New Jersey WR Jayson Raines commits to Cardinal

Stanford swooped into New Jersey to get a big wide receiver. West Orange's Jayson Raines announced his commitment to Stanford Wednesday over other top schools Miami, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Princeton and Yale.

Education was an important factor in Raines' decision. He reports a 4.2 GPA and 32 ACT. He also valued an offense that would feature his skills as a big receiver.

The Cardinal under David Shaw prefer big receivers who can create mismatches on the perimeter.

He is Stanford's second offensive recruit from the East Coast to commit in the past couple days. Running back Brendon Barrow joined the class Monday.

Rivals' Adam Friedman provided a scouting report on Raines: "Raines brings a lot of length to the receiver position for Stanford. He has a large catch radius and does a good job tracking and adjusting to the ball while it's in the air. Raines is fairly elusive in the open field and can be difficult for defenders to bring down. One of the best parts of his game is his ability to win jump balls. Raines does an excellent job catching the ball at its highest point and can make some really acrobatic catches. He is more of a long strider and should see improved footwork and overall route running skills throughout his college career."

He caught 47 passes for more than 700 yards and has 12 touchdowns last year.