San Clemente's top RB Austin Whitsett considering walk-on offer

Stanford’s walk-on program has produced a steady procession of players who earned scholarships and became important contributors. One of the top such targets in the 2018 class is San Clemente running back Austin Whitsett, who visited The Farm for Stanford’s win over Cal.

The senior back finished with 1,187 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns for the state-ranked Tritons. For his career, Whitsett ran for 2,962 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground, and another 445 yards and six touchdowns through the air.

That level of production explains Stanford’s interest and offers from Army and Air Force.

“I really feel like that they want me,” Whitsett said of the Cardinal. ‘A lot of schools with walk-ons it’s a different culture ... whether it’s how they treat you or your separated. Walk-on has a stigma with it, but I really do feel like they recruit walk-ons.

“The goal they have with taking walk-ons is to develop them into scholarship players. They don’t want you to just be a tackling dummy out there. They want you to be able to contribute.”

And what Stanford offers the field was, not surprisingly, very appealing to the top student. Whitsett enjoyed the panel of former student athletes who answered whatever questions recruit had.

“You can pretty much do anything you want with it, if you put your mind to it,” he said. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing I took away is how much of a ticket it is to be able to go to a school like that.”

Whitsett heard a recruiting pitch from starting quarterback KJ Costello and his family that emphasized the non-football reasons to attend Stanford.

“They were really cool and super nice,” he said. “They pumped Stanford up, how great it is and KJ was saying how much of a good time he was having. Obviously the football is Pac-12, big time, but he was talking about the people he is around at Stanford who are his fellow classmates is amazing. It will be people who are changing the world. It’s the best of the best. He was saying how that was probably his favorite thing about the school.”

On the football side of the equation, Whitsett enjoyed watching Stanford beat Cal, but he took note of how the Golden Bears’ top running back was a former walk-on, a perfect example of his ultimate goal. Even though there has been frustration over the past months and years watching other players get Pac-12 offers, Whitsett leans on the lessons he has learned at San Clemente.

“I was surrounded by a lot of guys who went on to the next level,” he said. “I saw the way they worked. And the fact we’re playing the best of the best in Southern California, so I know if I can do my thing against these teams then I’ll be able to do it against anyone. It’s a good confidence booster.

Even though it’s a walk-on offer at Stanford, I still think that if I work hard and do my thing I’ll be able to earn a scholarship spot. And, even if I don’t, I’m still at one of the best universities in the world.”

Whitsett took an official visit to Air Force this past week and wants to take a visit to Army as he considers his options.