[ubergrid id=1095021]

Wesley Annan, DT
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
(6-foot-4, 290 lbs.)
★★★

A much-needed defensive tackle, Annan should be the future at the position. Annan has good size and is a high-motor player. He can seriously hit people, and at his size, it looks like it hurts. He needs to work on playing lower to the ground — he tends to come up out of his stance too quickly — but it will be interesting to see what he can do when he gets the right coaching. He never gives up on plays, which is fantastic to see out of a defensive tackle; Annan finishes plays while staying in his gap.

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JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR
Inman, SC
(6-foot-3, 210 lbs.)
★★★

Arcega-Whiteside is one of the most underrated of Stanford’s recruits, if not nationally. He has all the tools to be a size-speed receiver in the mold of Devon Cajuste (6-foot-4, 239 pounds). He is very agile, especially for his size, and has smooth hands. At the high school level, he relied on his size too much and does not high-point the ball perfectly, but he makes up for it in his change-of-direction ability. He catches the ball with soft hands and at full extension and not with his body which is exactly what you like to see from a big receiver.

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Jake Bailey, K/P
Solana Beach, CA
(6-foot-2, 185 lbs.)
★★★

No film here, but it’s telling that Stanford offered him a scholarship early on. He has very good size for a punter or kicker, and was the fifth or sixth-rated punter depending on whom you ask. It’s definitely a position of need and he may be asked to contribute right away.

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Mustafa Branch, ILB
Bellevue, WA
(5-foot-11, 220 lbs.)
★★★

Branch played both fullback and linebacker in high school and he flies around on the field. Although he’s a bit undersized, he reminds me of current 49er Chris Borland. He’s quick in run support as well as in coverage, but he is susceptible to being victimized by great tight ends, and needs to wrap up a bit more. But Branch hits hard and is fun to watch.

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Frank Buncom IV, CB
San Diego, CA
(6-foot-2, 188 lbs.)
★★★★

One of the other elite Stanford recruits, Buncom is the grandson of former San Diego Chargers linebacker Frank Buncom Jr. Buncom IV is a textbook modern shutdown corner, who can play on an island and have an immediate impact at the collegiate level. Like Richard Sherman, he has long arms and can play as a press corner or off the line. He looks smooth in coverage, fluid in almost all his motions, and doesn’t panic. He needs to work on his tackling ability at the next level, but he is very close to the complete package. Don’t be surprised to see this guy playing next year.

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Brian Chaffin, C
Harrisburg, NC
(6-foot-2, 285 lbs.)
★★★

Chaffin loves contact and is a very quick guard or center at the next level — perfect for the Stanford power trap. He’s a little undersized but makes up for it with great leverage and driving power. He’s good at hitting and finishing blocks — you don’t see a lot of defenders with the ability to disengage from him. One thing for him to improve on is his ability to get off of his first block and then get to the second level.

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Jack Dreyer, OT
San Mateo, CA
(6-foot-8, 296 lbs.)
★★★

Dreyer is a prototypical size for an OT and has room on his frame to grow. He needs to develop his lateral quickness, especially in pass protection, to be complete at the next level. However, he shows great driving ability on his blocks and excellent extension, meaning he can pop defenders and block the second level well.

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Ben Edwards, S
Jacksonville, FL
(6-feet, 200 lbs.)
★★★

If you only watch the film of one recruit, then Ben Edwards is your man. He shows shades of Brian Dawkins, who is almost exactly the same size as Edwards. Edwards straight up murders people. If you were going across the middle, you would not want to meet him there. Seriously, just go check out his highlight reel and you’ll come back with a grimace on your face. On top of laying lumber, Edwards also shows very good ball skills and quick reactions on both tipped balls and play action.

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Jordan Fox, OLB
Plainfield, NJ
(6-foot-2, 218 lbs.)
★★★

Reminiscent of James Vaughters, the explosive Fox has the size and acceleration you like to see in an outside linebacker. He can struggle in coverage, especially while backpedaling, and needs to get better at disengaging blockers. That said, he is an excellent tackler and a very good pass rusher.

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Houston Heimuli, FB
Woods Cross, UT
(5-foot-11, 230 lbs.)
★★★

Heimuli carried the ball a lot for a fullback in high school and will be asked to do that less at the next level. He does a good job of lining people up and getting to his blocks quickly. He runs a little bit too upright as a ball-carrier, but he’s tough to bring down.

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Trenton Irwin, WR
Valencia, CA
(6-foot-2, 185 lbs.)
★★★★

The consensus jewel of Stanford’s recruiting class, Irwin has drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent. Although he lacks the speed or stature of some of the other elite receivers in this year’s class, he has a reputation for catching everything around him. He made some of the best cornerbacks of the 2015 class look helpless, using his body order to create a bubble more effectively than almost any receiver out there, letting his sure hands take over. While he lacks the ability to run past the most athletic defensive backs, he has great change of direction and has the toughness and fearlessness to go after any ball, anywhere.

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Dylan Jackson, DE
Maryville, TN
(6-foot-6, 250 lbs.)
★★★

Stolen from the University of Tennessee, Jackson is another underrated recruit. He is superb at the point of attack and makes tackles through blockers, often between double-teams. He will have to bulk up to play in the interior, but he has a lot of room to work with on his tall frame. He needs to work on getting low and leveraging his strength, but is reminiscent of Henry Anderson.

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Bryce Love, RB
Wake Forest, NC
(5-foot-10, 180 lbs.)
★★★★

Love will step onto the practice field as one of the fastest players on the team, with a 4.3 40-yard dash. He is also listed as an all-purpose back (three-down back), looks like he can shoulder the load of pass-protection and is more than competent out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. The big knock against Love is his size, which is arguable. He has been one of the most inconsistently rated players, partially stemming from the fact that he ran in a triple-option offense. He shows great acceleration, solid lateral movement and does a very good job of planting his foot and getting upfield. The big test will be his transition to a pro-style offense and getting yards after contact.

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Austin Maihen, OG
Dove Canyon, CA
(6-foot-5, 285 lbs.)
★★★

Head coach David Shaw and his staff were able to get Maihen to flip from Washington State to Stanford, and they got a very good one at the tackle position. Maihen is one of the more polished recruits: He shows great footwork, especially in pass protection, which can be a rare skill. He also gets low on his blocks. His only shortcoming that immediately jumped out was his sometimes-lackluster explosiveness once he was engaged, not driving his defenders as much as you might like to see. As far as complaints go, that’s not much of one.

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Quenton Meeks, CB
San Diego, CA
(6-foot-2, 190 lbs.)
★★★

Meeks is one of the other studs picked up on the final day of recruitment; the more you watch him, the more you like what he has to offer. He is an athlete in the truest sense of the word: He started at wideout and corner for his high school, on top of returning punts and kickoffs. The first thing that stood out is his physicality. His play resembles NFL-bound Alex Carter. Meeks is able to jam people at the line and stop opposing receivers dead, taking them out of the play. He is also just as good on the offensive side of the ball: Quick and with very good hands, he may even end up being the next great Stanford two-way player. Meeks is also clearly a heady player; it’s not very often you can watch a guy visibly get under his opponents’ skin on film. He needs to work on his off-coverage (zone and non-jamming); he can be a bit stiff in his backpedal and can second-guess himself in coverage sometimes, but Stanford is getting a very good player in Meeks.

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Gabe Reid, OLB
American Fork, UT
(6-foot-2, 235 lbs.)
★★★

Reid has a great first three steps, and if he sniffs out a play, he’s probably going to get there. He is a high-motor player who has really good acceleration. He uses a low center of gravity to stay balanced and his reaction speed is impressive. He does struggle occasionally in disengaging blockers, especially if he encounters contact in his first steps, but that rarely happens. He could be used as an interior lineman or as an outside linebacker, as he appears to have the speed to play linebacker.

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Justin Reid, S
Prairieville, LA
(6-foot-1, 196 lbs.)
★★★★

Yes, he is the brother of that Reid, former LSU Tiger and current 49er Eric Reid. And like Ben Edwards, Stanford’s other recruit at safety, Reid’s film is fun to watch. The Cardinal stole Reid from LSU on National Signing Day, and don’t let the stars fool you — Reid got underrated for his size and a perceived lack of speed. Reid’s closing speed and instincts might be the best of any in his class and he is a sure tackler, hard hitter and comes with great ball skills. Reid is a great all-around product who shows the savvy of a veteran player, baiting opposing quarterbacks into bad throws and flying around or through running backs and offensive tackles on blitzes. Stanford needed future talent at safety and it got a great one in the 11th hour.

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Cameron Scarlett, RB
Portland, OR
(6-foot-1, 215 lbs.)
★★★★

Scarlett is a powerful back and adept as a wide receiver as well. His running style reminds me of Tyler Gaffney. Scarlett shows excellent body control and change of direction, especially for his size. He has all the tools to be the next Stanford bell cow at running back. There is not a highlight reel that struck me as more college-ready than Scarlett’s and he may contribute right away, given the need for a short-yardage back. Just don’t be surprised if he does more than get the one or two he needs.

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Casey Toohill, OLB
San Diego, CA
(6-foot-4, 235 lbs.)
★★★

Toohill is reminiscent of former Stanford linebacker Chase Thomas; he’s not the fastest on tape, but he is very good at diagnosing plays. He’s obviously very strong and doesn’t even need better leverage in many cases to get off of his blocks. His sideline-to-sideline speed is very good and his pursuit, which might be the best part of his game, pairs well with his tackling ability.

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Jay Tyler, WR
Gretna, LA
(5-foot-8, 165 lbs.)
★★

The only film of Tyler available was as a quarterback, but due to his size and lack of arm strength, he will most likely find a home as a slot receiver. Tyler is very quick and is able to use his athleticism to make plays in a spread offense as a quarterback. He shows the ability to make quick reads as well, indicating a high football IQ.

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Reagan Williams, FB
Jackson, OH
(6-foot-3, 235 lbs.)
★★★

Once Jim Harbaugh landed at Michigan, he tried to poach Williams from Stanford. After watching Williams play, he undoubtedly seems to me like a Harbaugh-esque man. A powerful and vicious blocker, Williams does not shy away from contact. He can line up at multiple positions as well — he projects as a fullback, but don’t be surprised to see him as an H-back, tight end or linebacker.

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Nick Wilson, OG
Milton, GA
(6-foot-3, 286 lbs.)
★★★

One of the more sought-after guards in the class of 2015, the quick-footed Wilson looks like a Stanford lineman. He excels at pulling from his interior spot, plays mean and finishes blocks. He’s the perfect OG for Stanford’s power run offense that utilizes linemen moving in space to create holes. Wilson also looks as though he has room to grow, which is a frightening prospect for any opponent, but especially opposing outside linebackers.

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Recruit Map

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Contact Nicholas Radoff at nradoff ‘at’ stanford.edu, Jordan Wallach at jwallach ‘at’ stanford.edu and Do-Hyoung Park at dpark027 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

All player ratings courtesy of Scout.