Stanford lands first 2013 commit

Stanford got a jump on the 2013 recruiting class earlier this week with the first pledge of the year and it comes from across the country. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder broke down his choice for the Cardinal.

"I committed on Monday or Tuesday," Woodberry Forest (Va.) Woodberry Forest School 2013 linebacker Doug Randolph said. "They (coaches) seemed pretty excited.

"Coach Hamilton came to Collegiate and invited me out to camp. I went to camp and played well and then there was a junior day afterwards. We went through the campus and then during that, they offered. I didn't end up committing until the next day though."

What made Randolph decide to head West?

"Stanford was always this dream school of academics and football," he said. "They won the Orange Bowl last year and academically, my father is a doctor and my mother is a dentist, my brother and sister are doctors too. Academics are very serious in my family and that played a big role in the decision.

"There's nothing more to say than they are one of the top schools in the country. For football players especially there are a lot of resources there and they help to keep you on top of it during the season."

The trip for camp last week was Randolph's first to campus.

"Literally everything from the second we got there, I was in awe the whole time," he said. "I love the facilities, the football history of Stanford and the coaches were great. I loved all of them. I'm obviously close to Coach Hamilton and really the whole coaching staff in general."

Surprisingly Randolph fell under the radar despite technically being a 2012 recruit until reclassifying recently for the 2013 class upon his admission this fall to Woodberry Forest School. Randolph had received interest from Virginia, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Kansas State among others.

"I've only played two years of football," he said. "I led my team (Collegiate) in sacks and was second on my team in receiving yards."

Randolph broke down what sticks out about his game at this point in time.

"I think it's my pass rush and the fact I have quick feet and quick hands, I can use them to get past offensive linemen and any other blockers," he said. "I still need to improve against the run and making reads on defense as I played defensive end last year and my rushing abilities are fine, but I haven't dropped into coverage before."

Not just a football player, Randolph earned all-conference in basketball and earned an offer from VMI in lacrosse, but stated he is focused on playing football at the next level.

Finally, what made Randolph make the switch to Woodberry Forest from Collegiate?

"I wanted to get more of a college setting," he said. "It's an all boys boarding school and it's more of a college setting. It's only an hour away. They had a rule I had to reclassify if I went there and that's ok for me so I can develop in the classroom. Plus, the academics there are really strong. They have a lot of similarities to Stanford, it'll be good college prep."