STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford not only signed the nation's top quarterback in Davis Mills, the Cardinal signed the nation's overall No. 10 recruit in offensive tackle Walker Little to protect him.
The Cardinal targeted a small group of recruits, signing 14, which also includes five-star offensive tackle Foster Sarell.
Colby Parkinson, the top-rated tight end, heads a list of six four-star athletes that also includes cornerback Paulsen Adebo, wide receiver Osris St. Brown, running back Connor Wedington, fullback Sione Heimuli-Lund and defensive end Ryan Johnson.
Stanford also signed center Drew Dalman and tight end Tucker Fisk, both sons of former NFL and Cardinal players.
"We were set before we got to today and I'm excited to be able to talk about them," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "It felt like a great unit early on, when we brought the group together."
Little, Sarell and Davis are Stanford's three highest-ranked recruits in the era of college football recruiting services.
"And I still think this class is underrated," Shaw said. "The jewel of every class is the quarterback. Quarterback recruiting, for me, is personal. They have to be what we're looking for. He has character, command, the presence to say `this is what we're running and it's going to work,' the personality and intelligence. After that, it's all ability."
Mills, like Stanford incumbent quarterback Keller Chryst, is coming off an injury. Chryst should be able to participate in spring football. Mills is expected to travel to Stanford in June.
"He's accurate, has great feet and a quick release," Shaw said of Mills. "We'll get him here, teach him our way of playing football, which is the west coast, high-volume offense."
The Cardinal also have ex-starter Brent Burns and five-star recruit K.J. Costello at quarterback, both of whom will be given a chance during training camp.
Other things to know:
Top 25 Class: Yes.
Best in class: Shaw called Parkinson "the best tight end in America. This guy is a mismatch."
Best of the rest: Mills threw for over 5,000 yards and 51 touchdowns the past two seasons at Greater Atlanta Christian.
Late addition: Wedington and Johnson became firm commitments on Monday.
How they will fit in: DE Ryan Johnson will have a chance to fill the void left by All-American Solomon Thomas, who declared for the NFL draft. "There's room for guys at tight end and wide receiver," Shaw said. "They will be given ample opportunity to come in and contribute."
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For the full list: http://www.gostanford.com/news/2017/2/1/football-class-complete.aspx
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