#CardClass20 Adds 22 in December

SIGNING DAY CENTRAL
STUDENT-ATHLETE BIOS

STANFORD, Calif. – Adding talent across the board, the Stanford football team announced the addition of 22 student-athletes on Wednesday during the NCAA's Early National Signing period. Ranked among the Top 25 classes in the country and third in the Pac-12 Conference, the Cardinal landed one five-star, 12 four-star players, and 13 high school All-Americans.

Stanford's class, which represents 11 states, is comprised of 13 players on offense, seven on defense and two specialists. Also joining the Cardinal is four-star quarterback Tanner McKee, who will return from an LDS mission in Brazil and join the team this fall.

"I'm really excited about this group," said Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw.

Two of the top newcomers come from famous NFL lineage. Myles Hinton, a consensus five-star offensive tackle from John's Creek, Georgia, is the son of Chris, an offensive guard who played professionally for 13 seasons and was named to seven Pro Bowls. E.J. Smith, a unanimous four-star running back from Dallas, Texas, is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who rushed for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns during his 15-year NFL career.   

Hinton, who played at Greater Atlanta Christian School, the same attended by current Cardinal quarterback Davis Mills, was ranked among the top five players in the nation at his position by Rivals, ESPN and PrepStar. A two-time all-state honoree, the 6-7, 310-pound Hinton helped lead his team to four regional championships and will play in the All-American Bowl on January 4. In 2018, he was the state champion in the discus.

"He is big, he is physical, but most importantly, he's got great feet," said Shaw. "I watched him play basketball two years ago. And to see a guy with that size move on a basketball court with that quickness and explosion – jumping for rebounds, starting a fast break – you can see that athleticism."

The 6-0, 192-pound Smith, ranked as the No. 87 overall recruit in the nation by PrepStar and No. 96 by ESPN, ran for 902 yards and 22 touchdowns, and caught 32 passes for 502 yards and seven scores this season for Jesuit College Prep, despite missing the first two games. The 2019 District 9-6A Offensive Player of the Year, he will play in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2.

Smith, who publicly made his decision on Wednesday morning on ESPN2, chose Stanford over Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M.

"They just love my versatility, and the way they use their running backs is something I focused on, and also the education played a major part in it, too," Smith told ESPN. "It's a great feeling because only people know the athletic part of me, but they don't know how much time I put in on the education side of it as well."

Shaw was thrilled to get him and thinks The Farm will be a great fit.

"E.J. is his own man," said Shaw. "I do believe as we got closer to the end, both of his parents supported his decision to come here. He's going to be a very good football player no matter where he went. This was the extra. To come for the education, which is outstanding, but for the people who are here and can be part of his life. As a family, I think they thought this was great for him, but they weren't sure until he actually picked up that hat today."

The Cardinal added five other offensive linemen.

"Length, athleticism, toughness, size and speed," Shaw said. "You have to have all of that and I think this class has it up front."

Also joining the Cardinal is consensus four-star wide receiver John Humphreys from Newport Beach. California's all-time leader in career touchdowns with 78, the 6-5, 210-pound Humphreys recorded 111 receptions for 2,001 yards and 32 scores this season.

"The first time I saw him, I saw Ed McCaffrey," said Shaw of Humphreys. "I saw a tall, long, fast receiver that can make difficult catches but can also drop his weight and get out of breaks, and that's awfully difficult for guys over 6-4. This guy does it just like the 5-11 guys do it. I think he is the most underrated receiver in the nation."

Humphreys comes from good Stanford genes. His father, Brad, played safety for Stanford in 1985-87, and his mother, Wendy (Rush), starred for the women's volleyball team in 1984-87.

Hinton, Smith, Humphreys, wide receiver Bryce Farrell from Thousand Oaks, and cornerback Ayden Hector from Bellevue, Washington, are included in the ESPN 300.

The 5-11, 175-pound Farrell earned four letters in football and track at Oaks Christian School. A four-start recruit and ranked No. 274 nationally by ESPN, he helped lead his team to the Division II state title in 2017 and finished his career with 3,080 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns. In 2017, he was a member of the 4x100 state champions in track.

Hector played at Eastside Catholic School and was a consensus four-star recruit. Also a basketball and track standout, the 5-11, 195-pound Hector collected 29 tackles, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, one blocked punt and one fumble recovery and allowed zero touchdowns. He allowed just 21 receiving yards on 25 targets as a senior in 2019. A four-time all-conference choice, he sparked his team to two state championships and will play in the All-American Bowl, and the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 8.

Stanford also signed the consensus top kicker in the country in Joshua Karty from Burlington, North Carolina. The 6-3, 195-pounder earned all-state honors in 2018 and 2019, and tallied a school-record 219 touchbacks at Western Alamance. Karty made 24 consecutive field goals from 45 yards and in, and booted a school record 52-yarder. A three-time all-conference and all-academic honoree, he will play in the 2019 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and will participate in the Under Armour All-America Game.

Also coming to The Farm is long snapper Bailey Parsons from Watson, Alabama. Shaw considers Karty and Parsons the premier high school players in the nation at their positions. Karty has kicked a 70-yard field goal in practice and has the strongest leg Shaw has seen of any high school kicker in the last five years.

Two other players Shaw is highly enthused about are defensive tackle Tobin Phillips from Fresno and running back Casey Filkins from Lake Oswego, Oregon. An all-state pick and four-star recruit, the 6-4, 285-pound Phillips is quick and relentless.

"He's a difference maker," Shaw said.

Filkins was the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year and amassed 6,786 total yards and 100 touchdowns. The 5-11, 195-pounder rushed for 4,596 yards and 81 scores. A three-sport standout (football, basketball and track), he will also play in the All-American Bowl.

Extra points: … Shaw expects to add a few more players in the next signing period … Shaw on the announcement this week that offensive tackle Walker Little will return next season. "He's worked extremely hard. He wants to come back and dominate." … Shaw on the graduate transfer portal: "I think we're one of the few places in America that has zero undergraduates in the transfer portal. People get nervous about the graduate transfer portal and I've said it repeatedly: I'm a big fan of the transfer portal for grad transfers. They have a year left and they're graduating. If they think they can find a better situation, I'll be first one to help them. Some of these guys are going to come back. I don't see it as a negative situation." … Despite sustaining the program's first losing season since 2008, Shaw is convinced the future is bright. He praised current players for their positive attitudes and for helping to recruit the 2020 class. "Inside the program, there's energy, there's enthusiasm and there's excitement," he said. "I think you see that with the class we have."
 

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