Yarbrough talks Stanford commitment
Stanford landed one of its most important commitments in the 2016 class to date when Rivals250 offensive lineman Clark Yarbrough announced his commitment to the Cardinal on Tuesday afternoon.
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Yarbrough picked Stanford over offers from many of the nation's top programs. His other finalists were Florida, Duke, Virginia and Clemson.
"I felt it was the best fit for me," Yarbrough said. "I always wanted big time academics and big time football."
The four-star prospect informed Stanford's coaches of his decision on Tuesday after football practice. He's developed a strong rapport with Cardinal offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren and his area recruiter, Lance Taylor, over the course of his recruitment.
"They were really excited," Yarbrough said. "I definitely felt welcomed."
"I've gotten to know Coach Bloom and Coach Taylor really well from camp and them coming by my school. Also through social media stuff. They're great guys definitely the kind of coaches I want to play for."
Earlier this spring, Yarbrough intended to announce his college decision on May 21. Then, a few weeks back, he decided to postpone his announcement date to gain more clarity about his choice.
Ultimately, however, Yarbrough didn't need the extra time to make up his mind.
"My family came down to watch our state track meet and I had the opportunity to sit down and have dinner with them," Yarbrough said. "It really just hit me that Stanford is where I wanted to go and there was no point in waiting any longer."
Now that he has committed, Yarbrough will turn his attention to doing his part to build Stanford's 2016 class. Among his recruiting targets are a pair of fellow April Junior Day visitors in Keith Simms and Simi Fehoko.
"There's a bunch of guys I'm getting on to join the Stanford family," Yarbrough said. "Keith Simms and Simi Fehoko are two of them. There's a few others, and I'm really excited about this class - it's going to be a special one."
Yarbrough plans to make a return trip to The Farm this summer. He does not plan to take trips to other college programs before Signing Day.
"I'm going to get out there sometime this summer," Yarbrough said. "I'm not visiting any other places. I'm 100 percent committed to Stanford."