The release of updated 2018 rankings by Rivals.com left Stanford without a commit on the list of the top 250 prospects in the country. But the Cardinal are serious contenders for several of the nation's best.

Saraland High (Saraland, Alabama) quarterback Jack West has been committed to Stanford for more than a year and at one point was ranked just outside the top 50. West is still a four star and is the No. 10 pro-style quarterback in the country, which puts him out of the top 250.

West did not put himself in the camp spotlight this past offseason. He only participated in the Elite 11 camps and did not reach the finals. West instead chose to focus on improving on what he has admitted was a disappointing junior season.

Chaminade High (West Hills, Calif.) wide receiver Michael Wilson also is a four star who is looking in on the top 250. This is not a shocking development because Wilson did not participate in any camp other than Stanford's this summer.

The leading receiver of one of the state's powerhouse teams will have ample opportunities to improve his ranking in the coming months. Regardless of the numbers next to his name, though, his commitment along with the expected return of Simi Fehoko (2015 Army All American on an LDS mission in South Korea) gives Stanford fans a lot to be excited about at the wide receiver position.

Stanford has been one of the top schools for St. Brown for several years. His older brother Osiris is a freshman on The Farm and his oldest brother, Equanimeous, considered Stanford before committing to Notre Dame in 2015.

Amon is the most talented prospect left on Stanford's recruiting board and he is the Cardinal's best chance for a wide receiver of his caliber in decades. It's a subjective debate but Amon would likely be the most touted receiver recruit to arrive at Stanford since James Lofton and Tony Hill in the 1970s.

St. Brown is elite in the classroom -- he can speak several languages and has maintained at least a 4.0 GPA throughout high school -- and that makes him a can't-miss recruit for the Cardinal. Stanford's top competition seems to be USC with schools such as Notre Dame, Michigan and UCLA also in serious consideration.

St. Brown is expected to commit after his senior season and as late as January.

The elite offensive guard has visited Stanford twice and his first trip was for a camp after his freshman year. He is very familiar with what the school and program has to offer and has consistently said Stanford will get an official visit in the fall.

Stanford has never been considered a favorite for Salyer and is likely no better than in a top-three position for the Georgian. Given Stanford's very successful recent record with offensive linemen, it's at least possible the Cardinal can pull off another national shocker by winning a highly competitive recruitment for a five star.

When Smith camped at Stanford's 2016 Friday Night Lights he was an intriguing prospect with incredible, but raw, athletic ability. Now he is on a trajectory that could eventually lead to a fifth star.

Stanford's recent offer to the Southern California born prospect has the Cardinal in the conversation but trailing several schools who are established in his top five (Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and USC). If Smith announces an official visit to Stanford then that will be a strong indicator that steps have been taken for him to seriously consider the Cardinal.

Elite on and off the field (McKee reports a 4.2 GPA in his Twitter bio), the talented quarterback was offered July 28 during his fifth trip to The Farm as a recruit. McKee has been enamored with Stanford and its football program for several years.

The offer put the Cardinal in a favorable position with McKee, who will take an LDS mission before enrolling in college in 2020. His considerable physical skills will likely make it well worth the wait for fans. McKee's other top schools expected to get official visits are Alabama, Texas, Washington and BYU.

Whichever coaching staff earns the commitment of McKee will get a prospect who is more mobile than his size and pro-style label indicates.

Given Stanford's need at inside linebacker in this recruiting class, Hollifield is one of the most important prospects in the country for the Cardinal. A top student and incredibly productive on the field -- 471 tackles and counting in his prep career, according to Maxpreps -- Hollifield visited Stanford in May and it was a successful time on The Farm.

He is expected to take an official visit to Stanford, which could be another important step toward reassuring Hollifield and his family that the school on the other side of the country can be like a home. Distance from Shelby, North Carolina is potentially a major issue and Stanford is certainly a geographical outlier compared to his other top schools (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Florida State).

Stanford's most recent offensive line offer -- and only the third of the cycle -- went to this elite athlete from one of the best schools in Florida. Petit-Frere has long been considered a special athlete who when he first started playing high school football had some college coaches thinking he'd be a great defensive end.

Instead he developed into an offensive tackle capable of bullying pass rushers and is a five star according to some people in the rating business. He reports a 3.7 GPA at a school known for sending its athletes to top universities. Petit-Frere isn't much of a talker about recruiting and doesn't appear to bask in the spotlight of being a national recruit.

Despite the lateness of the offer to Petit-Frere there is a relationship between the two sides and his interest in USC suggests he doesn't mind going to school across the country. Of course, an official visit will be critical to give Stanford a real chance with Petit-Frere

Booker is an imposing defensive lineman who wanted a Stanford offer for a long time, and when the Cardinal came through in June it vaulted them to the top of his list of schools. Stanford is a strong favorite to land Booker, who attended summer courses at Stanford in 2016 and is an impressive student.

Booker has offers from most of the national powerhouse programs and on the field is considered a run stopper who can hold down his end of the line like a brick wall. His head coach, Tim Holley, told BlueAndGold that Booker is up to 290 pounds and stands 6-foot-5.

He attends the same high school as current Cardinal Devery Hamilton and Dorian Maddox.

Murray was given a fourth star by Rivals and if he keeps improving will likely find himself inside the Rivals 250 by the time he signs with a college. Murray earned a Stanford offer July 28 and it was a significant moment in his recruiting process.

Murray really enjoyed his time on The Farm and badly wanted the offer from the Cardinal. He intends to come up to Stanford in the fall for a game and the Cardinal could be a strong favorite for Murray if things go the right way off the field.

Murray and Petit-Frere would be a fantastic two-linemen class but neither will be easy recruiting contests to win for Stanford.

A three star with relatively limited varsity experience -- he missed part of his junior season after transferring -- Fox is highly valued because of his pass rush ability. Stanford is in a strong position for Fox, whose other top schools are Alabama, Auburn and LSU.

Fox's July 28 visit to Stanford was a major success for the Cardinal and Fox has suggested that a commitment to a school may come sooner than later.

He has the ability to excel in his senior season and if he participates in a major all-american showcase -- he has yet to be invited to either the Army or Under Armour games -- then it wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the Rivals 250 by February.