What a Strong Recruiting Class Means for the Future of Stanford Football

The future is looking bright for Stanford football. Despite being a period of major uncertainty, firing head coach Troy Taylor in late March in favor of interim, Frank Reich, the Cardinal have continued to build for the future--with general manager, Andrew Luck, leading the charge.

With a lot of strong talent secured for 2025--and even stronger class for 2026--Stanford Cardinal football is trending in the right direction. What does it mean for the long term health of the program?

Even with a long-term solution at head coach still to be determined, the Cardinal have managed to land a lot of top talent, with all of them buying in despite many questions still facing the program. That says a lot, showing the strong chemistry and camaraderie that each player has managed to create with each other.

For whichever coach gets the permanent job, that will make rebuilding the program a whole lot easier. It also means that college players are buying in on the vision that Luck has set before them.

In this era of college sports, where players frequently use the transfer portal and look for strong NIL and exposure opportunities, securing top talent for a school like Stanford that isn't a traditional powerhouse says a lot.

Once a top program in college football, the Cardinal have gone 3-9 in four straight seasons, having struggled mightily to adapt to the new era of college football. But by securing strong recruits right now, Luck is showing that he is serious about the team getting back to the top and has provided an environment that players feel confident going to.

2025 is a big year for the Cardinal program. If Reich is able to defy expectations and lead the Cardinal to either a bowl game or to a much improved season, not only does that beg the question as to whether or not he should be the long term coach--who, as a former NFL player and coach, could really help with development and helping his players reach the next level--but it also raises the ceiling for the program tremendously given all of the talent coming in.

Among the top recruits that the Cardinal have signed for 2026 are four-star safety Lasiah Jackson, four-star athlete Ryelan Morris and three-star wide receiver, Daylen Sharper. All three of those recruits committed to the Cardinal over offers from other elite schools including Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Oregon and LSU--programs that have not only consistently been in the top-25 in recent seasons, but who have also produced numerous first round draft picks.

When Jackson, Morris and Sharper all come in, they could be the faces of the program right out of the gate.

When he got the job, Luck did not shy away from expressing his eagerness about bringing Stanford back to where they were when he was the quarterback and from the looks of things so far, it would not be a surprise to see Stanford football return to prominence in due time.