For a National Signing Day that saw but one confirmed signing, Stanford was awfully busy today. First, to tie a bow on the ‘19 class, the Cardinal announced that Diego Preciado, a 5’11” cornerback out of Escondido (CA) The Classical Academy would be joining the class as a preferred walk-on. The Cardinal also confirmed the “re-signing” of Levani Damuni, who signed with the Cardinal in ‘17 and now readies to join the team after serving his LDS mission. Damuni is a three-star outside linebacker out of Millville (UT) Ridgeline.

So all in all, the ‘19 class ends up netting 25 set to join the roster, with four preferred walk-ons (Wakely Lush, Preciado, Ryan Sanborn, and Brock Jones) joining the 20 scholarship signees plus Dumani. Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw addressed the the class in a statement. “In the 2019 class we addressed our needs of both numbers and quality.

First on the offensive line, we needed to sign at least five with a combination of length, size, athleticism and versatility. We'll see as time goes on which of these guys may be able to help us early, but more importantly we believe they will develop into a very strong core of our team.

Next, the secondary. Speed, length and athleticism are all paramount in college football. We've added five young men that fit that bill - some have the flexibility to play nickel, corner or safety.

Staying on the defensive side, versatile linebackers are vital in our defense. We've added guys that can play inside linebacker, outside linebacker and some that can even play the defensive end position and rush the passer. Adding Damuni to the group, returning from his mission, makes it that much more exciting.

Offensively, we've added two physical and explosive running backs who should be a great 1-2 punch for years to come.As our history has shown, Stanford is the place for versatile tight ends, and we know Bradley Archer will be a perfect fit.I'm very excited about our additions at wide receiver - we added size, dependability, speed and play-making ability. Finally, it is a great time to add Ryan Sanborn, a young talented punter for Pete Alamar to groom for the future."

Stanford wasted little time turning the page, as three ‘20 players received offers on NSD as well. Jimmy Christ, a three-star offensive lineman out of Sterling (VA) Dominion. Christ has offers from Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida, and Michigan, among others. He is currently rated as the #47 OT in the class. Gary Bryant, a four-star out of Corona (CA) Centennial, alma mater of one Tanner McKee, also got the call from the Cardinal. Finally, Ayden Hector, a four-star cornerback out of Sammamish (WA) Eastside Catholic High School, received a long-anticipated offer.

Hector camped with the Cardinal last July, and said both his parents and his brother Julian (who currently attends Stanford) were ecstatic. Hector was prepared for the wait on a Cardinal offer. “I went to junior day last year and I’ve been talking to coach Akina for a year and he’s been saying we do things slow. It’s fine because it also gives me time to evaluate the whole process of recruiting.” As Brandon Huffman noted earlier when the offer went public, Stanford is in a very good place with Hector at the moment.

The Cardinal also set sail on its first ‘21 offer, to Emeka Egbuka, a talented four-star wide receiver from Hector’s neck of the woods in Steilacoom, Washington. Egbuka described Stanford’s offer as “huge.” For those not into the whole brevity thing, Egbuka said “They (Stanford) are a top school for me. I have no list yet, but will probably release one junior year.” Egbuka also plays baseball, making him a multi-sport recruit like so many Cardinal targets. Emeka says it’s a big deal that the Cardinal stepped up at this stage of his recruitment. “I like when schools show early interest cause to me it is like I am one of their top priorities.” Of Coaches Tavita Pritchard and Bobby Kennedy, Egbuka says “Coach Prichard and Kennedy are just cool guys to talk to, Coach Prichard is obviously local so that is a good connection.” He has yet to visit Stanford but says he intends to do so “soon.”

Perhaps the biggest development of the week was confirmation that Stanford is “likely” to pursue a second quarterback in the ‘20 class, probably in the dual threat mode. McKee is on his way with the eventual ‘20 signees, but after taking a famed “gap year” in ‘19, it seems the Cardinal is looking to add some depth to the QB room moving forward. We’ll take a closer look at potential prospects as the ‘20 recruiting cycle continues.

Stay tuned to TheBootleg.com for Stanford Football and Basketball Team and Recruiting Updates all year long!

R.J. Abeytia has been contributing to The Bootleg since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Abeytia and follow The Bootleg @TheBootleg for up to the moment Cardinal news and analysis. Also, you can follow The Bootleg on our Facebook page. Drop by and give us a like!!

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