James Vaughters, arguably the Cardinal’s top defensive recruit in a 2011 class rife with talent, has been admitted to Stanford, TheBootleg.com reported Sunday.

The middle linebacker, ranked eighth and fifth at the position by Scout.com and Rivals.com, respectively, made a verbal commitment to head coach Jim Harbaugh in June. Though the pledge is not binding, Vaughters told The Daily in July that he was “done with the [recruiting] process.”

A highly sought-after prospect, Vaughters chose Stanford in large part because of the University’s academics and, with a 4.0 GPA, the Tucker High School (Ga.) star’s admission was never truly in doubt.

With little left to do except maintain his grades and level of play–he intercepted two passes and scored a defensive touchdown on Friday night in a 68-0 victory–Vaughters will be able to make his commitment official on national signing day on Feb. 2.