STANFORD, Calif. — The Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football Troy Taylor announced the addition of 19 student-athletes on Wednesday’s National Signing Day. Three will join the program as early enrollees, giving Stanford a total of 11 student-athletes who have joined during the winter quarter under Coach Taylor.
Of Stanford’s 19 additions on Wednesday, eight are offensive players, 10 are defensive players, and one kicker is added to the group. All 19 student-athletes bring strong potential to The Farm, and as has been the case in recent seasons, they will have a chance to make an immediate impact.
“These are guys that we’ve been recruiting since we arrived as a coaching staff, so it’s been almost a two-year process,” Coach Taylor stated during his National Signing Day press conference. “We feel like we did everything we needed to do. We love these guys culturally, and obviously they are great leaders, students, and phenomenal athletes. We feel like they are all talented guys who are going to be great players in the future.”
Another Bachmeier heads to Stanford as quarterback Bear Bachmeier (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley) joins his brother Tiger on the Stanford offense. A four-star recruit by both on3 and Rivals, Bachmeier totaled 6,463 yards in his high school career with 56 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns. Earning a host of awards along the way, Bachmeier is a three-time First Team All-Big West Upper selection and a two-time All-CIF-SS selection.
One of the deepest positions on the Cardinal gets stronger with the additions of JonAnthony Hall (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) and Liam Thorpe (New York City, N.Y./The Hun School of Princeton) at wide receiver. Hall is a unanimous four-star recruit and one of the best prep wide receivers in the country, piling up 2,625 receiving yards and 28 total touchdowns while also earning four varsity letters playing on both the basketball and track and field teams. Thorpe is the third in his family to attend and play at Stanford, joining his brother Alexander (2019-21) and his father Allen (men’s soccer, 1989-91). Thorpe totaled over 2,700 yards as both a receiver and runner, with 33 touchdowns over four seasons.
At tight end, Zach Giuliano (Corona del Mar, Calif./Corona del Mar) and Reiman Zebert (Springfield, Neb./Platteview) are next in line at Tight End University. Giuliano is a top 20 tight end recruit in the country, scoring 15 times at Corona del Mar and earning All-Sunset League First Team honors. Zebert will become just the eighth player to play for Stanford with a last name starting with a “Z” and was a First Team All-State tight end in 2024.
On the offensive line, Stanford adds Emeka Ugorji (Oak Cliff, Texas/South Oak Cliff) and Josh Williams (Radnor, Pa./The Haverford School). Ugorji was named Offensive MVP of the Under Armour All-American Camp in 2024. Williams did not allow a sack over his final two seasons of high school football while being a two-time team captain.
Also included in this year's group is Zak Yamauchi (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman), who committed to Stanford two seasons ago. Yamauchi led Bishop Gorman High School to a pair of state championships while landing First Team All-State honors twice. He spent two years serving a mission prior to attending Stanford.
Kole Briehler (Pennington, N.J./The Hun School of Princeton) and Adam Shovlin (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./The Lawrenceville School) are the newest additions to the defensive line. Briehler is the top-ranked defensive line recruit in New Jersey and registered nine sacks as a senior en route to his third First Team All-MAPL award. Shovlin saw time at tight end during his prep career but settled on the defensive line and earned Defensive MVP honors at the Under Armour Next Camp in New Jersey.
The linebacker position gets a big boost with four newcomers. Gabe Kaminski (Riverside, Ill./Nazareth Academy) recorded nearly 400 tackles in four seasons of high school football while earning an invite to the U.S. Army Bowl in 2024. Landon McComber (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) is a 2023 state champion and the top-ranked linebacker in the state of Nevada, per ESPN. Nusi Taumoepeau (Saratoga Springs, Utah/Westlake) had 13 sacks as a senior en route to First Team All-State honors and also ran for eight touchdowns. Mickey Vaccarello (Pittsburgh, Pa./Peters Township) compiled 21 sacks over his last two seasons and earned First Team All-Conference honors at both tight end and linebacker, with First Team All-State honors at linebacker.
Chris Garland (Buford, Ga./Buford) and Lonnie McAllister III (Upper Marlboro, Md./Gonzaga College) are the newest Cardinal cornerbacks. Garland put up great numbers as a senior, with four interceptions and six passes defended while earning First Team All-Region honors. McCallister III is the top-ranked cornerback in Washington D.C. per ESPN and on3 and a top-six recruit in the area overall.
Rounding out the secondary are safeties Omari Gaines (Newark, N.J./Malcolm X Shabazz) and Donte Utu (Manoa, Hawaii/Punahou School). A former Adidas Freshman All-American, Gaines posted four interceptions as part of a stellar senior season that ended with him being named the top player in Essex County. Utu amassed nearly 140 tackles over his final two high school seasons with seven interceptions and was a 2025 Polynesian Bowl All-Star.
London Bironas (Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) heads to The Farm with four years of varsity football and two years of varsity soccer under his belt. A First Team Kohls All-American and a Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Award Semifinalist for Kicker of the Year, Bironas is ranked as the second-best kicking recruit in the state of Tennessee.
BY POSITION
Offense – 8
QB: 1 (Bear Bachmeier)
WR: 2 (JonAnthony Hall, Liam Thorpe)
TE: 2 (Zach Giuliano, Reiman Zebert)
OL: 3 (Emeka Ugorji, Josh Williams, Zak Yamauchi)
Defense – 10
DL: 2 (Kole Briehler, Adam Shovlin)
LB: 4 (Gabe Kaminski, Landon McComber, Nusi Taumoepeau, Mickey Vaccarello)
CB: 2 (Chris Garland, Lonnie McAllister III)
S: 2 (Omari Gaines, Donte Utu)
Special Teams – 1
K: 1 (London Bironas)
BY STATE (14)
Pennsylvania – 3
California – 2
Nevada – 2
New Jersey – 2
Georgia – 1
Hawaii – 1
Illinois – 1
Indiana – 1
Maryland – 1
Nebraska – 1
New York – 1
Tennessee – 1
Texas – 1
Utah – 1