Long talks Cardinal choice
David Long's commitment to Stanford might not have surprised many recruiting followers, but it was still an extremely significant development for the Cardinal program.
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A Rivals250 prospect, Long picked Stanford over offers from the entire Pac-12 and many of the nation's top schools. He could thrive on either side of the ball, as a speedy receiver or a shutdown cornerback.
The four-star standout made things official on Thursday morning shortly before announcing his decision on Twitter.
"I called this morning probably around 8:50 and talked to Coach Shaw," Long said. "I let (my area recruiter, Mike Bloomgren) know last night that I was going to call him. I talked over the phone with him and I had a great conversation about the class and then I let him know that I'd like to end my recruitment and commit to Stanford."
"Bloom was stoked as usual. He's always an energetic guy. Coach Shaw, he was energetic as well. He thinks I'm a good piece to the class as well as a good piece to the locker room. I'm excited to be on board and keep on building this class. I think we're in great standing."
Long informed Stanford's other 2016 commits of his intention to commit to the Cardinal last week.
"A lot of those guys, most people, if they know me, really knew I was going to Stanford," Long said. "They've been a big dream of mine. It was kind of a close tie between them and Washington. I kind of just went with my gut. It was big for me, I told those guys last week when I said I'd be committing this week, I was going to be on board. The group chat, every day they've been on me. Now that I'm a part of this class everything's rolling. We're just trying to get some other big guys to commit for this 2016 class."
In addition to some of the usual Southern California suspects, Long said he's been in touch with two elite Georgia athletes, Demetris Robertson and Mecole Hardman.
Where Long ends up spending his time on The Farm still remains to be seen.
"I think definitely I love playing corner," Long said. "I'm really raw at the position. I haven't had too much experience. Last year was only my first year playing cornerback. So to get around someone like Coach Akina would be great, just for me to really get my reps up and have someone tell me what's right and what's wrong, especially if there's someone who has put out a lot of guys and been around talent. On the other side of the ball, I get to really utilize my athleticism. I'm pretty sure he'll utilize my speed a lot in the slot and return man. Either way I think it's a good deal. I think it would be best for me to start off on defense but if it rolls the other way I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm just ready to help the team out."
Now that he is committed, Long will shift his focus to Stanford's admissions process. He does have to retake a standardized test, but feels he's in a good position to earn admissions to the university.
"I have to retake my SAT," Long said. "I have to get one score that's higher, which wouldn't be a problem. The first time I took my SAT it was before I had gotten the Stanford offer so I didn't really study. I just went in for a dry run to really get whatever I needed to qualify. My GPA would help me. After I found out that I got the Stanford offer I realized I have to retake my SAT so all over the summer I've been prepping week in and week out. I'll take that in October, get my scores back, and then I'll be able to send in my application. My schedule is perfectly lined up - I have my curriculum, my AP's and four core classes so I'll be fine with that. It's really just my test scores and then the application, I'll take care of that once I get my scores back."
Now that he's committed, Long does not plan to take visits to other schools. He could make a pair of trips to The Farm prior to Signing Day, however.
"I mean, as of now, I'm done," Long said. "I may take one unofficial to Stanford and I'm definitely going to take an official to Stanford. But as of now I'm done, I'm fine, I'm firm in my commitment. So there it is, just Stanford all the way as of now."