There is potential for Stanford in Rivals 250, but so far no commits

Stanford does not have a commit in Rivals' new Top 250, but with only two verbal pledges so far in a class that could reach the max of 25 there are recruits on the list with whom the Cardinal are doing well.

Four star cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad and three star wide receiver Colby Bowman did not get rating bumps into the Top 250. But both are just outside of it and have a great chance to show at The Opening Finals why they should join the club. Bowman and Turner-Muhammad will compete against many of the best athletes in their class at the event in Frisco, Texas that runs from June 30 to July 3.

Who on the Rivals 250 list might join Turner-Muhammad and Bowman?

There are three top-100 recruits who Stanford has the best chance to sign: No. 56 Stephen Herron (OLB), No. 69 Austin Jones (RB) and No. 98 Hudson Henry (TE). Stanford is in the top five for Jones and Henry.

Herron, a Michigan commit, has said in recent interviews that he is considering an official visit to Stanford and that the Cardinal coaches have never given up recruiting him.

Jones visited Stanford twice during the spring and has a great relationship with Stanford's coaches, especially position coach/area recruiter Ron Gould. Jones feels like a priority on Stanford's board and it's easy to see why. He is a dynamic playmaker and also has good receiving skills that he's shown in 7-on-7 play.

Henry had a fantastic spring visit to Stanford and the Cardinal may be the top contender to make the University of Arkansas legacy leave his home state. Henry is deeply impressed by the quality of people on Stanford's staff and the Cardinal's reputation as a pipeline program for tight ends to reach the NFL .

Stanford is still pursuing No. 73 Nick Cross (Safety) and No. 88 Sean Rhyan (OT), but it is likely an uphill battle to land either. Stanford needs to get Cross on campus and wow the DeMatha Maryland prospect who just visited Alabama. Rhyan visited Stanford in the spring and it was his second time on campus. He appears to be genuinely interested in the Cardinal.

The following recruits are ranked No. 101-250 and are on Stanford's board: No. 115 Joshua Pakola (OLB/DE), No. 128 Elijah Higgins (WR), No. 135 Ty Robinson (DE), No. 137 Laiatu Latu (OLB), No. 154 Branson Bragg, No. 165 Joshua Sanguinetti (Safety) and No. 223 Zion Puckett (WR/DB).

Stanford is the strong favorite for Pakola and Bragg. Pakola attends nearby St. Francis in Mountain View and has been on campus often enough that he should be able to confidently lead tours. He has started building a relationship with Stanford's baseball coaches and wants to play both sports in college.

Bragg had a hugely successful spring visit to Stanford with multiple members of his family. He has a great relationship with Stanford offensive line coach Kevin Carberry. He shared with Cardinal Sports Report that he submitted his application and plans to use an unofficial for the USC game and an official for the Big Visit in January.

Higgins' visit to Stanford in May was a major success and he's a great student. He just completed visits to Texas and Florida, which is where he is originally from. It's tough competition for Stanford but the Cardinal have a good shot to get the big target.

Robinson doesn't talk much with recruiting media, but he visited Stanford during the spring and a source close to his recruitment told Cardinal Sports Report that Stanford can be a serious contender moving forward.

Latu didn't expect to be as impressed by Stanford as he was during two spring visits. He is now seriously motivated to make Stanford a possibility and the Cardinal could be in it for the talented pass rusher until the very end.

Sanguinetti has visited Stanford twice and wants to visit again. Stanford has been in his top two with Miami going back to last year, although Michigan also is a contender.

Puckett is a versatile athlete who Stanford needs to get on campus as soon as possible and part of the reason is to convince Puckett not to graduate early. Puckett is an academic minded recruit who seems to fit Stanford well. And the Cardinal coaches would be happy to have on either side of the ball.