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Unlike last year, there is no quarterback competition at Stanford. But the recently released post-spring depth chart does reveal some potentially interesting developments to eye-ball heading into fall.

Starting on offense -- there are only two running backs listed -- Anthony Wilkerson "or" Tyler Gaffney as the starter. Both are trying to replace three-time 1,000-yard rusher Stepfan Taylor, though it's widely believed the Cardinal will take more of a committee approach than they did last year, when Taylor led the Pac-12 with 322 carries. There is plenty of depth, albeit mostly inexperienced, behind Gaffney and Wilkerson.

Also of note offensively is the addition of Kevin Danser on the depth chart at center. He's slated to start at right guard, though there is also an "or" separating Khalil Wilkes, Conor McFadden and Danser at center. It will be interesting to watch in the fall if Danser continues to get work at center. And if he wins the job, it would allow the Cardinal to insert Josh Garnett into the starting rotation at guard. That would give the Cardinal a starting front of Andrus Peat (LT), David Yankey (LG), Danser (C), Garnett (RG) and Cam Fleming (RT).

With the news of Josh Nunes' retirement yesterday, Evan Crower is locked in as the backup to Kevin Hogan and, for now, Devon Cajuste looks like he'll start opposite Ty Montgomery at receiver.

Fullback Geoff Meinken also announced he'll retire after struggling to return from a knee injury that kept him out of 2012.

At tight end -- Stanford's go-to receiving position the last couple of years -- Luke Kaumatule and Davis Dudchock are separated by an "or." However both will probably get a ton of work in Stanford's two-tight-end sets.

Defensively, there are only two "ors" on the depth chart. Henry Anderson and Josh Mauro have a good competition going at defensive and Blake Lueders and James Vaughters are undecided at the outside linebacker spot to release Chase Thomas. Though the Cardinal rotate backers and defensive linemen so frequently that "starter" is more of an honorary title.

Worth noting also that Devon Carrington, who has spent his career at safety, is also listed as a backup with Usua Amanam at right cornerback behind Wayne Lyons. Amanam is Stanford's go-to nickelback and Carrington is also backing up Ed Reynolds.

Looking at the specialists, up for grabs is the punter, which could go to either Ben Rhyne or Conrad Ukropina. Montgomery looks set at kick return while it's a four-way race between him, Kodi Whitfield, Keanu Nelson and Barry Sanders to return punts.

You can see the complete depth chart here and interpret it as you see fit.

Ted Miller explains how a pair of Stanford Cardinal linemen could be breakout stars on each side of the trenches.

STANFORD, Calif. -- The first step in Stanford's national ascendancy was wearing blue shirts a mechanic would wear at the gas station. The message then-coach Jim Harbaugh was trying to deliver was simple: Sure, Stanford is one of the nation's elite universities, chock full of members of the privileged class. But the football team wanted to adopt a blue-collar mentality.

It was such an obsession for Harbaugh that he once congratulated a reporter for noticing the Cardinal seemed eager to sneak in a few shots after the whistle blew.

That was good enough for 8-5 in 2009, Year 3 under Harbaugh. It was the program's first winning record since 2001.

Over the next three years, however, Stanford won 35 games and lost five. The Cardinal were a missed chip-shot field goal from going 3-0 in BCS bowl games. Yet during that span the locker room theme was a lack of national respect. Players saw doubt from every angle: Could the program survive the loss of Toby Gerhart? Surely things are done now that Harbaugh is off to the NFL? A team simply can't replace Andrew Luck, can it?

Oh, and Stanford has an Oregon problem.

Doubts were addressed. Wins piled up. The Ducks were plucked in their own house last November.

Now it's the spring of 2013. Much to everyone's chagrin on the Farm, respect has arrived. Now just about everyone views Stanford as a top national title contender. Even SEC fans seem to tip their hats to the Cardinal's bruising brand of run-the-ball-and-play-tough-defense football.

Ah, but this is where the "C" word comes in. Stanford coach David Shaw knows his biggest enemy is complacency. His team taking winning for granted. His team feeling entitled. His team, well, acting like USC a year ago.

"You can't talk your way into winning games," Shaw said. "The circumstances that surround a game never matter. Only the game matters. We've done a good job as coaches here really beating that into the players' heads. The first question I asked guys before we started spring football was 'Are we collectively hungry?' You have to have that hunger."

Said linebacker Shayne Skov, "People have finally started to notice what we've been doing around here but we have to stick to the same plan we've had every single year, the same method. Guys are still hungry."

Hunger is good because talent is not the question. The Cardinal, which starts its second spring session April 1, welcomes back 16 starters from last year's Rose Bowl champions, including quarterback Kevin Hogan, who went 5-0 as the starter and was the quarterback of record in the clutch 17-14 overtime win at Oregon.

But returning starters doesn't tell the whole story, particularly on the offensive line, where four starters are back. Stanford has a troika of extremely talented sophomores who are fighting for starting jobs or at least playing time.

Andrus Peat -- 6-foot-7, 310 pounds and two years ago the nation's No. 1 prep offensive lineman -- is the likely starter at left tackle, which allows Morris Trophy winner David Yankey to move inside to his natural guard position. There are NFL teams that have weaker combinations on the left side of their line.

Meanwhile, Kyle Murphy is pushing Cameron Fleming at right tackle and is certain to see action at multiple positions and act as a sixth O-lineman when Stanford goes "big," as it is wont to do. Inside at guard, 317-pound Josh Garnett is in the mix, which could allow veterans Kevin Danser or Khalil Wilkes to take over at center.

However this crew stacks up, it's getting tested by the Pac-12's best defensive front seven. Suffice it to say, when Stanford goes full-go in practice, things get pretty salty.

Stanford's two biggest questions -- tight end and running back -- don't seem to worry many folks around the program. The return of Tyler Gaffney from pro baseball eased concern at running back, while there's young talent at tight end, not to mention a deeper crew at receiver.

Of course, Stanford is sharing its "national title contender" label with a familiar foe: Oregon. Winning the Pac-12's North Division might turn out to be nearly as difficult as winning the national title. But the Cardinal bucked its Oregon problem last year, and that victory still resonates, both as fact and symbol.

Every Stanford player or coach (or fan) quickly picks up the story when someone refers to the biggest play of that game, and perhaps of the college football season: Backup safety Devon Carrington slipping by De'Anthony Thomas to catch Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota from behind to prevent a long touchdown run in the first half.

"That play exemplified the heart and determination we are going to play with," Shaw said. "There also were multiple times we had a guy in space with Kenjon Barner and we tackled him. Last couple of years, we missed that tackle. You miss that tackle, and it's over."

Oregon could no longer simply outrun Stanford. And if Oregon can't outrun Stanford, no one can.

Stanford may still view itself as a blue-collar team, but it's moved into college football's penthouse. The question is no longer can it stay there. The new question is whether it can take the next -- and final -- step up.

It appears some players have stepped up during Stanford's first of two spring sessions, at least according to reports from the Stanford Daily -- here and here.

First, Evan Crower, a 6-foot-5, junior quarterback, is taking advantage of the injury absence of Josh Nunes to make a run at being Kevin Hogan's backup next fall.

Hogan is almost certain to be the starter based on the Cardinal's 2012 surge after he displaced Nunes, but backup quarterback can end up being the second most important player on your team -- just as soon as your starter gets hurt. And, seeing that Hogan isn't shy about running the ball, a backup who inspires confidence is critical.

It also appears that Stanford's super-sophomore class of offensive linemen is making its move.

Andrus Peat, a freakish specimen at a lean 6-foot-7, 310 pounds, is making his move to become the starting left tackle, which is allowing David Yankey, the 2012 Morris Trophy winner as the Pac-12's best offensive lineman, to move inside to his natural guard position. Further, with fifth-year senior Kevin Danser getting action at center, that is allowing Josh Garnett to see time at guard with the first-team.

The takeaway here is that Stanford is likely to have the most physically talented line in the Pac-12 in 2013. Again.

Other notables:

• James Vaughters, long touted but sometimes lost behind a deep corps of linebackers, seems to be finding a home on the outside in the Cardinal's 3-4 defense. Whoever wins the job opposite Trent Murphy figures to have some good opportunities to get to the quarterback as offenses fret Murphy's presence.
• Stanford lost its two top tight ends from 2012: Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Both are likely NFL draft picks, with Ertz probably getting tapped in the first round. Sophomore Luke Kaumatule is presently running with the starters.
• Sophomore receiver Kodi Whitfield, son of former Stanford and NFL offensive lineman Bob Whitfield, is playing with junior Ty Montgomery on the first team. Speedy sophomore Michael Rector also has made some notable plays.
• Fifth-year senior Usua Amanam and junior Ronnie Harris are pushing starting cornerbacks Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons. That's good, because Carter and Lyons are all-conference sorts of talents, and a team can never have too much depth in the secondary in the Pac-12.

LOS ANGELES -- Before a Stanford offensive lineman ever sees the field, he must first negotiate “The Room.” And The Room can be tougher than any drill, any conditioning program or even any defensive end or linebacker he will face. Because it’s in the The Room where line coach Mike Bloomgren not-so-silently passes judgment on who does or doesn’t have the chops.

And it’s not just Bloomgren. It’s the veterans, too -- Sam Schwartzstein, David Yankey, Kevin Danser – who will self-police and critique those who desire more playing time.

“Everything those guys get in that room is earned,” said Stanford head coach David Shaw. “And it’s a tough room. You walk in that room, you better have thick skin. Cause it’s not just Mike that’s going to get on you. Sammy’s gonna get on you. David Yankey’s gonna get on you. If you can handle that room and come out and perform, you deserve to play.”

For as much credit as Stanford gets for overcoming the losses of Toby Gerhart, Jim Harbaugh and Andrew Luck over the past few seasons, forgotten is that the offensive line has had to re-invent itself several times over with multiple standouts leaving for the NFL. The philosophy remains the same. But the personalities of each line have changed throughout the years.

“It starts in recruiting,” said Bloomgren, who began his career as a graduate assistant at Alabama and cut his teeth for four seasons as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets. “We were fortunate to plug in the three new guys last year and have them grow (Schwartzstein, Yankey and Cameron Fleming). Then you lose David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin a year early and it’s like, wow, now we have to do it again. David Yankey comes around and wins the Morris Trophy (given to the Pac-12's top lineman) and is a consensus All-American. It’s a compliment to those guys and how they work and striving to get better. They call themselves the Tunnel Worker’s Union. Those guys buy into that stuff.”

Along with assistant Ron Crook -- who manages the tight ends and offensive tackles -- Bloomgren also coordinates Stanford’s rushing attack, which has produced a three-time 1,000-yard rusher in Stepfan Taylor. And like any good running back, Taylor knows where his bread is buttered. He’s rushed for 1,000 yards behind three very different offensive line units.

“They are a lot more goofy than last year,” Taylor said. “They are great guys. I wouldn’t want to be behind any other line. They are physical, tough, smart and athletic. That’s the thing. They are really big athletic guys running around. It all starts with them and to win games, they have to do their job. And we are winning games so they are obviously doing their job.”

Stanford’s downhill, power-running approach is appealing to prospective offensive lineman. And the fact that they have offensive packages that involve as many as eight offensive linemen at a time is also attractive.

“For us, we’ve played one true freshman on the offensive line, up until this year, during the last five years,” Shaw said. “This year we’ve played three. And those guys have earned that. Andrus Peat, Kyle Murphy, Josh Garnett. Those guys have earned that. And those guys have taken some beatings in that room. Some verbal assaults, if you will.

“… There are a lot of places that play five starters and the rest of the guys watch. They’ve had success and that’s great. But we’re going to play eight -- at least eight -- just in the Rose Bowl. And we’ve been that way all year. If we can play nine, we’ll play nine. A young guy comes in and knows he’s going to have a chance to play. That he won’t sit on the bench for three years. If he does it right. If he can survive in our room, he’ll get a chance to play.”

Danser -- who became a full-time starter this year after seeing lots of time the last couple of years as a reserve -- has seen some great offensive linemen come and go. And he’s witnessed each season how the line has rediscovered a new identity and how each group takes on a life of its own.

“It really comes down to the work we do in the winter, spring and summer,” Danser said. “It really forms this unit. It takes leaders like Sam and leaders in the past like Chase Beeler, James McGillicuddy, David DeCastro, Jonathan Martin, Andrew Phillips. It’s that leadership that makes this a great unit.”

And the trio of freshmen who have made their debuts this year know they are getting their trial by fire on the field -- and in The Room.

“The coaches and the older guys won’t let anything slide,” Garnett said. “They always find something. Yankey tells me you have to find something. You never do it right. Always be nit-picky and find something you did wrong. That’s what we’re all about -- getting to that next level, never being content. You are always looking for the perfect block.”

While so much attention has been given to the Stanford quarterback situation, it's worth noting that the offensive line is still a bit of a rebuilding project.

But so far, head coach David Shaw said he's been pleased with some of his true freshmen offensive linemen -- specifically how they performed in the Cardinal's 50-13 win over Duke.

"They played very well," Shaw said. "Andrus Peat had his best day as a Stanford Cardinal on game day. He was outstanding. Kyle Murphy, I thought was off the charts too. Josh [Garnett] played very well, but I think the two tackles played extremely well and we're looking forward to getting those guys even more acclimated to college football and giving them more opportunities."

Those freshmen up front will be indoctrinated into Stanford's rivalry with USC this weekend when the No. 2 Trojans come to town. And Shaw has zero hesitation about playing them against a USC rush defense that is third in the conference -- but still considerably untested.

"No hesitation. Those guys have earned the right," Shaw said. "They understand their roles and we're still spoon-feeding them to a certain degree because we do a lot. We let them do what they've shown us they can do and that's expanding every week. Those guys have shown nastiness and athletic ability and they've shown the aptitude to handle what we give them. They are difference-makers up front and the way we need to run the ball and pass protect, we need to have guys like that on the field."

Stanford's defense also got a boost with the return of middle linebacker Shayne Skov -- who played his first game against the Blue Devils since injuring his knee in Week 3 last season at Arizona. Skov, who also was suspended for Week 1 because of an offseason DUI arrest, had five tackles and broke up a pass in his first game back. How close was he to the old Skov?

"Very close," Shaw said. "He ran extremely well, which is what I was waiting to see -- if he was going to be favoring the leg a little bit ... We were wondering about his conditioning. His conditioning looked good. We still spelled him with other linebackers that have played extremely well, but he showed flashes of being that same Shayne Skov."

It's Week 1, Game 1. And while most people aren't expecting tonight's opener against San Jose State to produce too much drama, there are still some questions surrounding the Cardinal, who enter the game ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the coaches' poll.

1. How will Josh Nunes respond? Not to the fact that he is now Stanford's starting quarterback, but to a negative play. And he's going to make some. Even Andrew Luck -- his predecessor -- wasn't perfect in any game last season and Nunes won't be either. There might be an interception, or a missed read or a missed opportunity to a wide open receiver. What about tipped passes? Luck had a few of those that went for picks last year. How will Nunes respond the first time something doesn't go his way?
2. [+] Enlarge
   AP Photo/Paul SakumaJosh Nunes replaces Andrew Luck as the Cardinal's starting quarterback.
   Running back rotation? We know Stepfan Taylor is going to get his carries -- probably more (at least early on) than he did last season. Wouldn't be shocked if he breaks 120 yards tonight. And, per the depth chart, Anthony Wilkerson will be the first guy off the bench in relief of Taylor. I'm curious to see who the Nos. 3 and 4 backs will be. Remound Wright or Ricky Seale?
3. Vanilla? Assuming the Cardinal are the superior team to San Jose State, and we're going to work under that assumption for now, the question is how much do David Shaw and Pep Hamilton open up the playbook? We know they don't want to put too much on film early -- especially with USC looming just a couple of weeks away -- but I'm sure they also want to test drive Nunes and see what he can do.
4. Which freshman makes an impact? Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy are locked in a battle for the starting tackle spot. But it could be Alex Carter who breathes life into a revamped secondary. A lot of people are also wondering if we're going to see Barry Sanders this season.
5. What will the offense look like? We know what Stanford wants to do -- and what they are probably going to do. But what will it look like? Will they pull out the three-tight end sets that worked so famously last season? With the versatile Ryan Hewitt out with an ankle injury (he saw some spot duty as a tight end last year in some formations) you wonder how multiple will the Cardinal be in Week 1? And that takes us back to question No. 3, do they even need to be multiple in Week 1?

Stanford coach David Shaw released his first depth chart of the season in anticipation of Friday's matchup with San Jose State. We all know that depth charts -- especially with a team that can play up to nine offensive linemen in a game -- can be pretty flimsy. But there are still a few things of note.

Some thoughts:

Offense

• It looks like we're probably going to see Andrus Peat and/or Kyle Murphy at some point at left tackle. David Yankey is listed as the starter, but he's also listed as the starter at left guard. Best guess is the frosh get some quality time the first two weeks.
• Kevin Danser appears to have secured the spot for now at right guard. He was one of those extra linemen last year that saw a lot of time.
• Levine Toilolo or Zach Ertz are listed as starters at tight end. That's not a commentary on one or the other. Both will start and both are fantastic.
• Brett Nottingham, as expected, is listed as the backup quarterback. Though Shaw has said he'll need to fight to keep that spot behind starter Josh Nunes.
• Fullback Ryan Hewitt isn't listed on the two-deep, but talking with someone in the know, this is just a reflection of his ankle injury. He'll likely be a game-time decision, though resting it for another week wouldn't be a terrible thing. UPDATED at 12:07 PT: Shaw said Hewitt will be out for the San Jose State game... so that settles that. Better to have him well rested, get some looks against Duke and be 100 percent for the USC game.

Defense

• Henry Anderson looks to be the new starter on the defensive line. You may recall his fleet-footed fumble return against San Jose State last year.
• Interesting to see James Vaughters as the starter ahead of Jarek Lancaster -- last year's team leader in tackles -- starting alongside A.J. Tarpley. Curious to see what happens when Shayne Skov comes back, whether it will be Skov and Vaughters, or Skov and Tarpley. Lots of good rotation at the position, though.
• Terrence Brown and Barry Browning are listed ahead of Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons, respectively. Wonder how long it will be before we see those flip-flopped -- or if we even will this season.

Special Teams

• Ty Montgomery will handle kick returns and Drew Terrell -- quietly one of the best in the conference last year -- will handle punt returns.
• The Cardinal finally have a new long snapper. It felt like Andrew Fowler had been playing college football since the Clinton Administration, so keep an eye on Reed Miller.
• Jordan Williamson returns as kicker, though, like last year, I wouldn't be shocked to see some competition when it comes to kickoffs.

Not sure if anyone caught this in Ted Miller's Pac-12 lunch links last week, but it's worth taking a look at.

Mighty Hank, a friend of the Stanford blog who does a great job with Go Mighty Card, projected a potential depth chart for Stanford in 2014 -- the first year college football will have its four-team playoff system.

Here's his projections:

• Quarterback: Brett Nottingham, RS Sr.
• Running backs: Kelsey Young, Sr.; Barry J. Sanders, Jr.; Remound Wright, Sr.
• Wide receivers: Ty Montgomery, Sr.; Kodi Whitfield, Jr.; Francis Owusu, So.
• Offensive line: Andrus Peat, Jr; Josh Garnett, Jr.; Kyle Murphy, Jr.; Nick Davidson, Jr.; Graham Shuler, Jr.
• Defensive line: Aziz Shittu, Jr.; Jordan Watkins, Jr.; Luke Kaumatule, Jr.
• Linebackers: AJ Tarpley, RS Sr.; James Vaughters, Sr.; Noor Davis, Jr.
• Defensive backs: Wayne Lyons, RS Sr.; Alex Carter, Jr.; Zach Hoffpauir, Jr.

As Hank points out, there really is no way to fully project what the team is going to look like two seasons from now. But here is my first thought: nasty!

Owusu is the only player mentioned from the 2013 class. It will be interesting to see where players like QB Ryan Burns, ILB Isaac Savaiinaea and OLB Doug Randolph factor in.

A little more from Hank:

With the experience of a three-year starter at quarterback in Nottingham, a possible Heisman candidate in Sanders, and the best offensive line in the country, the offense promises to be dominant. Defensively, the front seven will have the strength to stifle the best running backs the Pac-12 has to offer, even if Vaughters has already made the leap to the NFL, and the defensive backfield will be skilled enough to do more than just keep up. All three levels of the defense could be at or near the top of the conference.

The offensive line is what stands out most to me. It's one thing to project what kind of impact Peat or Murphy could make in the 2012 season -- where the Cardinal are still trying to plug a couple of holes on the line. It's another to imagine them -- with a couple of years experience -- starting alongside other big-time recruits from the 2012 class. This group won't all come up together, but will likely see some spot starts along the way.

Then you put Sanders behind them and you have a powerful, explosive running game that is the envy of every B1G program. And if some of the 2013 guys are as advertised, the defense will be SEC worthy.

Of course, when you look at the recruiting classes USC and Oregon have brought in the last two years and the projected 2013 classes of the Trojans, Ducks and Washington, it's clear that this won't exactly be an easy road for the Cardinal. Expect the Pac-12 to ultra-competitive in 2014 with Stanford right in the mix.

David Shaw has said many times that he was spoiled having Andrew Luck at quarterback. Now that Luck is gone, the Stanford head coach is getting back to his roots as a quarterbacks coach -- a position he held with two NFL teams.

Part of that means scaling back the playbook. With Luck, he could let his offensive imagination run wild. Now with a couple of quarterbacks with a total of zero college starts between them competing for the job, it's more about getting back to basics.

"It's really not frustrating, it's just coming back to reality," Shaw said, followed by a big laugh. "That's where I've been most of my career. That's where [offensive coordinator] Pep Hamilton has been for most of his career.

"I received a nice little shot from Lane Kiffin saying that his quarterback checks plays also -- which is great. That's what most good quarterbacks do. We just had a guy that was on a different level. Now we're just back to what is really the standard for college football. You have to have your quarterback get you out of bad plays and into good plays, which is what we're back to."

Shaw said he won't really know the identity of his offense until he settles the quarterback question -- and also plugs the hole at left tackle vacated by Jonathan Martin.

"At some point, we'll settle on a quarterback," Shaw said. "At some point, we'll settle on left tackle. It's hard to completely say who you are and what you're going to do until those places are settled."

In other post-spring news:

• Shaw said he's pleased with the progress of Kevin Danser and Khalil Wilkes at the right guard position -- though he wasn't ready to name a starter. When tackle Brendon Austin missed time, David Yankey moved from guard to left tackle and Danser and Wilkes played both guard spots.

"If nobody on campus takes that left tackle job or if one of the two younger guys [Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy] isn't ready, we could kick Yankey out there and be solid at both guard spots as we groom those young tackles."

• Just how deep is Stanford at linebacker? Well, Shaw was running off a list of names; Chase Thomas, James Vaughters, Shayne Skov, A.J. Tarpley, Kevin Anderson, Alex Debniak, Trent Murphy, Joe Hemschoot. Forgetting someone?

"What about Jarek Lancaster, coach?"

"Oh yeah, Jarek is playing great."

"OK, I didn't hear his name so I wanted to make sure he didn't transfer to Oregon or anything."

"No no. Please don't wish that upon me."

The moral of the anecdote is that Stanford is so deep at linebacker that Shaw forgot to mention the guy who led the Cardinal in tackles last season.

• Shaw also sang the praises of running back Ricky Seale, who had an outstanding spring session.

"We just played a spring game without our top three running backs and we found out that our fourth running back is good enough to start at a lot of places," Shaw said.

• With tight end Coby Fleener headed to the NFL, the Cardinal lose one-third of the Tree Amigos -- the vaunted tight end trio of Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Does that mean the Cardinal will move more toward the wide receivers being the primary receiving option?

"I personally don't really care about one group getting the ball over another," Shaw said. "I tell these guys all the time that I don't care who actually plays. It's whoever shows they can consistently make plays. We could easily become a three-or-four wide receiver team if that's the best group of guys and the most consistent and making big plays. Or we could be a two-tight-end team. Or a one tight end team. The offense will be whatever the personnel allows us to be."

Stanford head coach David Shaw has a lot to smile about after hauling in a top-15 recruiting class on Wednesday. With six ESPNU 150 players -- including three of the top offensive linemen in the country and athletic playmakers on both sides of the ball -- Shaw said his team fills much-needed holes and adds depth at other spots.

Here's part one of a Q&A with the second-year head coach.

What are your first impressions of this group?

David Shaw: This group has what we're looking for. We wanted to address the offensive line and make sure we had some more playmakers at the wide receiver position. We were going to take a running back if he was a difference-maker. That's what Barry (Sanders) is. Defensively, to be able to come in with the defensive line we've put together in this class, I think is a credit to our coaches and our coaching style and our scheme that these guys are excited to come play for us. Then to get a couple of the top defensive backs at the safety and corner position in the nation is really exciting.

So the offensive line was a target position this year? It didn't just work out that way. You guys were going after linemen all the way?

DS: No question. We hadn't gotten enough in the last couple of years. As well as we've played, we haven't been deep. Thankfully for our strength and conditioning program, our guys have stayed pretty healthy so we haven't had to play down to our younger guys. We needed depth, especially with two guys leaving early for the draft. We needed guys to come in and compete right away and I think we've brought some guys in that can do that.

Coach (Mike) Sanford tweeted after Andrus Peat announced: "Our staff reaction was priceless!" What does priceless mean and what was the reaction?

DS: It's something you don't feel in the NFL. You draft a guy and you know he's there and you draft him and you get excited. But to sit there waiting and not knowing for sure. Having a good feeling, but not knowing for sure that he was coming to us. Then the announcement was made and we saw the hat. Guys were jumping up and down and pumping fists and high fiving. It was pretty loud. I think it was heard pretty much around the building. Not too much longer, we had the same reaction when Kyle Murphy did his announcement. We jumped up and down and high fived and guys were yelling. It's been a special, special day for us because these guys are our type of guys. They aren't prima donnas that want to come in on a silver platter. The guys we've been recruiting, they want to come in and work and earn what we give them.

How exciting will it be to see these offensive linemen grow together?

DS: It's going to be exciting. Anytime you start with a player that does the things you can't teach -- size and athletic ability and flexibility and nastiness -- that's when it's really fun as a coach because now you are teaching the finer points of the game. The techniques and the calls. You're not trying to make up for something ability wise the player doesn't have. This group is really exciting. I think they are humble and they are hungry. The guys on our team are going to welcome them in as true competitors and teammates. It will be a fun group to work with.

You talked about having "that feeling," how confident were you leading up to the Barry Sanders announcement?

DS: Very. I think when Barry came to campus for the first time, I think it opened his eyes. I think he saw a place -- like so many guys on our team and committed to us -- the first time on campus it hit them that this is a place they are looking for. It hit them that there is a place out there that is first in academics but doesn't slight in the football category. That's what Barry saw. Barry Sanders is a famous individual. And to be able to sit down and have lunch with Andrew Luck, who is also a famous individual, for people to recognize him, but not bother him -- you're sitting in a place where there are a lot of people that are famous in their own rights in what they do and are really good at what they do. There is an environment that is very comforting to a guy like that who does have some fame and some notoriety to be around people that are just like him.

Noor Davis committed early and was so outspoken in support of the program to other recruits -- how much does it help when you have a guy who is going to sell the program for you and hasn't even signed his letter yet?

DS: I think every program in the nation always has one or two of those guys who commit early and is determined to help build the class. Noor has a lot nicknames around here for us. My favorite one is "The Senator." We're talking about a big kid who is imposing physically and extremely intelligent and very well-spoken, very thoughtful in every word that he says, but also very convincing. When you have a guy like that that can be talking to other recruits, he's an example of what we're looking for. Much like Andrew Luck before him and guys we have now that can talk to other recruits and give them an example of what a Stanford man is.

Heading in to signing day, no one really knew where offensive lineman Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) was headed. He was one of the big mysteries in the 2012 class and had narrowed his choices to Nebraska, Stanford and USC after also considering Florida State and Texas.

After thanking God, his family, his coaches and all the schools that recruited him, the 6-foot-7, 300-pound Peat grabbed the Cardinal hat and said he would be attending Stanford next fall.

Read more from Greg Biggins here.

And now, the cherry on the big man sundae.

Kyle Murphy (San Clemente, Calif.), the No. 4 offensive tackle in the country committed to Stanford, giving the Cardinal three elite offensive linemen in this class. The 6-6, 270-pound tackle is the seventh offensive linemen in the class.

Murphy joins Andrus Peat (No. 2 OT) and Joshua Garnett (No. 3 OG) on an offensive line group that now has to be considered the nation’s best.

Murphy was also considering USC. Peat announced earlier today and Garnett announced last week he was picking Stanford over Michigan.

Stanford’s offensive line is looking better and better by the hour.

Andrus Peat (Tempe, Ariz.), the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, announced he’s headed to Stanford. He's the fifth ESPNU 150 player to commit to the Cardinal.

“It’s an offensive lineman’s dream,” Peat said during his announcement.

The five-star tackle, who stands 6-7, 300-pounds, joins an offensive line class that includes highly-regarded linemen Joshua Garnett and Nick Davidson, among others.

Peat was also considering USC, Florida State and Nebraska. Wearing a red tie (giveaway?), he pulled out the Stanford hat, giving the Cardinal, arguably, the strongest offensive line recruiting class in the country.

As you'd expect, things are picking up with national signing day just around the corner. A lot has happened in the past few days.

First, there was the commitment of offensive lineman Josh Garnett. If you haven't heard, scroll down a couple of inches.

There was also the de-commitment of Jontrey Tillman, who spoke with Mike Coppage of scout.com about failing to gain admission.

I was crushed about it. Because that's where I really wanted to be: at Stanford. He ([Stanford coach Lance] Anderson) told me good luck and said he would try to find out more about it.

I was overwhelmed. At first, I didn't want to go play basketball -- I had a game that night -- and I didn't want to play. My plan was to stay in the house but Coach Antoine came and got me out of the house. I'm glad he did, because my teammates helped me feel better - even though they didn't know what was going on at the time.

Per the article, Tillman might not declare next week and instead weigh his options. That's probably the smart move. He obviously had his heart set on Stanford so no need to make rash decisions about the future when your head isn't completely right. He still has offers from New Mexico, Memphis, SMU and Southern Miss.

With a reported 4.0 grade point average, he's obviously a bright young man and the Cardinal coaching staff saw enough in the two-star athelte to make him an offer which leads me to believe he'll land on his feet.

On the lighter side, the folks at RecruitingNation rolled the dice and made their predictions on where the remaining five- and four-star prospects would end up.

If you believe Greg Biggins, Jamie Newberg and Damon Sayles, offensive tackle Andrus Peat, ranked N0. 9 in the ESPNU 150, is headed to Stanford.

Five of seven recruiting analysts have offensive tackle Kyle Murphy (No. 27) picking Stanford over USC.

On the defensive line, four of the seven analysts have Aziz Shittu picking Stanford over USC and Cal.

Also, if you missed this on the Pac-12 blog Thursday, Stanford was rated as one of the top five out-of-state recruiting schools in a study conducted by RecruitingNation and LaRue Cook of ESPN The Magazine.

Writes Cook:

The Cardinal just can't compete with USC and UCLA for California's top talent, signing only two of the state's 73 ESPNU 150 recruits from 2007-11. But when Jim Harbaugh landed [Andrew] Luck, it proved that top prospects will travel to Palo Alto. After Harbaugh left for the 49ers, new head coach David Shaw convinced 2011's No. 2 ILB James Vaughters (Tucker, Ga.) to stick with Stanford, and the Cardinal currently have three out-of-state ESPNU 150 preps committed for 2012, including top-25 overall prospect OLB Noor Davis (Leesburg, Fla.).

The Cardinal had players from 27 different states on the roster this past season.