Junior cornerback Paulson Adebo announced Friday that he will remain at Stanford next year. There were high expectations for Adebo heading into the 2019 season after he was named a 2018 FWAA second team All-American and appeared in the first round of preseason NFL draft predictions. However, a late season injury limited him to just nine games.
With the decision, Adebo will be able to build on his career 38 passes defended and eight interceptions. After redshirting his freshman year, Adebo has been named All-Pac-12 first team in each of his two seasons. In 2018, Adebo led the nation and set a school record with 24 passes defended, including a pair of interceptions in the regular season finale at Cal.
Despite an interception in the season opener against Northwestern, the early season was disappointing for Adebo. It was not until a career-high matching four pass breakups and five tackles facing then-No. 15 Washington, for which he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, that Adebo lived up to the preseason hype. A reinvigorating October continued when Stanford head coach David Shaw gave Adebo the game ball after a two-interception game against Arizona. That performance also earned Adebo the Jim Thorpe Award National Player of the Week and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week.
Just as Adebo was finding his way, the next game in Colorado was his last of the season. For the year, Adebo finished with 33 tackles, 10 pass breakups and four interceptions. He led the Pac-12 in passes defended and interceptions per game, while ranking third and eighth nationally, respectively.
The news is positive for Stanford, which announced previously that junior left tackle Walker Little made a similar decision to return for his senior season. Nevertheless, senior quarterback K.J. Costello is one of 15 Cardinal seniors to enter their name into the transfer portal. So far, defensive tackle Bo Peek will head to USF, offensive guard Dylan Powell is bound for Indiana and tight end Scooter Harrington will remain on the Farm.
Stanford will also welcome an impressive 2020 recruiting class next season.
Contact Daniel Martinez-Krams at danielmk ‘at’ stanford.edu.