On Wednesday, 2024 4-star point guard Elijah Crawford decommitted from Stanford and got released from his LOI (Letter Of Intent). Such a move is possible due to a coaching change as he signed with the Cardinal in November back when Jerod Haase was still the head coach. Crawford posted the following statement on his social media:
“After careful consideration and talking with my family and inner circle, I have decided to re-open my recruitment. I would like to thank Stanford University and the coaching staff for the opportunity. However, at this point my family and I believe it’s in my best interest to view all of my options while still considering Stanford.”
Crawford recently got bumped up to a 4-star and was the highest rated commit the Cardinal had in the 2024 high school recruiting class, making him a guy who new head coach Kyle Smith would like to have for next season. When asked about Crawford at his introductory press conference, Smith said he felt like Crawford is a guy who gets Stanford and was all-in. Obviously, that does not appear to be the case now that Crawford has re-opened his recruitment.
It’ll be interesting to see where Crawford ends up and whether or not Smith will be able to reel him back in. Given his point guard skills, it would be huge for Stanford to have him on the team next year. He would get a lot of playing time and be a major piece of the offense.
UPDATE: Crawford committed to BYU on Tuesday, May 21st. Word is former Stanford assistant coach Brandon Dunson played a real role in getting Crawford to commit to the Cougars. Obviously a legitimate loss for Stanford as Crawford was their most highly rated high school recruit in the 2024 class. With Crawford gone, look for junior Benny Gealer and sophomore Derin Saran (UC Irvine transfer rated a 4-star by Rivals) to carry the load at point guard next season. Both players should get a good run next season now that Crawford is officially off the board.
As for BYU, Crawford is a really nice get for them. For new head coach Kevin Young to add a talented freshman like Crawford in his first recruiting class has to feel good. It'll be interesting to see what Crawford does in a Cougar uniform and what kind of impact he makes as a freshman.
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