In Brief : Stanford Recruits No. 1 Whitfield

Stanford University has scored a recruiting coup by receiving a verbal commitment from the nation’s highest-rated high school offensive lineman, according to reports published today.

Bob Whitfield, a 6-foot, 7-inch, 275-pound tackle from Banning High School in Wilmington, notified Stanford of his decision on Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner reported.

Stanford spokesman Bob Vazquez said today he could not comment on the reports until national letter-of-intent day next Wednesday.

But Allen Wallace of SuperPrep magazine in Orange County, which rated Whitfield No. 1 among offensive linemen, called it “the recruiting coup of the country.”

“For Stanford to turn the corner, they had to get a player like this,” Wallace said.

The Cardinal finished 3-6-2 last season.

Whitfield reportedly chose Stanford over Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia and Miami (Fla.) and was influenced strongly by the school’s Jan. 3 hiring of Dennis Green as head coach to replace Jack Elway.