Hattis breaks down decision
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Stanford's national recruiting efforts extended into the Land of Enchantment earlier this summer, as the Cardinal offered New Mexico offensive tackle Henry Hattis following his strong performance at the program's camp in June.
After mulling over the Stanford offer - and scholarships from several other programs, including UCLA, Arizona State, Missouri and Vanderbilt - for a couple of months, the three-star tackle made his verbal commitment to the Cardinal on Sunday.
"I called Coach Bloomgren (Sunday) night probably around 9:00 (p.m. local time)," Hattis said. "They were in the middle of meetings. I called (Associate AD/Director of Recruiting and Football Relations Mike) Eubanks and he told me that they were in meetings so I was actually planning on calling coach the next day and telling him about my commitment. But I guess he stepped out of his meeting and he messaged me on Twitter and said that he was available for a call. So I called him up and told him the news and he said that he was pretty happy that he stepped out of the meeting or the call. I also talked to Coach Shaw shortly after that and told him the same news and they were both very excited, and so was I."
Hattis had been heavily leaning toward the Cardinal for about a week before making his verbal pledge. Conversations with a number of figures close to his recruitment did nothing to change his mind.
"I really decided about a week ago that I was going to commit to Stanford," Hattis said. "It just took me a little while to talk to my parents and my family to decide and determine that it was the right choice for me. I also called my head coach and talked it out with him and really found out that Stanford had everything that I wanted and needed and it was the right fit for me, so I decided there was no point in waiting any longer and decided to make the commitment."
Hattis has heard from several fellow 2016 Cardinal commits since making his choice.
"A lot of the guys like Clark Yarbrough and Nate Herbig had been messaging me on Twitter even before I committed trying to pull me on board," Hattis said. "As soon as I did (commit) they messaged me and so did some other kids, some wide receivers and corners. They're very welcoming - that's a big part of it."
Hattis' high school teammates and classmates were equally enthusiastic.
"As soon as I walked in the doors to the fieldhouse (yesterday) all my teammates greeted me and it was a great feeling to know that I was supported by all my teammates and coaches," Hattis said. "And then once I got to school all my classmates, they all saw the news on Twitter and they were very supportive. So I was really blessed there and happy about that. And then of course my parents have been very supportive of me the whole time and I know they were very excited about my decision."
The three-star standout likely projects as an offensive tackle in college. His role within Stanford's offensive line is not totally settled, however. During his camp visit, Hattis spoke with Bloomgren about a few different positions.
"I talked to (Bloomgren) a little bit while I was out on my visit after the camp and he said that either one (left tackle or right tackle) works, it just kind of depends on the depth chart, whatever they're trying to do," Hattis said. "And even some guard they said might be a possibility. I think it all depends on how I develop once I get to college and put on some more weight and develop my agility there."
Hattis will bring a dynamic skillset to any position along the offensive line. He has mobility, strength, and a huge frame. Plus, Hattis possesses exceptionally large hands, which come in handy when blocking defensive linemen.
They're already the stuff of legend.
"A news reported came by my practice today," Hattis said. "He actually brought a ruler with him and I think (my hand) measured at like 10 inches, something like that. So it's pretty cool. It's definitely a great feature to have, especially on the offensive line so I can have a good grip and be able to throw some defensive linemen around. I'm really blessed about that."
While he has not started filling out the Stanford application, Hattis is taking the necessary steps to eventually earn admission to the university.
"I talked to the recruiting coordinator and gotten all that admissions requirements done before the school year started with my schedule and my ACT," Hattis said. "That was a big reason as to why I decided to choose because I figured that I had already come this far and done all the things to meet the requirements and that was kind of directed toward Stanford, so I decided that was where I wanted to go."
Hattis doesn't currently plan to take trips to other schools. He'll likely make a return visit to The Farm in January for the program's big official visit weekend.
"As of now I'm fully committed to Stanford," Hattis said. "I'm not really looking to make any official visits to any other schools at this point. I know I've talked to the aches and they said that the have a big official visit event that they host in January that would probably be a very good choice for me but I'm not sure if I'm going to go to a game or anything like that. I'm going to talk to the coaches some more and kind of figure that out as the year progresses."
Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren led the Cardinal's pursuit of Hattis. Bloomgren is also Stanford's lead recruiter on K.J. Costello, Curtis Robinson, David Long, Bo Peek and was instrumental in the Cardinal landing Clark Yarbrough and Nate Herbig, among other top 2016 prospects.