Four-Star CB Picks Stanford Over Alabama

Stanford has been on the rise when it comes to recruiting top-tier talent. Four seasons in a row, the Cardinal have struggled to win games, going 3-9 in each season. However, the Cardinal are making changes that make them look like they may be back in the conversation of the college football world not too long from now.

In the offseason, Stanford hired Andrew Luck as general manager of the football program and brought in interim head coach Frank Reich. The early returns on this pair have been terrific on the recruiting front, with Stanford ranking No. 33 in the nation for their 2026 class, according to On3/Rivals.

This week, four-star corner Lasiah Jackson officially committed to Stanford. It is the Cardinal’s third four-star of the cycle, a very impressive feat for a program that has struggled so much in recent years. But what may be even more impressive are the schools that Jackson chose Stanford over.

Some of the schools that had offered Jackson include Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Auburn, Michigan, Miami, Ole Miss, and Georgia. Those are some powerhouse college football programs, which really makes you wonder what else could be in store for the Cardinal. So far, the strides the program is making have been quite impressive.

Standing 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Jackson recorded 54 tackles last season at Leesburg High School, including four tackles for loss. For a cornerback, that is pretty impressive. Although he recorded just one interception, his two sacks show some of his versatility on the defensive side of the ball.

Cornerback Collin Wright will be entering his senior year at Stanford in 2025, so having someone with Jackson's talent ready to add to the roster for 2026 will be huge.

This is an incredible turn for Stanford football. Getting big-time players, out-recruiting huge football schools that don't have the same academic standards, and becoming a dominant west coast force in recruiting, the 2026 Cardinal recruiting class looks more like Stanford’s prime days, where stars would tear up the field and the stands were packed.

This is not just a commitment, this is a change in culture; a change in Palo Alto where players are bought in to build this program back up. It will take a few seasons, but the Stanford Cardinal are on the right path to be back not only to be in the bowl game conversations, but potentially even contending for the national championship if these types of moves become more frequent.