Molden prepares for Stanford trip
Oregon defensive back Elijah Molden will take his second recruiting trip to The Farm early next month. Molden was previously on Stanford's campus after receiving an offer from the Cardinal last spring.
The four-star standout is eager to get a more comprehensive look at the football side of the Stanford program - his last trip to campus centered more around the university's educational offerings.
"Last time I visited it was mainly the academic piece of Stanford," Molden said. "This time I'm going to be able to watch two practices... and see more of the football aspect of the university. That's the piece that I'm looking for."
Molden will also spend more time around Stanford's coaches during his visit - he has already developed a strong rapport with his potential future position coach, Duane Akina and Cardinal head coach David Shaw.
"I have a strong relationship with Coach Shaw and Coach Akina as well," Molden said. "We talk quite often. They're either writing me letters or sometimes I get on the phone with them. They've also come up (to visit me during the evaluation periods)."
"They always say that I'm a great fit for Stanford and they stress how important academics are, which is very true. It's what my parents always taught me. They just keep on saying, 'Come down as often as possible because we really love you.'"
Aside from Stanford, Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington are the schools most involved in Molden's recruitment.
"There's no real order," Molden said. "I'm visiting Notre Dame and Washington soon coming up because I'm not really familiar with them, but Oregon and Stanford are the two schools high up on my list just because I'm familiar with them."
Molden is in no hurry to make his college decision. He likely won't make his commitment until next football season at the earliest.
"I guess I do plan to commit after I take my officials," Molden said. "I don't know if i'm going to take all five or not, but once I get comfortable with my decision is when I'm going to commit. I plan on visiting Washington mid-April and then maybe Notre Dame in the summer."
If Molden does end up picking Stanford, he'll join at least one familiar face in the Cardinal's 2017 recruiting class. Molden's father, Alex, played in the NFL for nearly a decade. He spent two of those seasons with the San Diego Chargers, where one of his defensive teammates during the 2002 campaign was a Stanford alum named Jason Fisk.
Jason Fisk's son, of course, is tight end Tucker Fisk, who committed to the Cardinal in late February.
"Actually I was in the same preschool class as Tucker," Molden said. "We went to Santa Fe Christian in San Diego together. Our parents are great friends. When they played together for the Chargers, I believe, they were great friends. It's kind of funny - when he got offered and that name came up... it must have been a pretty special preschool class."
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