Stanford 2012 Recruiting

Stanford Cardinal 2012 ... Head Coach: David Shaw

Stanford Cardinal

2011 Record: 11-2

Sep. 3 San Jose State W 57-3
Sep. 10 at Duke W 44-14
Sep. 17 at Arizona W 37-10
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 UCLA W 45-19
Oct. 8 Colorado W 48-7
Oct. 15 at Washington St W 44-14
Oct. 22 Washington W 65-21
Oct. 29 at USC W 56-48 3OT
Nov. 5 at Oregon State W 38-13
Nov. 12 Oregon L 53-30
Nov. 19 California W 31-28
Nov. 26 Notre Dame W 28-14 
Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2 Oklahoma St 41-38 OT

2010 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2010 Record:  12-1

Sept. 4 Sacramento St W 52-17
Sept. 11 at UCLA W 35-0
Sept. 18 Wake Forest W 68-24
Sept. 25 at Notre Dame W 37-14
Oct. 2 at Oregon L 52-31
Oct. 9 USC W 37-35
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Washington St W 38-28
Oct. 30 at Washington W 41-0
Nov. 6 Arizona W 42-17
Nov. 13 at Arizona State W 17-13
Nov. 20 at California W 48-14
Nov. 27 Oregon State W 38-0
Orange Bowl
Jan. 3 Virginia Tech W 40-12
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Stanford Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. OT Kyle Murphy
6-7, 268, Scout.com 4th ranked, five-star offensive tackle. Murphy is a big-bodied but agile offensive tackle, who will be one of the Southland's top offensive line prospects in the 2012 class. He moves well for his size, in run blocking, but is at his best in pass protection. His footwork is solid and he's a natural knee-bender. Murphy has good drive-blocking skills and does a tremendous job getting to the second level. With his frame, he can probably get up to 290-300 and not lose any agility.

2. OG Joshua Garnett
6-5, 275, Scout.com 3rd ranked, five-star guard. Garnett can demonstrate on just a handful of snaps why he's one of the premier linemen in the country. Garnett's drive-blocking skills are second to none. He gets his man and makes him skate. He's got tremendous athleticism, flexibility, gets good knee bend, and has a nasty streak that comes out. He also has a high football IQ and his quickness off the ball is top-notch.

3. RB Barry Sanders
5-10, 190, Scout.com 9th ranked, four-star running back. Sanders missed much of his junior season with an ankle injury, but is back firing on all cylinders as a senior. He has nice moves in the open field and a quick burst allows him to separate from defenders quickly. He can catch the ball coming out of the backfield and he even has some nice moments on the defensive side of the ball when he lines up in the defensive backfield. He does not have ideal size, but picks his holes wisely.

4. C Graham Shuler
6-5, 272, Scout.com 4th ranked, four-star center. Shuler is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the country. He can play any of the five OL positions and he'd hold his own at each. Once he settles in, he will continue to develop his technique and that could likely become a strength down the road. He needs to continue to add weight and strength as well. He is very flexible, he finishes his blocks, he can get to the second level, and not many play with more tenacity.

5. OT Andrus Peat
6-7, 305, Scout.com 9th ranked, four-star offensive tackle. When you look at a young tackle, this is how they are supposed to look. Is very tall and still growing into his massive frame. Is going to be a very big player before it is all said and done. Has very long arms, is a knee bender and plays with surprisingly low pad level for a tall kid. Has plenty of nasty in him and is a great pass blocker with tremendous feet.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Receivers. Stanford was terrific over the last few years partly because the lines were strong, partly because Andrew Luck was Andrew Luck, and partly because Jim Harbaugh did a terrific job of recruiting. David Shaw brought in a nice class last year, especially for the defensive front, but he has to upgrade the athleticism and speed at receiver. He’s getting enough variety for the receiving corps to come up with a few instant options to help keep the Luck-less passing attack rolling.

Team Concerns For 2012: All the attention will be on Brett Nottingham and the quarterback race to replace Luck, but the bigger problem could be on the line with left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro each leaving early for the NFL. The program is strong enough to come up with elite quarterbacks, but finding pro O linemen and a top tight end like Coby Fleener is a bit tougher. The defense loses safeties Michael Thomas and Delano Howell, putting the pressure on a few underclassmen to show they’re ready.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: You don’t get better by losing the No. 1 pick in the draft and a be-all-end-all quarterback prospect like Andrew Luck, but Jim Harbaugh recruited well before leaving for the pros leaving good young players in place ready to wage an interesting battle to fill the enormous void. The bigger problem could be on the offensive line where left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro took off early and could be top 15 overall draft picks. The defensive front seven is full of veterans, but the secondary loses four starters and the offense doesn’t have enough playmaking receivers to take the heat off underappreciated running back Stepfan Taylor.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Defensive linemen. The big splash will be about Kevin Hogan, with the hope that he’ll be ready to challenge for the starting job next year if and when Mr. Luck is done with his architecture career, and Remound Wright and Kelsey Young are dangerous backs who should add more flash than the Cardinal backfield has had in a while. David Shaw’s first class focused mostly on defensive linemen with two big, talented tackles in Lance Callihan and Anthony Hayes, and three good-looking defensive ends led by 6-6 Charlie Hopkins. The star of the defense, though, will either be middle linebacker James Vaughters or safety Wayne Lyons.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 25. That Class Was Heavy On ... Quarterbacks. Talk about being a salesman, not only did Jim Harbaugh successfully pitch top quarterbacks Brett Nottingham and Dallas Lloyd away from UCLA and Miami, respectively, but he also was able to sell them on Stanford even though Andrew Luck is the unquestioned starting quarterback for the next three years. Throw in the almost certain departure of Harbaugh to bigger and better things some time in the next five years, and it'll be interesting to see how this class progresses. The defense got the bulk with Blake Lueders a special end and Devon Carrington a safety who'll end up starring in the secondary sooner than later.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 21. That Class Was Heavy On ... pass-catchers. If the Cardinal is going to continue this forward push that started when Jim Harbaugh was hired, it needs to improve offensively. Like, now. This class provides some exciting weapons for whenever QB Andrew Luck takes over the offense. Stanford bagged a pair of four-star wideouts, Jamal Patterson and Jemari Roberts, to go along with easily the best collection of tight ends in the country. Both Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo are massive targets, who could have gone just about anywhere.

Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma State 41 … Stanford 38 OT

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys only committed one penalty. … Brandon Weeden completed 29-of-42 passes for 399 yards and three scores with a pick. … Joseph Randle ran ten times for 23 yards and a score. … Justin Blackmon caught eight passes for 186 yards and three scores. …Alex Elkins made 12 tackles, all solo.

Stanford: The Cardinal outgained OSU 243 rushing yards to 13. … Andrew Luck completed 27-of-31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns with a pick. … Stephfan Taylor ran 34 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 21 yards. … Ty Montgomery caught seven passes for 120 yards and a score. … Jarek Lancaster and Delano Howell each made seven tackles.

Fiutak - OSU Should've Played LSU
Cirminiello - A Special Fiesta
Sallee - Shaw Lost It
Johnson - Weeden Outplayed Luck
Mitchell - Luck Did His Job
Harrison - No Split Title

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns to Justin Blackmon in his final collegiate game, and Quinn Sharp hit a 22-yard field goal in overtime to give No. 3 Oklahoma State a 41-38 win over Andrew Luck and No. 4 Stanford in a wildly entertaining Fiesta Bowl on Monday night.

The most anticipated postseason game outside of the BCS championship, the Fiesta Bowl was an impressive offensive show, two of the nation's best teams trading big plays and scores.

Oklahoma State (12-1) had the last one on Sharp's game-winner to win in its first BCS bowl game, earning a chance to stake claim at being No. 1 in The Associated Press poll should Alabama beat LSU in the BCS title game.

Stanford (11-2) had a chance to win in regulation, but redshirt freshman Jordan Williamson hooked a 35-yard field goal wide left as time expired. He also missed from 43 yards in overtime.

Usually balanced Oklahoma State had just 15 yards rushing on 13 carries, but Weeden made up for it, completing 29 of 42 passes and the three scores to Blackmon, who had eight catches for 186 yards.

After the game, Blackmon said he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Weeden did his best to keep up with Luck, who hit 27 of 31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in his final game before heading to the NFL. Stepfan Taylor ran for 177 yards and a pair of scores, and the Cardinal had 590 yards - nearly 200 more than Oklahoma State - but lost a chance for their second straight BCS bowl victory after Williamson's two misses.

Oklahoma State has an electrifying offense - second in scoring, third in total yards - run by the 28-year-old Weeden and featuring Blackmon, the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner.

The Cowboys also came in with a chip on their shoulder, believing they should have gotten a shot at the BCS title game instead of it being a rematch of the field-goal-kicking Game of the Century earlier this season between Alabama and LSU.

Finishing a tantalizingly close .0086 behind the Crimson Tide in the BCS standings, Oklahoma State had plenty to prove, with booster T. Boone Pickens saying the Cowboys should get first-place votes in The Associated Press poll with a Fiesta win and a loss by LSU in the title game.

The Cardinal lost to eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon and crushed nearly everyone else with an offense that was top-15 in scoring and yardage. Stanford also has Luck, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up and all-but-certain No. 1 overall NFL pick, complemented by a powerful running game that's as good as any anywhere.

Stanford was the only team to live up to the billing in the early going.

Manhandling Oklahoma State's defense up front, the Cardinal had 225 yards by early in the second quarter and led 14-0 after Luck hit Ty Montgomery on a 53-yard touchdown pass and Jeremy Stewart ran for a 24-yard score.

Oklahoma State's offense was stranded in the desert early: Weeden threw an interception on his first pass, the Cowboys had 27 yards while failing to score in the opening quarter for the first time this season and Blackmon was nowhere to be found.

That changed in the second - and quickly.

Blackmon caught his first pass by splitting the middle of Stanford's defense for a 43-yard touchdown catch, then showed off his power on the next, brushing off a defender like a jacket over his shoulder before racing for a 67-yard touchdown that tied it 14-all.

Two big catches, 110 yards and the offensive show was on.

Stanford answered with an 80-yard drive in eight plays, capped by Taylor's 4-yard touchdown run. The Cardinal left too much time, though, and the Cowboys raced down the field for Weeden's first career rushing touchdown, an ugly-but-effective 2-yarder that made it 21-all at halftime.

Stanford opened the second half with a yard-churning drive for a 6-yard touchdown pass from Luck to Zach Ertz to put the Cardinal up 28-21.

Oklahoma State had a great opportunity after recovering Geoff Meinken's fumble at Stanford's 4-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal. After a Stanford field goal, Weeden found Blackmon for a third time, on a 17-yard crossing pass that tied the game at 31.

Taylor put Stanford up 38-31 with 4 1/2 minutes left, ducking behind Stanford's massive offensive line for a 1-yard touchdown. Oklahoma State answered quickly, moving 67 yards in less than two minutes to tie it on Joseph Randle's 4-yard touchdown run.

Luck seemingly had the Cardinal in position after moving 63 yards, but Williamson couldn't come through, sending the game to overtime, where the Cowboys celebrated by mobbing each other in front of the OSU student section.

Nov. 26 at Stanford 28 … Notre Dame 14
CFN Analysis: It took too long to put the Irish away – partly because of 11 penalties and two turnovers - but the Cardinal was always in control. Andrew Luck was brilliant and came up with four touchdown passes, but he also threw a bad pick. Was it enough to push him into the Heisman front-runner spot? Probably not, but it only added to his great career. … Stephfan Taylor ran behind a line that dominated throughout. The Irish defensive line didn’t generate enough pressure on Luck, and Taylor had few problems finding holes to move through. … The Cardinal defense was better than the offense. Notre Dame didn’t do anything to move the ball on a consistent basis and did nothing against the run. … The Cardinal will almost certainly finish in the BCS top four and get an automatic BCS spot. At the very least, it should get into the Fiesta Bowl. 

Nov. 19 at Stanford 31 … California 28
CFN Analysis: Andrew Luck is doing wonders with a mediocre receiving corps. The Cardinal targets aren’t getting much separation in a plodding passing attack. … It was a sloppy game weather-wise, and the seven penalties and a big pick made the Cardinal work to put the rival away. It wasn’t the game needed to make anyone want to see them play for the national title, but in a weekend of major upsets, simply winning and moving on is enough. … The defensive front got into the backfield, but even with three sacks, Cal QB Zach Maynard didn’t seem bothers. Against Notre Dame, the pass rush has to dominate and force errors.  

Nov. 12 Oregon 53 … at Stanford 30
CFN Analysis: Stanford didn’t have the gamebreakers. With Chris Owusu out, the Cardinal receiving corps didn’t have anyone who could separate from the Duck secondary. Andrew Luck had to hang on to the ball a half-click longer than he wanted to, and he had to force his passes. … Simply put, the linebackers couldn’t handle Oregon’s running back speed. … The five turnovers were made from a desperate team straining to make something happen. The O had to because the D didn’t have any answers. … All is not lost. If the Cardinal can beat Cal and Notre Dame, and do it impressively, a BCS game is still there for the taking. It might not be the BCS Championship, but that wasn’t on the table if LSU and Oklahoma State both finish unbeaten. 

Nov. 5 Stanford 38 … at Oregon State 13
CFN Analysis: And now it’s time to finally focus on the really big game. Stanford didn’t exactly go through the motions against Oregon State, but coming off the USC thriller, this wasn’t exactly the team’s best performance needing to turn it on in the second half after the Beavers pulled within four. Andrew Luck threw a bad pick, but he made up for it with three touchdown passes and by keeping the chains moving as Stanford hung on to the ball for over 40 minutes. Seven different players ran for 28 yards or more on the way to 300 rushing yards, two scores, and a pounding performance that helped put the game away in the final 20 minutes. The defense wasn’t the problem, stuffing the Beavers for just 33 rushing yards and pressuring QB Sean Mannion all game long, but Oregon’s ground game is a wee bit more effective. 

Oct. 29 Stanford 56 … at USC 48 3OT
CFN Analysis: Now the Cardinal knows what it’s like to be in a battle. After so many blowouts against so many bad teams, this was important to test the team’s mettle, and Andrew Luck came through when the pressure was on and the stakes were the highest. Luck might like to focus on the pick six he gave up, but he coolly and calmly marched the team down the field in the final few minutes for the game-tying touchdown to force overtime, and then he and the attack were flawless. The line beat down on the tired USC defense, and the offense was a machine. The 11 penalties were way too many; there wasn’t enough of a pass rush from the defensive front; and the run defense got run over, but this was a brilliant win. Keeping focus at Oregon State is a must with the Oregon showdown to follow. 

Oct. 22 at Stanford 65 … Washington 21
CFN Analysis: Now is it time to finally believe that the Cardinal belongs in the national title discussion? Washington might not be LSU, but it’s a good, sound team that was red-hot coming into the game. A few big Chris Polk runs aside, the Cardinal was brilliant, cranking out 615 yards of total offense even though Andrew Luck only threw for 169 yards and two scores. Stepfan Taylor ripped off big runs to match Polk’s production, finishing with 138 yards on just ten carries, and Anthony Wilkerson and Tyler Gaffney also ripping off big runs. This was the first big test, and the hits keep on coming with a trip to USC up next. The Trojans are coming off a big win over Notre Dame, but if the Cardinal lines play like they did against the Huskies, there won’t be any problems coming away with another big win.  

Oct. 15 Stanford 44 … at Washington State 14
CFN Analysis: Andrew Luck actually screwed up and threw a bad pass. And then he completed 23 of his next 25 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns in a masterful performance. Once again, the Cardinal won with such shocking ease that it didn’t do the final score justice. At least, the team was unstoppable in the second half after taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room. The offense came out and Luck quickly moved the ball down the field and put the game away with a 28 point run. No one’s coming close to challenging Stanford so far, but it also hasn’t played anyone with a pulse. Beating Washington and USC over the next few weeks would bring more respect, but as long as Luck keeps playing like this, the BCS ranking will take care of itself.  

Oct. 8 at Stanford 48 … Colorado 7
CFN Analysis: As if Stanford needed to be stronger, Andrew Luck is red hot. He threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns spreading the ball around well and getting everyone involved, while the running game got a nice day from the combination of Tyler Gaffney and Stepfan Taylor to take the game home. There were a few mistakes and two turnovers, but it didn’t matter. The defense stuffed the Buffs cold, but the blowouts are coming from the offense with the line giving Luck ten days to throw and pounding away for the ground game. With three road games in the next four, including the USC game, the Cardinal will be tested a bit, but the team is humming at the right time and getting better by the week.  

Oct. 1 at Stanford 45 … UCLA 19
CFN Analysis: Stanford is a machine. Andrew Luck was nearly perfect against a good UCLA defense completing 23-of-27 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns, while Stepfan Taylor ran well pounding for 6.6 yards per carry running for 112 yards and two scores. The only was the Cardinal was going to blow this was with a slew of mistakes, but there weren’t any turnovers and the seven penalties weren’t a killer. Ball control was at a premium against a Bruin team that doesn’t have much offensive pop, and Luck came through helping to convert 10-of-14 third down chances. Stanford is flawless so far, but it’s untested. In three weeks is the Washington game, and there shouldn’t be any problems with Colorado or Washington State over the next two weeks.  

Sept. 17 Stanford 37 ... Arizona 10
CFN Analysis: It took a little while, and it wasn’t always breathtaking, but the Cardinal offense was brutally effective in a road blowout. The defense was tough and bruising, stuffing the Arizona running game and not allowing the game to get all that close even after the ten points allowed in the second quarter. The offensive line beat up the Arizona defense front, and Andrew Luck was Andrew Luck in an efficient, mistake-free performance. As good as the win was, the Cardinal suffered a bad loss with linebacker Shayne Skov getting knocked out with a knee injury, and the initial word is that it might be a season ender. Even with his loss, it should be smooth sailing over the next several games. If the Cardinal can keep playing this smart and this tough, there’s nothing to worry about until – possibly – the date at USC in late October.  

Sept. 10 Stanford 44 … at Duke 14
CFN Analysis: Andrew Luck threw a bad pick? That was about the only thing that went wrong against Duke, and while blowing up the Blue Devils and San Jose State is hardly anything special, the team is showing off a foot-on-the-throat attitude and it’s getting terrific play from the lines. The pass rush has been tremendous, and getting into the backfield hasn’t been a problem with 22 tackles for loss so far. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the Cardinal finally has to play someone who can run the ball, but so far, so good in the first two games post-Jim Harbaugh. A slight desperate Arizona is up next, and now Stanford will get to show just how good it really is.  

Sept. 3 at Stanford 57 … San Jose State 3
CFN Analysis: That’s exactly what you do with a team like San Jose State. Stanford didn’t mess around, it didn’t warm up, it came out guns blazing with Andrew Luck playing like Andrew Luck with a sharp 17-of-26, 171-yard, two score passing day with a touchdown. It was a balanced, efficient effort with the offense capitalizing on every chance and every opportunity. The run defense was dominant, holding the Spartans to 27 yards on 32 carries even though the defensive front didn’t do too much to get into the backfield with just four tackles for loss and a sack. The offensive firepower should continue with Duke coming up next before the Pac-12 opener against Arizona, and while next week should be an easy win, it would be nice to be pushed just a little bit more against a stronger offense. However, Duke is coming off a loss to Richmond. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Defensive linemen. The big splash will be about Kevin Hogan, with the hope that he’ll be ready to challenge for the starting job next year if and when Mr. Luck is done with his architecture career, and Remound Wright and Kelsey Young are dangerous backs who should add more flash than the Cardinal backfield has had in a while. David Shaw’s first class focused mostly on defensive linemen with two big, talented tackles in Lance Callihan and Anthony Hayes, and three good-looking defensive ends led by 6-6 Charlie Hopkins. The star of the defense, though, will either be middle linebacker James Vaughters or safety Wayne Lyons.

Five Stanford Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Kevin Hogan
6-4, 200, Scout.com’s 13th ranked quarterback.

2. LB James Vaughters
6-2, 232, Scout.com’s 7th ranked middle linebacker. Vaughters has natural size and ability that will make him a national recruit. He could end up at linebacker or defensive end on the next level. His strength, athleticism, and discipline are three very big strengths of his. He still could grow into a defensive end and that is where he plays now, so if he moves to LB in college, he will need to work on dropping back in coverage and shedding blocks on the second level.

3. S Wayne Lyons
6-1, 190, Scout.com’s 8th ranked safety.

4. OT Brendon Austin
6-6, 265, Scout.com’s 14th ranked offensive tackle. With good size and solid strength the Chaparral left tackle looks athletic and ready to play on the left side for the college of his choice, but he could easily play the right side as well. Along with his prowess on the field Austin is a strong student who has gained Academic All-State honors multiple times, meaning he will be able to quickly adjust and learn his blocking assignments once he is in college.

5. RB Remound Wright
5-9, 195, Scout.com’s 20th ranked running back. Runs with a low center of gravity and not giving defenders much to hit except knees and shoulder pads. Good patience in setting up his blocks. A good receiver out of the backfield, sometimes lines up in the slot receiver position. Wright has a thick lower body coupled with good balance makes him very good at breaking tackles as arm tacklers tend to slide right off of him. Good enough top end speed to finish a run.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Anderson, Kevin DE 6-4 245 Fr. HS Palo Alto, CA (Palo Alto HS)
Austin, Brendon OL 6-6 275 Fr. HS Parker, CO (Chaparral HS)
Cajuste, Devon WR 6-4 212 Fr. HS Seaford, NY (Holy Cross HS)
Callihan, Lance DT 6-3 295 Fr. HS Baton Rouge, LA (Catholic HS)
Crower, Evan QB 6-5 205 Fr. HS San Diego, CA (St. Augustine HS)
Harris, Ronnie CB 5-10 165 Fr. HS Atlanta, GA (Westlake HS)
Hayes, Anthony DT 6-3 290 Fr. HS Brooklyn Park, MN (St. Thomas Academy)
Hogan, Kevin QB 6-4 205 Fr. HS McLean, VA (Gonzaga College HS)
Hopkins, Charles DE 6-6 270 Fr. HS Spokane, WA (Gonzaga Preparatory)
Lyons, Wayne S 6-1 190 Fr. HS Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Dillard HS)
Montgomery, Ty WR 6-2 205 Fr. HS Dallas, TX (St. Mark's School of Texas)
Pippens, Ra'Chard CB 6-2 195 Fr. HS McDonough, GA (Ola HS)
Reihner, Kevin OL 6-4 290 Fr. HS Scranton, PA (Scranton Preparatory)
Richards, Jordan CB 5-11 192 Fr. HS Folsom, CA (Folsom HS)
Salem, J.B. DE/DT 6-4 260 Fr. HS Newport Beach, CA (Newport Beach HS)
Skov, Patrick FB/LB 6-1 244 Fr. HS Piedmont, CA (The Lawrenceville School)
Vaughters, James LB 6-2 235 Fr. HS Stone Mountain, GA (Tucker HS)
Wright, Remound RB 5-9 198 Fr. HS Fort Wayne, IN (Bishop Dwenger HS)
Young, Kelsey RB 5-10 190 Fr. HS Norco, CA (Norco HS)