The recruiting cycle for #CardClass22 was a rollercoaster unlike any we had previously experienced. These recruits endured a 15-month NCAA dead period (no permissible campus recruiting visits) that started in the spring of their sophomore year of high school and stretched to the end of their junior year. That same window is when most college football recruits in non-pandemic times would normally make their decisions.
The recruits in the class of 2022 experienced two distinct recruiting journeys: 1) remote recruiting prior to June 2021; and 2) campus recruiting visits that followed.
Stanford leaned heavily on 'virtual visits' throughout that dead period, meeting on Zoom with recruits and their families to share conversations, videos and presentations while engaging face-to-face on screens. While nothing else matches visiting Stanford in person and experiencing the Cardinal campus, people and atmosphere firsthand, we built a strong foundation with our recruits during the dead period. Two recruits jumped in the boat early as our first commits in late 2020: tight end Sam Roush from Nashville, Tenn. and running back Arlen Harris from Wentzville, Mo.
"From my talks with Coach [Ron] Gould and other coaches, I just really felt at home," says Arlen. "It was difficult because I wanted to be right. Coach Gould and the rest of the staff made that much easier for me. I feel wanted at Stanford and I truly believe that we can make an impact."
"I committed in 2020 before I took my visit," says Sam, "but I just knew that I had always wanted to play football for Stanford. And it was at the academic level I was looking for."
For most of our recruits, there were questions that could only be answered on a campus recruiting visit.
"Stanford stood out during both phases of my recruitment, whether it was how frequently the coaches developed a relationship with me over the phone and Zoom or how they made me feel at home during my visit," says tight end C.J. Hawkins from Tampa, Fla. "Before visiting, I was unsure about how I'd fit in or how the players were treated. After the visit, I was blown away by the atmosphere, the vibe of the team and the coaching staff. That made me confident that Stanford was where I wanted to be."
"Stanford became a frontrunner in my recruiting process when I got a grasp on what exactly there was to offer," says offensive tackle Fisher Anderson from Franklin, Tenn. "I realized that the prestige of the school made it an obvious contender in my commitment, but I was unsure of their athletic piece. Then I got on campus for a visit and saw firsthand that the academic greatness of the university doesn't diminish the sports. Instead it yields incredible success on the field."
The NCAA permitted campus official visits for just 27 days in June and did not resume them until September. Stanford commitments started pouring in June 28, and by September 1, the Cardinal had landed 17 of the eventual 21 scholarship commits in #CardClass22.
One of the biggest splashes in that span came from outside linebacker Ernest Cooper from Arlington, Texas. Rated a five-star prospect by PrepStar, Ernest joins a legacy of elite Texas talents to leave the Lone Star State for Stanford: Andrew Luck, Solomon Thomas, Walker Little and more. Ernest was coveted by and took official visits to Texas A&M (consensus #1 class in 2022) and Ohio State (#4).
One critical event in Ernest's recruiting journey that stood apart from the rest of this Stanford class came in early March 2020. Just days before the world stopped, Ernest as a young high school sophomore took a Junior Day visit at Stanford. Unlike every other 2022 recruit, he had the benefit of meeting our coaches and players, seeing campus and experiencing Stanford's culture before the dead period. Ernest carried that with him throughout the next 15 months of remote recruiting, and it may have made the difference come Signing Day.
"The first visit was very crucial in my decision making because it was my first impression of the campus atmosphere and the type of people there that I would be working side by side with," says Ernest. "It was an eye-opener to see the differences Stanford had compared to the other campuses beforehand. Without that first visit, I'm not completely sure if I'd be in the position I'm in today."
Defensive end Jaxson Moi from San Diego, Calif. similarly felt a game-changing impact when he visited Stanford. Unlike most of his classmates who took their Stanford official visits in June, Jaxson committed to Cal and only made it to the Farm for the first time in October. Our patience in recruiting Jaxson paid off.
"Taking my official visit really solidified my decision, as I got to experience the family atmosphere and got to witness the amazing locker room that I'd get to surround myself with the next four years," says Jaxson.
"Though I committed elsewhere, Stanford was still persistent in texting and calling me, letting me know how much they were excited about my possible presence at Stanford," he adds. "With some schools, I had a certain deadline as to when I could commit. But with Stanford, I did not have to rush my decision because they expressed how much they wanted me."
The final decision in #CardClass22 was an exclamation point, when outside linebacker David Bailey from Irvine, Calif. committed to Stanford in December. David was the California Defensive Player of the Year and the top consensus-ranked national recruit signed by Stanford in this class. His decision came down to USC, doggedly pursued both by the previous Trojan staff and the new regime. Early enrollment was a critical factor for David, and he admits that Stanford's new pilot program for early enrollees may have given the Cardinal the final edge in his decision. His June official visit was the other catalyst that sparked his Stanford decision.
"After the campus visits were concluded is when Stanford moved up in my list," says David, currently halfway through his first quarter on The Farm. "They were always a school I had my eye on, so it didn't take much for me to be sold on the idea."
Now well into the 2023 cycle, we are merging both phases of recruiting from #CardClass22. Virtual visits and campus visits alike are creating impact in tandem, as Stanford seeks to engage and inspire the best and brightest across the nation again this year.