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Stanford Football Lays a New Foundation

When Jim Harbaugh was hired as Stanford's newest head coach in December of 2006, he famously announced that he'd be approaching the job "with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind." While that statement caused eyes to roll up and down the Pac-10 and even, I'd imagine, within the halls of Stanford's athletic department, Harbaugh had no choice. He was taking over a team that had finished 1-11 in 2006, one of the worst performances in the history of a program without much positive history. Before his hire there were many observers -- and even some Stanford decision makers, if we're to believe the lore -- who no longer thought Stanford could field a competitive Division I football team.

But Harbaugh believed.

Stanford's newest head coach is Troy Taylor, and while no one will ever confuse his personality with Harbaugh's, Taylor's opening press conference had one thing in common with Harbaugh's -- hope. Following Stanford's recent slide to the bottom of the PAC-12 during an era of unprecedented change across the college football landscape, once again there have been voices calling for change. It was no longer realistic, some argued, for Stanford to compete at this level in this era. (A Stanford professor even used an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times to lament what he saw as the folly of Stanford Football.)

But Troy Taylor believes.

Cardinal Class '20: Drake Metcalf

Key Stats:
St. John Bosco High School|Orange, CA
Center|6'2"|270 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#5 Center

Key Offers:
Arizona State, Oregon, Penn State, USC

Profile:
Sometimes it can be difficult to analyze game film for top high school prospects. You don't usually need to be a recruiting expert to identify blue chip recruits because they announce themselves with every snap -- running circles around defenders, effortlessly tossing offensive linemen aside, leaping high over defensive backs, generally looking as if they've crashed Field Day at the local elementary school. The problem never is finding these players, it's trying to decide how good they actually are. When the competition is made up of players who will struggle to make their freshman dorm's intramural flag football team in the fall, the task becomes even more difficult.

In the case of offensive lineman Drake Metcalf, the evaluation is much easier. His highlight tape looks like what you might expect -- predominantly lined up at left tackle, Metcalf routinely dominates the players across from him, whether he's driving through them on running plays or toying with them in pass protection. Showing his athleticism, the 270-pound Metcalf sometimes pulls across the line of scrimmage to take on blockers while on the move. (The Stanford coaches project him as a center, so he likely won't be pulling much, but his quick feet will surely play dividends when he's asked to head up field on screens and delays.)

What's important to remember as you watch his film, though, is that Metcalf has grown up in quite possibly the strongest high school football program in America. After enduring a season in Southern California's Trinity League, easily the top prep football league in the state and one of the toughest in the nation, Metcalf's St. John Bosco squad beat rival Mater Dei in the state semifinals and then defeated legendary Concorde De La Salle for the state championship. After that run the Bosco Braves were anointed national champions by USA Today and the other four services who determine such things.

Here's the point -- his tape is real. Metcalf excelled against the toughest competition the state of California had to offer. For his efforts during his senior season, the Los Angeles Times named him Lineman of the Year, and MaxPreps named him to their All-America team. Impressive? Wait until you hear this -- this gentle giant doesn't just play football, he also plays the Great Highland bagpipes, an instrument he picked up after hearing them played at his grandfather's funeral.

Given all this, Metcalf seems like a perfect fit to carry on the legacy of the Tunnel Workers Union, but I was interested in what in particular drew him to Stanford University.

"There are so many great reasons why Stanford was the best fit for me," he wrote, "however, what sealed the deal was the idea of life after football. Stanford opens so many doors for all those who attend the University, and this was an opportunity I simply could not pass up. I had to ask myself, where can I play for an elite football program while earning a world-class degree? Stanford quickly rose to the top of my list."

It won't be long, I imagine, before Metcalf rises to the top of David Shaw's list. Assuming he follows the path the coaching staff projects for him and stays at center, he could be competing for playing time as early as 2021 and should be a fixture in the middle of the line for several seasons. You can bet your bagpipes.

Cardinal Class '20: Myles Hinton

Key Stats:
Greater Atlanta Christian School|John's Creek, GA
Offensive Tackle|6'7"|310 pounds
Rivals Rank: Five stars|#4 Offensive Tackle|#30 Overall Player

Key Offers:
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State

Profile:
All the major football programs in American were interested in him, and more than a dozen made scholarship offers, but Myles Hinton committed to Stanford a year ago, long before the beginning of his senior year of high school. The more you learn about Hinton, the more sense it makes. His highlight video shows what you might expect -- a large man using his size and strength to dominate smaller defenders -- but it's his athleticism that attracted the nation's elite football programs.

One one play he might stonewall an opposing pass rusher, but on the next he might leave his position on the left end of the line and nimbly pull to the right to clear a hole for his running back. On another play you might see him knock one defender to the ground before heading upfield to find another. He's not just good, he's relentless.

Quite simply, he is a prototypical offensive lineman, and it will be a surprise if he doesn't contribute to some degree as early as this fall. We can assume that the left tackle spot will be filled by the returning Walker Little, but Hinton will surely compete for playing time, possibly at right tackle. Even if he doesn't earn a starting role somewhere on the line, you'll surely see his name on the depth chart, and he'll likely see the field in situations when an extra lineman or two are needed. Beyond this coming season, I think we can expect that Hinton will be the anchor of the offensive line by the time he's a sophomore.

Considering Hinton's size, strength, and athleticism it would make sense that he would be interested in a football program that has produced as many elite offensive linemen as Stanford's has, but it's clear that this was not just a football decision for him. I encourage you to watch the video below. As you listen to Myles and his parents, you'll learn that he's an intelligent, thoughtful young man who's eager to take advantage of everything Stanford University has to offer. He seems like a true Stanford Man already.

Cardinal Class '20: E.J. Smith

Key Stats:
Jesuit Dallas|Dallas, TX
Running Back|6'0"|194 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#3 Athlete

Key Offers:
Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC

Profile:
It will be difficult to watch EJ Smith without making comparisons to someone. The most obvious comparison will be to his father, Emmitt, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, and once EJ arrives on campus this summer, observers will likely mention a few Stanford players of recent vintage as they describe EJ's transition to the college game. His Hall of Fame legacy will bring to mind Barry J. Sanders, whose father has a spot alongside EJ's father on the Mt. Rushmore of NFL running backs (I'll put Jim Brown and Walter Payton up there with them, and apologize to Gale Sayers), and his skill set as a pass-catching running back will remind some of current Cardinal Connor Wedington and current legend Christian McCaffrey.

The truth, though, is that EJ Smith is his own man. The first thing you notice when you look at the highlight video from his senior season is that he wears his father's number 22, but that's really the only similarity between the two players. While Emmitt was a power back with enough of a wiggle in his stride to dominate the NFL for a decade, EJ is a flashier runner and a much more versatile player. The major recruiting services view Smith either as an athlete or an all-purpose back, similar to Wedington. (Some will remember that Wedington arrived at Stanford as a running back before his transition to wide receiver.)

Smith's video shows a player with the raw receiving talent -- good hands and a nose for the ball -- that will allow him to be a receiving threat out of the backfield. Should the coaching staff choose to push him in that direction, and I'm almost certain they will, some time spent on route-running will make him an even more dangerous weapon. In fact, he's shown this potential this week while working out in preparation for the Under Armour All-America game, impressing scouts not only in his standard role as a running back, but also as a slot receiver.

Given the recent changes to the redshirt rule, I think we can assume that we'll see Smith on the field this fall. We can expect a work load similar to what we saw with Austin Jones, Stanford's top running back recruit in the 2019 class. Jones had at least one carry in each game, and with the screen pass getting added emphasis in the offense, he caught 14 passes. I won't be surprised if Smith's numbers exceed those, particularly in the passing game. 

Smith might have gotten attention because of the name and number on his back, but it won't be long before he begins to forge a legacy of his own. It'll be fun to watch.

Cardinal Class '19: Elijah Higgins

Key Stats:
James Bowie High School|Kyle, TX
Wide Receiver|6'3"|215 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#19 Wide Receiver

Key Offers:
Auburn, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas

Profile:
You cannot watch tape of Elijah Higgins without thinking of current Stanford wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. The first four plays of his highlight film (see below) are different variations of what we've grown accustomed to seeing in the red zone from Arcegatron. There are boxouts and fades and jump balls, all plays designed to allow Higgins to use his size and strength to take advantage of overmatched defensive backs. Higgins and Arcega-Whiteside are the same height, and though Higgins is ten pounds lighter, he'll get there. If there's a difference between the two, it's that Higgins seems a bit faster, having clocked a 4.57 forty, and there are plenty of clips in his highlight which feature that speed as he leaves defenders in his wake.

Cardinal Class '19: Branson Bragg

Key Stats:
Crandall High School|Crandall, TX
Center|6'4"|305 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#2 Center

Key Offers:
LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Princeton, Texas, Texas A&M, USC

Profile:
Branson Bragg is not your typical blue chip recruit. Yes, if you walked past him in the mall you'd peg him as a football player, but would you guess he's also an accomplished jazz pianist? While some elite prospects might spend the morning of signing day soaking up the lime light by posting up in the quad and watching the cheerleaders walk by, Bragg instead opted for an early jam session with the Crandall Jazz Band. In a conversation with Alexa Philippou, Bragg dropped perhaps the most Stanford quote of all time, explaining "the contrast between being a really violent football player on the field and a soft-spoken piano player off the field." Is it any surprise that he chose the home of Intellectual Brutality?

Cardinal Class '19: Austin Jones

Key Stats:
Bishop O'Down|Oakland, CA
Running Back|5'10"|200 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#6 Running Back

Key Offers:
Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Princeton, UCLA, Washington

Profile:
With Washington and Stanford the two finalists for his services, the recruitment of Austin Jones must have been interesting, to say the least. Jones's head coach at powerhouse Bishop O'Dowd was Napoleon Kaufman, the legendary Husky tailback. His running back coach? Stanford legend, Tommy Vardell. Assuming Jones looked to his two coaches for advice, we're lucky that Jones listened to Vardell and chose the Cardinal.

How good is Jones? The four-star prospect is the highest ranked back on the West Coast (sixth in the nation, according to Rivals.com) and one of the most highly regarded running backs the Cardinal has ever landed, the type of player who opens eyes immediately. The first thing you notice when you cue the film of Austin Jones (see below) is his size. Although the University lists him at 5'11" and 190 pounds, Jones is no scatback. He runs much bigger than that profile, often pounding his way through tacklers to get tough yardage at the line of scrimmage, but also easily outdistancing defenders with breakaway speed. When you couple all that with his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, it's hard not to think back to Christian McCaffrey, but the better comparison is probably Todd Gurley II. It's a bit dangerous to compare a high school senior to one of the best running backs in the NFL, but there are similarities between the two.

Jones rushed for 2,005 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior, and added 27 catches for 378 yards receiving. Most Division I prospects will pile up numbers like that, especially on a team that advances deep into the playoffs (Bishop O'Dowd won the California Division II state championship), but it's important to note that Jones did this against some stiff competition, including a 213-yard rushing performance against national power Concord De La Salle.

When Jones arrives at Stanford in the summer, he'll encounter a running back depth chart that's about as unsettled as we've seen in the past eight or ten years. Cameron Scott and Trevor Speights are both experienced players who should get the bulk of the work, and rising sophomore Justus Woods has potential, but nothing about the running back rotation is clear right now. Considering this uncertainty, along with the four-game redshirt rule, it's a safe bet that Jones will get an on-field audition this fall. One thing is certain, however -- the future here is bright.

Cardinal Class '17: Connor Wedington

Key Stats:
Sumner High School|Sumner, WA
Athlete|5'11"|185 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#10 Athlete

Key Offers:
Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA, Washington

Profile:
Connor Wedington was a long time Washington commit who seemed destined to stay home and play for the Huskies until something happened late in the process that called everything into question. A few weeks ago he abruptly announced he was decommitting from Washington, cryptically citing an opportunity he couldn't pass up, something most referred to a Stanford admission. He then released a final six, but recruiting observers knew what was coming, and earlier this week he ended the suspense with perhaps the coolest announcement video you've ever seen. (It's worth one minute of your time if you haven't already seen it.) Wedington will no doubt benefit from this decision, but so will the Cardinal. He's listed as an athlete, but I can't imagine he'll play anywhere but running back when he gets to Stanford. During his senior season he rushed for 1,522 yards and scored 25 touchdowns while racking up a gaudy 11.4 yards per carry. A quick look at his senior highlights (below) reveals a runner who's strong enough to run between the tackles but has the speed (4.48 40) to disappear once he reaches the second level. He's definitely a difference maker. It should also be noted that Wedington, along with fellow Stanford recruit Ryan Johnson, is one of six finalists for the Watkins Award, given annually to the top high school African-American football player in America. Stanford recruits Frank Buncom IV and Bobby Okereke won the award the previous two seasons.

Outlook:
Even with the departure of Christian McCaffrey, running back is still a position of strength on the Stanford offense. Bryce Love will be the primary back, with short-yardage help from Cameron Scarlett, and redshirt freshman Trevor Speights will likely get some carries as well. Even so, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Wedington found his way onto the field in selected situations, similar to how Love was used in 2015.

[Photo Credit: Drew Perine/Tacoma News Tribune]

Cardinal Class '17: Ryan Johnson

Key Stats:
St. Paul's Episcopal School -- Mobile, AL
Defensive End|6'4"|252 pounds
Rivals Rank: Four stars|#7 Defensive End

Key Offers:
Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, USC

Profile:
Henry Aaron, Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, and Ozzie Smith were all born in Mobile, Alabama, which already makes me a huge fan of defensive end Ryan Johnson, but when you consider that this son of Alabama turned down scholarship offers from both Auburn and the Crimson Tide to come across the country to Stanford, it just gets even better. You could argue that Johnson is one of the most important members of this signing class. There was a heavy offensive tilt to Card Class 17, but Johnson's commitment gives Stanford an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. His most recent highlight reel is from his junior season (below) he was lighter, but he still shows the athleticism and strength necessary to excel as a pass rushing defensive end in Stanford's 3-4 scheme. It should also be noted that Johnson, along with fellow Stanford recruit Connor Wedington, is one of six finalists for the Watkins Award, given annually to the top high school African-American football player in America. Stanford recruits Frank Buncom IV and Bobby Okereke won the award the previous two seasons.

Outlook:
With the success of Solomon Thomas this season and the expectations for redshirt freshman Mike Williams, Stanford could be building some tradition at defensive line. Johnson has drawn comparisons to Thomas, and by the time he finds his way to the field in 2018 or '19, he'll likely resemble the departing Morris Trophy winner at least in stature. The guess here is that he develops into one of the better lineman in the conference before his time on the Farm is done.

Cardinal Class '17: Tucker Fisk

Key Stats:
Davis High School -- Davis, CA
Offensive Tackle|6'4"|235 pounds
Rivals Rank: Three stars|#20 Tight End

Key Offers:
Cal, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington

Profile:
I don't have the time or the inclination to do the research, but I can't imagine that any school aside from Stanford would sign two tight ends in one class, but no school aside from Stanford can legitimately claim to be Tight End U. Tucker Fisk is small by Stanford standards (most Cardinal tight ends over the past five years have ranged between 6'6" and 6'9"), so it wouldn't be a surprise if he transitioned to fullback at some point. Even if he doesn't, his film (below) shows solid pass catching and the strength necessary to be a proficient blocker in the running game.

Outlook:
With Dalton Shultz and Kaden Smith already on the roster and fellow recruit Colby Parkinson joining him in Card Class 17, Fisk will arrive at Stanford and find a herd of tight ends. Fisk could find a role as the blocking tight end, or, as mentioned above, he could move into the backfield as a fullback. Either way, don't expect to see him on the field until 2018 at the absolute earliest.