[BostonCard]

I do think it is fair to wonder why we have a hole in our ILB pipeline.
2019: Sinclair, Danumi (returning from mission)
2018: Magnum-Farrar and Miezan (a nice, late find; we need more of these types)
2017: nobody
2016: nobody
2015: Branch, Barton (returning from Mission)
2014: Perez
2013: Kalambayi, Palma

Basically, we took two years off from recruiting inside linebackers.  Those would have been juniors and seniors now, and would be anchoring the center of our defense.  Yeah, you don't always get qualified a-list guys who are natural fits for Stanford.  But then in those cases you have to work so you don't have to consecutive donuts in recruiting.  That means maybe a guy who might not have been leaning towards Stanford gets more recruiting effort than he would have otherwise, because you can't afford to have to have two consecutive holes in your recruiting classes.  Maybe you make a personal appeal to admissions, or work hard to get the recruit to take and retake and retake and retake their tests until they get in (worked for Harbaugh, but Shaw doesn't like to push admissions).  Or maybe you scour the country for guys like Miezan, who are super athletic but might have come to football later and are still raw, or guys who are maybe a touch undersized for the position and you work with your S&C to bulk them up.  Or maybe you take a flyer on a guy who was injured and couldn't camp with you.  Or maybe you recognize the impending hole and institute a position change early in someone's career, not after they've been here three years.

Yes, it would be great if you could find a recruit who ticked off all the boxes: blue chip football player, straight a student with stellar test scores, has loved Stanford since birth, but sometimes you are going to have to take players who meet two of the three and are borderline on the third just so that you are not in a situation three years later where your starting inside linebackers are a converted safety and a converted outside linebacker.

BC

[BostonCard]

I do think it is fair to wonder why we have a hole in our ILB pipeline.
2019: Sinclair, Danumi (returning from mission)
2018: Magnum-Farrar and Miezan (a nice, late find; we need more of these types)
2017: nobody
2016: nobody
2015: Branch, Barton (returning from Mission)
2014: Perez
2013: Kalambayi, Palma

Basically, we took two years off from recruiting inside linebackers.  Those would have been juniors and seniors now, and would be anchoring the center of our defense.  Yeah, you don't always get qualified a-list guys who are natural fits for Stanford.  But then in those cases you have to work so you don't have to consecutive donuts in recruiting.  That means maybe a guy who might not have been leaning towards Stanford gets more recruiting effort than he would have otherwise, because you can't afford to have to have two consecutive holes in your recruiting classes.  Maybe you make a personal appeal to admissions, or work hard to get the recruit to take and retake and retake and retake their tests until they get in (worked for Harbaugh, but Shaw doesn't like to push admissions).  Or maybe you scour the country for guys like Miezan, who are super athletic but might have come to football later and are still raw, or guys who are maybe a touch undersized for the position and you work with your S&C to bulk them up.  Or maybe you take a flyer on a guy who was injured and couldn't camp with you.  Or maybe you recognize the impending hole and institute a position change early in someone's career, not after they've been here three years.

Yes, it would be great if you could find a recruit who ticked off all the boxes: blue chip football player, straight a student with stellar test scores, has loved Stanford since birth, but sometimes you are going to have to take players who meet two of the three and are borderline on the third just so that you are not in a situation three years later where your starting inside linebackers are a converted safety and a converted outside linebacker.

BC