Texas OT Jack Leyrer chooses Stanford

The decision is in for highly coveted three-star Dallas (Texas) Highland Park offensive tackle Jack Leyrer.

On Friday, two weeks before his senior campaign officially kicks off, Leyrer committed to Stanford. Texas, Northwestern, SMU, Southern Cal and Virginia were other finalists for the talented offensive lineman.

Leyrer is the 10th addition to the Cardinal's 2021 recruiting class, which entered the weekend ranked just inside the top-80 nationally on the Rivals team rankings. Leyrer is the first offensive lineman in the fold, a position that is at the top of the Stanford coaches' priority list in this particular recruiting cycle.

Leyrer may be the first offensive line on-board for Stanford in 2021, but hardly the first Texan in the group. Fellow North Texas three-stars Jimmy Wyrick and Caleb Ellis both pledged to Stanford in the spring.

The decision to commit to Stanford comes in the aftermath of an unofficial visit down to Texas, the most recently Power 5 offer for Leyrer that arrived this summer. Leyrer visited Austin in August, but was unable to interact with any coaches while on the visit. Ultimately, Leyrer put an emphasis on his relationships with different coaches and staffs, as well as academics and life after football.

"They're in need of tackles. They're a strong program both academically and football-wise, and those are the two things I am looking for in a school. With Stanford, you have a great combination of academics and athletics in football," Leyrer told Rivals last month.

Leyrer brings size to the left tackle position with a 6-foot-7, 280-pound frame with a massive wingspan and length. His size is complemented by excellent athleticism, the ability to move well laterally and drop back into pass protection and quick feet to counter the pass rush.

Leyrer, at his best, plays with a chip on his shoulder. He possesses great power and explodes through defenders and is certainly a finisher as a run blocker. Leyrer has the ability to pull and move across the formation and pull off a kick-out block seamlessly in the process. He's equally as stout anticipating pass-rush moves and using his reach in pass pro for a pass-heavy Highland Park offense.

There is a lot to like about Leyrer entering his senior season, but certainly areas to improve as well. Leyrer can play a bit high on occasion and can miss on blocking assignments and at times, struggles with hand placement. Those are correctable issues.

Leyrer should benefit from a collegiate weight program as he tacks on more muscle to his frame and adds even more power and explosiveness in his blocks. Pair that with length and natural football smarts and Stanford has a strong blindside protector for the next few years.