Stanford's recruiting class follows old pattern of finding players who fit system, not stars

STANFORD, Calif. – David Shaw's latest recruiting class is short on numbers and marquee names. If the past has shown anything, though, that might not matter much.

Looking for the right combination of brawn and brains, Stanford signed 12 players to national letters of intent Wednesday. That's a considerably smaller — and less heralded — group than a year ago, when the Cardinal coach hauled in 22 players in what the program called the best class in its history.

With so many players returning from a team that just won the Rose Bowl, Shaw focused on finding select targets to help breakout quarterback Kevin Hogan as he enters his redshirt sophomore season. Among those in the recruiting class are tight ends Greg Taboada, Austin Hooper and Eric Cotton.