Stanford Football: 3 early signees who’ll make an instant impact in 2018

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach David Shaw of the Stanford Cardinal gets ready to lead his team onto the field for their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach David Shaw of the Stanford Cardinal gets ready to lead his team onto the field for their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Stanford Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Signing four-star pro-style quarterback and Saraland product Jack West was the biggest surprise of the 2018 class so far for the Cardinal. West seemed like a lock to commit to the Alabama Crimson Tide until he committed to Stanford in July.

He is the top ranked player among all the Stanford signees or hard commits so far. West is also the 10th best pro-style quarterback in the nation and the seventh best prospect out of Alabama. He’s the type of quarterback that can start for Stanford as a freshman.

Not only does West have a huge arm and the ideal size, at 6-foot-4, but he has a sneaky amount of athleticism. If the play breaks down, West has the ability to get outside the pocket and make something happen with his legs.

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Sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello should be the starting quarterback entering the 2018 campaign. Yet, senior quarterback Keller Chryst is out of eligibility after the 2017 season ends, and so does Ryan Burns. If Costello slips up at all next year, Shaw could be calling on West to take the reigns of the offense.