Stanford Football Predicted to Land 4-Star QB Amid Recruiting Surge

Stanford's infusion of NFL experience throughout the coaching staff is attracting big-time recruits, with four-star QB Sione Kaho reportedly very interested in becoming a Cardinal

White Stanford helmet with red lettering | Stanford Athletics / ISI Photos

Stanford football is building a winning culture, and you can feel it all around the building. Enduring a period of major struggles, finishing 3-9 each season from 2021 to 2024 before going 4-8 last year, the Cardinal are eager to prove that they can return to the national spotlight and become a contender once again.

Hiring a new head coach in Tavita Pritchard, as well as a staff full of NFL experience, the urgency for the Cardinal to win now is higher than ever. And it looks like the culture that Pritchard is creating is catching on fast, grabbing the attention of big-time recruits.

On Tuesday, Rivals released its expert forecast on four-star quarterback recruit Sione Kaho, and predicted that he would sign with Stanford. Kaho, entering his senior season at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, has nearly a dozen offers already, but has Stanford high on his list.

Typically — especially since the start of the NIL and transfer portal era — Stanford would have a hard time landing a recruit like Kaho, but thanks to the regime of GM Andrew Luck and Pritchard, what the Cardinal are building is worthy of attention.

Pritchard, a former NFL assistant coach with the Washington Commanders, earned a reputation for developing quarterbacks at an elite level, helping Jayden Daniels win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Plus, his staff is full of guys that have been high ranking assistants in the NFL such as defensive coordinator Kris Richard, and special teams coordinator Nate Kaczor, among others. For recruits with dreams of going for the NFL, the opportunity to develop into an NFL-caliber player certainly exists at Stanford.

The impact landing Kaho would have on Stanford

For the program itself, landing Kaho would impact the on-field product dramatically. A three-year starter on varsity for Lincoln, starting 10 out of 12 games as a freshman, Kaho has already started to develop his game at a high level.

If he were to play for Stanford, he would provide the Cardinal even more stability at quarterback, giving the Cardinal another option in a QB room that consists of incoming freshman Michael Mitchell Jr. Having inconsistent QB play in recent seasons, addressing the quarterback play will help propel this program forward.

Getting a recruit like Kaho could also open the floodgates for more top recruits to come to Stanford, and give the Cardinal a potential top-25 recruiting class, something they have not had in quite some time. For a program looking to build sustainable success, this would be huge.

It could be a while before Kaho makes a formal decision, possibly waiting until the summer or even after his senior season to commit, but it is very encouraging for the Stanford community to know that he has the Cardinal high on his radar.