Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Andrew Luck, and Toby Gerhart. Those are probably the first four names one thinks of when asked about Stanford’s recent football success. While all four of those names played invaluable roles in Stanford’s return to football prominence, there is a different set of names that deserves every bit as much credit; the Stanford offensive line.
As so often seems to be the case, the big guys up front who play the roles of steam-rollers and body guards get overlooked when it’s time to dish out the credit. Names like Cameron Fleming, David DeCastro and David Yankey are names that the average college football fan has never heard. But anyone who has paid close attention to Stanford football the past few years knows they along with their fellow linemen have been a major part of the core of Stanford’s success.
In the preseason USA Today poll, Stanford ranks 11th in the country. But the headlines this offseason surrounding the team seem to be centered around the team losing four of their five starting offensive linemen rather than Stanford seeking to continue its run of four consecutive BCS bowl berths. This, despite the fact that most fans and media personnel likely would not be able to name a single one of those four starters who either graduated or went pro.
For most teams, losing four starters on the offensive line could be fatal. Losing four offensive linemen usually means your quarterback is under constant duress, and your running back is suffocated in the backfield. And for a team which relies so heavily (pun intended) on their big men up front, one would think this would be a crippling blow to the Cardinal. But hold on just one second. Stanford is not most teams. And no, I’m not referencing their GPAs.
Flashback to January 2012. After a heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl and Andrew Luck’s departure for the NFL, things looked dreary in Palo Alto. A year removed from the memorable Jim Harbaugh era, questions surrounded the future of the program. Amidst these headlines, something far more important was occurring for Stanford. In his first recruiting class as head coach, David Shaw had assembled perhaps the greatest recruiting class in Stanford football history. Headlined by three of the most talented and highly regarded offensive line recruits in the nation, Shaw knew even better days were ahead for his program.
Joshua Garnett, Kyle Murphy and Andrus Peat were the offensive linemen who headlined this heralded class. Now Juniors, this trio find themselves in far more significant roles than they’ve played in their first two seasons. Used sparingly as tight ends and fullbacks in Stanford’s ‘heavy set’ formation, Garnett and Murphy will now be the starting left guard and right tackle respectively. Peat on the other hand moves from the right tackle to the crucial left tackle position; tasked with defending the blindside of third-year starting quarterback, Kevin Hogan.
But just how good are these guys, might one ask? Coming out of high school, all three were ranked amongst the top seven offensive linemen by every major recruiting site (scout.com, rivals.com, 247sports, and ESPN.com). Garnett (6-5, 325) was ranked as high as the #38 recruit in the country by 247 sports; Murphy (6-7, 298) was a five-star recruit by scout.com, and the nation’s #14 recruit overall; while Andrus Peat (6-7, 316) was the most highly-touted of the group. Peat was a five-star recruit according to ESPN.com and the country’s #9 recruit overall. Coach David Shaw has since stated that Peat is the best offensive linemen he has been around since Jonathan Ogden.
None of this even mentions the fact that two other offensive linemen from this class will be starters this year as well. Center, Graham Shuler and Right Guard, Johnny Caspers have played in the heavy set formation in the past too. So while they’ve never taken on a full time starter role, Coach Shaw knows what he can expect from these guys.
So while many experts and pundits will doubt Stanford just as they did after Toby Gerhart’s departure, Jim Harbaugh’s departure, Andrew Luck’s departure, and now the former offensive line’s departure, Stanford fans know their team is in good hands. And massive ones at that.
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