Foster on The Farm
Stanford will not sign a large recruiting class in 2017 - particularly on the defensive side of the ball - but the Cardinal is eyeing several of the nation's premier prospects, including Rivals250 North Carolina linebacker Justin Foster.
The Cardinal extended Foster an offer last June. He's been in touch with his area recruiter, Lance Taylor.
"We talk every once in a while," Foster said. "I really like Stanford. They're high on academics and they're a great football team. I love the defense that they run, the 3-4 with the outside linebacker, which is my position I like to play. I really like Stanford even though I haven't been out there to visit anything."
What's Stanford's message to Foster?
"I'd be a great fit," Foster said. "They really want me to get out there and take a look at it and everything. The big thing with Stanford is you have to score pretty high on your ACT/SAT to get into the school. So that's kind of one of the things they talk about... And really how great I would be to the program."
Foster is working on achieving the desired test score for the Cardinal; he's currently awaiting the results of his last ACT.
A summer trip to The Farm is a possibility.
"Maybe this summer I probably might take a visit out there," Foster said.
"I know they have great academics and everything. You can major in anything you want to if you go to Stanford because they're so high on academics... So (if I made the trip) I guess going up there I wouldn't worry about the academics as much as I do at other schools. I'd look at the football part of it and check out their facilities, check out the area, meet the coaches and see how I feel about everything and go from there."
In addition to Stanford, Tennessee, Clemson, Alabama, Michigan, Florida and many others have extended Foster scholarship offers. The Vols and Tigers are currently well-positioned on Foster's leaderboard; the Cardinal might soon join them.
"Stanford's pretty high up on my list," Foster said. "If I score the ACT score I want to and I'm able to get in through everything they'd be up there with Tennessee and Clemson too. And I'll probably look into maybe even taking an official up there if I get my ACT score."
Foster is planning to enroll in college early; Stanford does not accept early enrollees, so Foster said he would finish out his high school experience should he decide the Cardinal is the program for him.
The Crest High School standout intends to major in engineering in college.