reportedly said by Coach prime, RE: Shaduer, Travis & Shiloh...

if true, pathetic...

Spreadsheet Link

It's that time again

We had a flurry of follow activity over the past week. Will keep track of offers in this post and update the sheet with follows as they come in.

Confirmed Offers:

• Brown CB Isaiah Reed (grad)
• Dartmouth CB Jordan Washington (grad)
• Princeton OL Will Reed (grad)
• Princeton OL Tommy Matheson (grad)
• Tulsa OL Walter Young Bear (grad)
• UCF OL Marcellus Marshall (grad)
• New Mexico RB Eli Sanders (grad) --> USC
• Wisconsin DL James Thompson Jr (grad)
• FAU RB CJ Campbell (grad) --> Rutgers
• North Texas OL Tyler Mercer (UG)
• Fresno St CB Julian Neal (UG) --> STANFORD
• Georgia St OL Lamar Robinson (grad)
• Nevada OL Tyson Ruffins (UG) --> STANFORD
• Villanova RB David Avit (UG)
• Miami-Ohio CB Raion Strader (UG) --> Auburn
• Idaho ILB Jaxton Eck (UG)
• Wake Forest OL Keagen Trost (grad)
• Eastern Michigan OL Broderick Roman (grad)

Stanford transfer portal tracker.

Preview is here.

It's a new month and a new year. Time for a new recruiting notes thread for Stanford football. There was news dropped all the way until the last day of December, so make sure to check the December thread here if you missed anything.


If you missed who Stanford signed for their 2025 class in the month of December, click here.


If you missed any transfer portal action, check out the Rivals transfer portal tracker here, the transfer portal recruiting thread here, and the Stanford transfer departures thread is here.

Preview is here.

Read that here.

This morning I saw some videos talking about contracts for Pro College Football players. I don't use social media, so don't see much of what goes on, but one video I saw showed countless social posts about deals different players are signing. And renowned agent Drew Rosenhaus was on Pat McCafee this week talking about how he now recruits clients in High School. Then I see a thread on this board...

Complaining (in Tuna thread) that Taylor (or is it Luck, since he is GM), isn't bringing in difference makers as transfers any more than he is recruiting them. Let's be real here. There are two primary variables that are going to decide if a player goes to Stanford:

- Money to play Football
- Ability to get admitted into school

Most Stanford fans seem to be against paying players and want only academic powerhouses to be admitted to the school and rostered.

Are the people complaining about the latest RB and TE transfers, aware the vast majority of difference makers will not have the academic profile to be admitted to Stanford? Does it occur to them that maybe these "not needle movers" are the only players available who can get admitted, and with lower academic hurdles, Stanford would be able to get the difference makers?

A quote from Nick Saban that I am paraphrasing for simplicity:

Years ago, we had players not getting paid who didn't do well in school and didn't have good futures if there NF didn't work out. We tried to fix that, by emphasizing the academics more, and telling players that they will be developed over a few years. We'd improve them as players and try to prepare them for the NFL, but if they didn't have that ability, they'd at least graduate and be set up for a better future. Then NIL with transfer portal came along and now if you aren't playing, you don't want to stay and develop. You want to move on to the next place that will give you a chance to play and pay your right away. And we are back to nobody caring about the school part of it because now they are getting paid to play as professionals in college.

Stanford is operating in a world where fewer and fewer players care about school. As the money increases, this number will only further shrink. At the same time, the money IS increasing. Every player is a free agent every year. This is a built-in price escalator. When players weren't paid, it was difficult for Stanford to get academically qualified difference-making players. Now? I wouldn't be surprised if Lifetime Cardinal has a huge war chest waiting to pay 3.5 GPA whales, but the money is just sitting in an account somewhere because such players don't exist any more.

How can anyone here complain about the lack of difference-making transfers, if they at the same time want to only admit academic powerhouses? Admissions requirements are set by the NCAA. Virtually every school Stanford is competing with uses 10 inch hurdles. A few use 12 inch (Cal, Notre Dame, maybe Duke, Vandy, a few others), but Stanford insists on 18 inches and is the only one who requires them be traversed to play College Football. You can get paid millions of dollars just clearing the 10 inch ones, and there are enough guys who actually do a little more than minimum who can clear 12 inches. Why would you bother training for the 18 inch hurdles that are difficult and not necessary, when if you do, especially if you get less money when you do? And if you say "they are there for school," that's a problem too. Because that means they aren't committed to football and playing against teams of guys who are.

Last night, watching the Washington-Tampa Bay game, in the intros, Bobby Wagner introduced himself as an alum of Utah State and also mentioned Howard University. I found that curious, and then one of the announcers said he's pursuing an MBA, is starting his second semester, and got straight A's in his first semester. There is a lesson here. Don't force people to do things they don't want to do for arbitrary reasons. Let them excel at what is important to them and if they prioritize education, they will pursue it, of their own volition.

I don't want to hear about "you don't get Stanford." That's not what this is about. It is about Stanford competing in a marketplace where the rules and practices it takes to be relevant are not decided by Stanford. If Stanford wants to compete in this market, it is up to Stanford to play by the market's rules, not its own. If Stanford doesn't want to conform to the market's rules, it shouldn't be in the market.

Why not allow the guys who WANT Stanford and can be difference-makers, to be admitted (and paid), if they can only clear the 12 inch hurdles? That's still better than most, and at the end of the day. There must be many players who never thought Stanford was a possibility in high school or even initially in college, who might decide they want Stanford as a transfer, and are capable of thriving there once they are actually given the opportunity. Athletes are accustomed to having to raise their performance, and typically have the discipline and work ethic needed to succeed at anything they do.

7 of the pre-season top 15 are in the conference

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Read that here.

Ben -

I'm sure you don't need to be told that we'd be interested in Andrew Luck's views based on his time so far in the GM position.

When might we expect to hear something from him? Will he be available to take questions from you and others?

Does he have any involvement with the Department's finances? Do we have the funds we need to compete as a P4 team?

Thanks.

Read that here courtesy of Adam Friedman.

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Stanford transfer portal tracker.

ESPN has Stanford projected to start Elijah Brown at QB next season. I sure hope he was hurt during the action he got this past year because it was ugly.

FWIW this article has Cal starting a True Freshman the kid from Hawaii.

Could be a lot of inexperience at the QB position in the Bay later on this Fall -- not ideal.

Stanford Cardinal​

2025 starter: Elijah Brown, redshirt freshman

Why he'll start: ESPN's No. 231 prospect and No. 11 pocket passer in the Class of 2024, Brown completed 58.3% of his passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns to three interceptions in three games as a freshman. Those three appearances leave Brown as Stanford's most experienced returning quarterback following the portal departures of Ashton Daniels (Auburn) and Justin Lamson (uncommitted). Brown, the highest-rated offensive signee under coach Troy Taylor, carries plenty of potential, but the Cardinal will be asking the 6-foot-2 quarterback to make a big leap in his second college season, especially around his accuracy and decision-making.

Competition: After Brown, three-star freshman Bear Bachmeier is the most promising member of the program's quarterback depth. He's the brother of former Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier and Stanford wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier, and the younger Bachmeier joins the Cardinal as ESPN's No. 11 dual-threat passer in the 2025 class following a high school career that saw him throw for 6,463 yards with 86 total touchdowns.

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...rterbacks-college-football-power-4-teams-2025

Alum and longtime Stanford fan who also had the pleasure of working within the AD establishment, particularly among other responsibilities helping bring some of those '84 Olympic events and the '85 Super Bowl to Stanford Stadium. One of the Good Guys!

Supposedly D’onafrio fired (ILB coach). Players are very unhappy with the decision. Sh*t is about to hit the fan.

First meet of the year vs Cal. 318.xx to 303.xx win.

The scoring system has changed significantly this year. Only four athletes per event in NCAA meets. Only 8 skills per event instead of 10 (this change is international as well. I cannot figure out why.).

Stanford will be ranked #1 after the first week. Oklahoma within a tenth of a point or two.

Read that here.

Read that here.

Jon Gruden here saying Luck was the perfect Quarterback. Bruce Arians said the same thing.

Still a very painful "what if" for the Stanford Football and Ind Colts communities

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Memphis TE Brendan Doyle has confirmed to me that he has committed to Stanford. He hasn’t gone public yet, but he’s in. Stats are here. More to come in my write up.

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3* Edge commits to Stanford on his birthday..

Good Grief

Those advisors and special committees are knocking it out of the park. First rate all of the way. Maybe our teams can just hitchhike back from ACC Conference games.

Read that here.