I put up just about this same post over at the UCLA site.

Shaw isn't the recruiter that Harbaugh was, and this year's class is a better reflection of what Stanford is likely to pull in over the next few years.

Stanford will slowly return to his pre-Harbaugh self over then next 3-4 years.

ndirish951 wrote: I really think David Shaw's career at Stanford will echo Jim Caldwell's in Indianapolis. He inherited a veteran team and had to do little more than keep the ball rolling. He brought in a great recruiting class last year largely on the merits of Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck. In the coming years I think we'll see that he just isn't the same quality of coach as his predecessor. It isn't really a knock against the guy because nobody has had sustained success at Stanford other than Harbaugh. People will argue that his current class was not highly regarded based on the number of spots available but upon closer inspection the class is not overflowing with highly sought after talent either. Stanford will slowly regress back to a 6 to 8 win football team as they have been throughout their entire history. Without Chase Thomas, Ertz, Toilolo and Stepfan Taylor, who are you afraid of on that team?

It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

Stanford's academic standards are the most rigorous in the country with it comes to student athletes.  I'm sure kids want to go there, they just may not have the grades.  

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

IrishFaithful01 wrote: Stanford's academic standards are the most rigorous in the country with it comes to student athletes.  I'm sure kids want to go there, they just may not have the grades.  

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

If you believe the stories that's how we got Niklas and TJ Jones

On top of that, Harbaugh is the kind of personality that could absolutely railroad an admissions director to see things his way.

Not sure David Shaw has that same "jerk quotient," Shaw seems like a much, much nicer guy. Maybe too nice. 

IrishFaithful01 wrote: Stanford's academic standards are the most rigorous in the country with it comes to student athletes.  I'm sure kids want to go there, they just may not have the grades.  

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

I don't think this is as much of a factor as you are making it out to be.  Stanford is a better academic school than ND in the overall scheme of things.  In terms of an undergraduate education for an athlete, however, the difference is minimal.  I would guess that less than 1% percent of High School students can truly appreciate the difference between a Stanford education and a Notre Dame education.  That would account for just a handful of 4 & 5 star football players, and they still have to consider other factors like location, coaching, depth chart, etc.

I know I would want my kids to go to ND over Stanford in almost every situation.

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

For me, it would depend on the kid. If I thought my elite athlete was also an elite student, then I might say Stanford is a good place for him to go, depending on his major.

If my elite athlete was only so-so academically, then I'd definitely pick ND, because their academic support seems second to none as best I can tell. At ND, I know he'd end up with a meaningful degree. Not as sure about Stanford.

Who am I trying to fool here? I'd probably end up suggesting the kid sign with NC State, just 'cuz that's where his brothers are!

A good 75% (probably more) of current D1 football players would never be admitted. It is quite amazing that they are able to be competitive. 

irishrasta87 wrote:

IrishFaithful01 wrote: Stanford's academic standards are the most rigorous in the country with it comes to student athletes.  I'm sure kids want to go there, they just may not have the grades.  

DEGorilla wrote: It baffles me that Stanford doesn't pull in strong classes each year, just based on its academic prestige. Wouldn't you want to go to Stanford? I bet there are a number of regular posters, Notre Dame fans, who would even encourage their supremely athletically gifted children to pick Stanford over Notre Dame.

If you believe the stories that's how we got Niklas and TJ Jones

I think Stanford being good is good for CFB.  However, I don't know how you can be competitive pulling in talent like that.  When $C could only bring in 12-15 kids a year the last couple years (before this year's defections), they brought in a lot of stud talent.  Curious to see how Shaw's talent evaluations and continual player development play out in a couple years. 

I think it's the beginning of their decline though.