to USC and is headed up the coast to play for Brian Kudron at Stanford.

5-star signal caller Shane Williams made the call shortly after Stanford's win against Oregon State, officially committing to his longtime favorite over other pursuers, including USC, Alabama, and Florida.

"It would've been easy to pick SC, with the Mater Dei lineage they've got going," Williams said. "But I really like Stanford's offense, and I love what Andrew Luck and now Brett Nottingham have done the last few years. Coach Kudron told me from the start I was the #1 guy on their board, and they wanted me to continue the legacy they're building at the quarterback position."

At 6'5, 232 pounds, Williams, the 2nd-ranked QB in the 2013 class, has a commanding pocket presence and an abundance of arm strength that fits an NFL-style offense to a tee. Pigeon-holing him as a statue would be a mistake, however. Williams won't remind anyone of Michael Vick or Vince Young, but he'll give Stanford fans flashes of Andrew Luck with his ability to move around and take off when needed, a skill that Brett Nottingham has struggled with.

Landing their star QB made the weekend a success as is, but Stanford's coaching staff roped in three additional 4-star players in addition to Williams: tight end/wide receiver Ryan Mitchell of Cathedral City (CA), safety Curtis Webb of Steamboat Springs (CO), and linebacker Jeff Charles of Palm Springs (CA). Mitchell isn't the jumbo-sized tight end Stanford has specialized in recently, weighing in at only 221 pounds. He may actually start his career as a big, physical wide receiver. Charles, too, doesn't fit the mold sizewise. At 220 pounds, normally Stanford would take a pass on him, as the 3-4 defense requires bigger linebackers. Charles, however, has speed and instincts that are second to none, and Stanford's coaches apparently think he'll be able to make up for his lack of ideal size. Webb, on the other hand, does look the part at 6'2, 199 pounds, and while he isn't the fastest, he also has good instincts, and he hits like a freight train. He's drawn comparisons to Oregon safety John Boyett.

Meanwhile, Stanford's #1 defensive target in this class, 4-star Chandler (AZ) Hamilton nose tackle Andrew Edwards was also in town for the win over the Beavers. Although he hasn't reached a decision yet, he made it clear that following his visit, Stanford is now the team to beat for his services.