Stanford adds three-star DE Adam Shovlin: 'They made me a No. 1 priority'
Stanford found its latest pledge on the opposite side of the country, as three-star defensive end Adam Shovlin announced his commitment to the Cardinal on Thursday.
Shovlin is originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., but plays his prep ball at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. Stanford was able to build a strong connection with the East Coast standout and ultimately secured his commitment.
Shovlin believes in what head coach Troy Taylor, defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej and the rest of the Stanford staff are building for the future. The fact that the Cardinal prioritized him from the beginning also went a long way with Shovlin.
"It's the best of both worlds," Shovlin said. "They’re a young program on the come up that made me a No. 1 priority throughout their recruiting process."
*****
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
*****
Shovlin took multiple unofficial visits to Palo Alto and most recently returned to campus for his official visit this past weekend (May 31 through June 2). He knew that Stanford is where he wanted to call his college home and committed on the trip.
The highlight of the official visit for Shovlin was the gourmet meals prepared for him and his family by the program's chef.
"The best part had to be the food, I can’t lie," Shovlin said about the official visit. "They have an exclusive chef for the team that made us meals with words that I’m still trying to learn."
While he was on the visit, Shovlin spent quality time with his player host, sophomore defensive lineman Braden Marceau-Olayinka. The two had met previously and both come from the East Coast, as Marceau-Olayinka is a native of Massachusetts.
"My host was Braden Marceau, we call him BMO for short, though," Shovlin explained. "I met him on my second visit and he was pretty dope. We clicked on the Northeast connection and it went from there."
Of course, the bonds he's built with Taylor and especially Kolodziej ("Coach K") are among the most important reasons he chose to join the Cardinal.
"Coach Taylor’s a standup guy and I think that’s why the relationship grew so fast, but I’d have to say I have the closest relationship with Coach K, my position coach," Shovlin explained.
Prior to his commitment to Stanford, Shovlin previously had official visits scheduled to Duke and Penn State. However, he will no longer be making those trips.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Shovlin is listed as a defensive end, but Stanford expects to line him up all over the place up front.
"My biggest key I bring is the long-leveraged versatility across the whole D-line, playing zero-to-nine (technique)," he said. "My size, length, and twitch are the biggest plusses in my measurables."
One of the more sough-after recruits coming out of Connecticut, with 21 scholarship offers, Shovlin currently ranks as the No. 5 prospect in the Constitution State and the No. 31 strongside defensive end in the 2025 Rivals250.
Shovlin is also a team leader and one of the top players for St. Thomas Moore. Shovlin has been a multi-year starter and captain for head coach Ernest Anderson and, according to Anderson, does everything the right way.
"He's one of the very best we’ve ever had," Anderson said. "He was a junior captain, RA in the dorms, has a 4.1 GPA and is a three-year starter. He checks all the boxes. Him and Jourdin Houston are the face of our program."
He's also made a statement on the camp circuit. Earlier this year, Shovlin earned Defensive Line MVP honors against strong competition at the Under Armour Next Camp in New Jersey.
With his commitment now behind him, Shovlin will focus on his senior year at St. Thomas More and then look to make an impact at Stanford in the future.
"I'm a high-energy guy on and off the field," Shovlin said. "I'm gonna make a presence wherever I go and that’s what is gonna take me to the league — check back in four years."
With Shovlin's commitment, Stanford's 2025 class now includes 14 total commitments and ranks in the top-20 nationally in the team rankings.