Go Mighty Card

Cardinal Class '14: Keller Chryst

Even though it has long been assumed that Palo Alto High School's Keller Chryst would one day walk across El Camino Real to attend Stanford University and take his place in the long, long, long line of outstanding Stanford quarterbacks, today's signing finally makes it official.

Cardinal Class '14: Jordan Perez

According to Rivals.com, Carlsbad High School's Jordan Perez is only a three-star player, just the 38th-best oustide linebacker in the nation, but many connected with the Stanford program expect much bigger things than those evaluations would indicate.

Cardinal Class '14: Bobby Okereke

Bobby Okereke lined up at wide receiver and linebacker for Foothill High School in Tustin, CA, showing the versatility and athleticism that will likely make him a fixture on the Cardinal defense before too long. Stanford coaches have stockpiled linebackers over the past few seasons, so Okereke will have the luxury of time to develop under the tutelage of the coaching staff and leadership of the upperclassmen, but there is no doubt that he will lead the next wave of great Stanford linebackers.

Cardinal Class '14: Joey Alfieri

How good an athlete is Stanford signee Joey Alfieri? Even though Stanford and signed him as a linebacker, Alfieri also played running back for Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon. Using a three-game stretch during which he gained a preposterous 955 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, Alfieri worked his way towards the top of the state rushing leaderboard before falling victim to a knee injury that derailed his season. (The injury isn't expected to curtail his Stanford career.)

Cardinal Class '14: Casey Tucker

If there has been one constant to Stanford football over the past five years, it has been dominant offensive line play, and the signing of Casey Tucker out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, will allow the Tunnel Workers Union to keep tunneling full speed ahead.

Cardinal Class '14: Christian McCaffrey

If you're old enough, you recognize the name, but here's one thing you should know -- Christian McCaffrey did not receive a scholarship offer as a favor to his father. He's one of the most dynamic running backs ever recruited by Stanford, and it won't be long before he begins making an impact on the field.

Cardinal Class '14: Solomon Thomas

Perhaps the greatest bit of intrigue in the days and weeks leading up to National Signing Day pertained to the eventual destination of defensive end Solomon Thomas out of Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas. That intrigue ended early on Signing Day when Thomas revealed his choice by pulling a Tree from beneath a table and donning a pair of Nerd Nation glasses. Well played, sir. Well played. His choice to attend Stanford is huge for several reasons.

Cardinal Class '14: Terrence Alexander

In another decision that wasn't revealed until this morning, cornerback Terrence Alexander from national powerhouse John Curtis High School in River Ridge, Louisiana, chose Stanford over runners-up Notre Dame and Ole Miss. It's no mean feat to pull a prospect like Alexander out of SEC territory, so this is a huge win for the Cardinal.

Rivals.com ranks Alexander as the #32 cornerback in the nation, possibly because he's a bit undersized at 5'10", but his elite speed (4.4 in the 40) will certainly make up for that and allow him to push for playing time this fall. In fact, if Wayne Lyons moves over to safety as some have suggested, Alexander could even compete for and eventually win the cornerback spot opposite Alex Carter.

Alexander's addition gives the Cardinal solid players on all three levels of the defense and positions the team to continue the tradition of excellence that's been building on the defensive side of the ball.

Cardinal Class '14: Reilly Gibbons

Only four days ago, just when it appeared that Stanford's 2014 recruiting class was fully formed, four-star offensive tackle Reilly Gibbons rethought his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes and announced his commitment to the Stanford Cardinal. His signing today gives the Cardinal another elite offensive line prospect and emphasized what should be the motto for the Tunnel Workers Union: We don't rebuild, we reload.

Cardinal Class '14: Brandon Simmons

It doesn't seem that long ago that even as the Stanford defense began to gain strength and confidence, the defensive backfield lagged behind as somewhat of an Achille's heal. Thankfully, those days are over. With the success of former Cardinal and current NFL Pro Bowler Richard Sherman, the ascendence of safeties Ed Reynolds and Jordan Richards, and last year's emergence of corner Alex Carter, the top level of the Stanford defense is suddenly an NFL pipeline. The next talent ready to jump in line is Brandon Simmons, a 6'1", 180-pound safety out of Mansfield, Texas.