Big Visit a hit for the 2019 class; what's next for them at Stanford?

Twenty 2019 recruits signed with Stanford Dec. 19 and all 20 were at Stanford last weekend for the "Big Visit". The consensus of the visitors is that it was a great experience.

The 20 signed scholarship recruits were joined by signed preferred walk-on kicker Ryan Sanborn and preferred walk-on inside linebacker target Drew Fowler. Returning LDS missionary Levani Damuni will join the class in June but was not on the visit.

Almost as if they coordinated their answers the No. 1 highlight for every recruit who responded to Cardinal Sports Report was the opportunity to bond with their classmates. It was the first time meeting for several of the recruits and in Marcus Graham's case his first time on campus.

Wide receiver Colby Bowman: "(The visit was) absolutely amazing! We all hit it off quickly. It was awesome to get the WR corps together and go over some of the playbook with Coach (Bobby) Kennedy. How humble and like minded we all are (stood out among Bowman, Elijah Higgins and Graham). It seemed like we all have the same interests and we all hit it off right away."

It's common for Stanford recruits, especially ones who reach the stage of seriously considering the school, to bond together quickly. The young men tend to share a common outlook about academics and what they want to accomplish beyond football.

Tight end Bradley Archer: "The biggest thing that stuck out to me was how well our group is clicking. We did some team building and leadership exercises that were a lot of fun and educational. I knew this was a good group but this trip and the activities firmed it up. These guys are like my brothers already. We also spent a lot of time with the coaches who were with us pretty much non-stop. We spent (Saturday) morning with professors, who were so inspiring. The trip made me even more excited about my future at Stanford."

The Cardinal staff is well practiced at putting together events to fill the 48-hour official visit with a mix of fun and education about being a Stanford student. The schedule included listening to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a scavenger hunt throughout campus, an "escape room" puzzle game that split the visitors into three teams, attending the first half of the men's basketball win over ASU and more. They also stayed at the Rosewood Sand Hill -- a hotel that offensive lineman Branson Bragg called "absolutely crazy".

Defensive back Jonathan McGill: "It was probably one of the best weekends of my life. Getting to be on campus with the whole 2019 class, and be able to hang out and talk, was an experience second to none. Getting the whole class to come up at one time was really fun and unique. Most schools have around 10 official visitors at once but when you can get 21 commits who are all signed it makes the visit that much more fun."

The 2019 class has been a great success in terms of the group coming together as a close-knit unit well before they reach campus. The group of athletes also addresses a number of the needs Stanford set out to fill when the cycle started. Several of them may be counted on to contribute sooner rather than later.

This class will arrive on The Farm in June and hand over their lives to strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley. He spoke to the recruits during the Big Visit and, as has become the norm, they were impressed by what they heard. Offensive tackle Walter Rouse said Turley was a funny guy but that, "I probably won't be laughing much this summer."

In the meantime the future Cardinal freshmen will participate in other sports -- such as Bowman's goal to run the 100 under 10.8 seconds and hit 20 seconds in the 200 -- or just focus on being high school students for a few more months.

It's going to be a serious business this offseason for Stanford to develop a team capable of handling the toughest schedule in the country. The Cardinal last won the conference in 2015 and all the answers to what needs to happen for Stanford to get back to the Rose Bowl may not come from returning players.

Roster turnover has created opportunities for the incoming class beyond the possibility of playing four games and redshirting.

Nathaniel Peat and Austin Jones: Stanford has a void at running back because of the graduation of Bryce Love. Cameron Scarlett is currently expected back for his fifth year and he will have a good chance of starting the first game. Trevor Speights also will be a strong challenger. Dorian Maddox and freshman Justus Woods will work to find roles on the field. But if Peat and Jones impress there isn't a immovable object in front of them like when Love was on the depth chart.

Tristan Sinclair: It's a lot to ask of a true freshmen to play much at inside linebacker in Stanford's system. But Sinclair may be needed to take some snaps if the other options at the position aren't producing. If not on defense it wouldn't be a surprise if he started on special teams.

Elijah Higgins or Colby Bowman: It's difficult to imagine that both receivers will be able to earn much playing time. There are a couple factors: Stanford's offense under head coach David Shaw doesn't tend to involve more than three receivers at a time and the Cardinal may have four good options ahead of the freshmen. If Connor Wedington ends up playing another position then it may be a different ballgame for Bowman and Higgins.

An offensive lineman or two: There's no way to know for sure which freshman offensive lineman has the best chance to play until they show up on campus and compete against college defensive linemen. Stanford needs depth, especially at the inside positions, and freshmen will almost certainly be called on to provide it.

Is there a safety contributor? The short answer is there better be one who can play in his first year. Stanford has one cornerback spot locked down with Paulson Adebo. Obi Eboh will be a strong contender for the other spot. Nicolas Toomer, Jonathan McGill and Salim Turner-Muhammad will compete for playing time at nickel and safety.