One of the hottest and most gripping recruiting stories Cardinalmaniacs™ have
followed in this class has been that of James Dray, the standout tight end from
Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey. Stanford was one of the first
three schools to offer the two-way athlete early last spring, but he has
amassed a long list of scholarship suitors since, making the field crowded and
the odds appear increasingly long to land him on The Farm. It was with
great celebration Sunday night that fans learned Dray had committed that day to
Walt Harris, bringing Scout.com's #13 tight end out West.
 |
|
Dray and parents with Walt Harris |
"The recruits were meeting individually with Coach Harris in a hotel meeting
room," Dray describes of the Sunday exit interviews with the Cardinal coach.
"He was telling me how great Stanford was - the opportunity with both the
academics and how he uses tight ends. I told him right then, 'I am ready
to commit, Coach.' He jumped out of his chair, clapped and shook my hand.
You could tell he was really excited."
For that news to come to Harris on Sunday was an obvious surprise, and
college football fans across the nation were stunned to hear of it that night
when Scout.com first broke the report. Dray had taken only one of
his five official visits before this past weekend's trip out West, and he was
scheduled to still visit Notre Dame plus two out of three suitors: Tennessee,
Florida State and Iowa. January was supposed to be a busy and active time
in this recruitment, with fortunes still to be forged. For the 6'5"
athlete to pull the trigger, still on campus, so early in the month was a
surprise to many observers. Dray surprised even himself with the timing,
but he says ultimately this was something he knew he would do.
"Stanford has been my favorite all along," the recruit reveals. "I just
kept that to myself."
One reason Dray kept quiet on his Cardinal lean these last many months is the
uncertainty of his admissions chances at Stanford. The student-athlete did
gain acceptance, however, which was his biggest personal hurdle in this
recruiting process.
"A lot of kids don't get in," he explains. "There are a lot with better
grades and better numbers who don't make it in, for whatever reason.
Getting admitted to Stanford was a big accomplishment for me. And it was
just something I couldn't pass up."
Where would Dray likely have committed had he not passed muster with
Stanford's admissions? "Either Notre Dame or Boston College," he answers.
Fans of the Irish would like to have at least had their crack at the talented
tight end, and Dray had every intention of visiting the school later this month.
But he says that as soon as Thursday night when he checked into his hotel near
Stanford's campus, he felt an excitement that started to change his mind about
the remainder of his January plans. By the end of Friday, he says he knew
he would commit to the Cardinal during the weekend.
 |
|
Dray with A.J. Christoff |
"The night I got there, I had this feeling that this was the place," Dray
details. "I was expecting to take visits afterward, but it was a
combination of everything I saw and felt during the weekend: the school, the new
coaching staff, the athletics - you can't put it on one thing."
"Alex Fletcher was my host, and he got me really excited. The time with
Alex and hanging out with the guys on Friday did it," the New Jersey native
continues. "He's from the East Coast and knows what it's like back there.
He talked about what Stanford had to offer and said it's really an easy decision
once you think about it. He's right."
Another important man with whom Dray talked last weekend was Ben McAdoo, the
new Stanford tight ends and offensive tackles coach. McAdoo was the newest
of the new hires on Harris' staff and had just arrived on campus before the
visit festivities began.
"Coach Harris and I had talked before, and I've seen what he does with tight
ends on TV. It was [McAdoo's] first visit to Stanford, so we were in the
same boat.," the tight end comments on his future position coach. "He's a
young coach, but I think that's a positive. And he comes from the New Orleans Saints - he's been on the highest level. We'll be learning
together about Stanford this next year."
James Dray is a four-star standout recruit who elevates this 2005 Stanford
recruiting class with his commitment. In addition to being ranked by
Scout.com as the #13 tight end in America, he is also #9 in a deep senior
class in New Jersey and #31 on Scout.com's Eastern region Hot 100.
Are you fully subscribed to The
Bootleg? If not, then you are missing out on all
the top Cardinal coverage we provide daily on our website, as
well as our full-length feature articles in our glossy magazine.
Sign up today for the biggest and best in Stanford sports
coverage with TheBootleg.com
(sign-up)
and The Bootleg Magazine (sign-up)!