5-Star QB Keller Chryst's Commitment Shows Stanford Is A Pac-12 Powerhouse

Five-star quarterback Keller Chryst has committed to Stanford University, according to ESPN's Blair Angulo. In a tweet on June 28, Angulo noted that Chryst's announcement came via text message.

247Sports also shows the 6' 3", 215-pound class of 2014 quarterback committed to Stanford. Chryst has received scholarship offers from Arizona, Georgia, Pittsburgh and USC and has taken unofficial visits to Alabama and USC.

Ten years ago, Stanford receiving a commitment from any 5-star athlete would have been headline worthy. In 2013, Stanford failing to land a 5-star, academically qualified student-athlete would have made headlines. Times have changed. 

Chryst lives in Palo Alto, Calif., the same city where Stanford is located. Elite programs are expected to keep the talent in their own backyard. Stanford was not considered an elite football program until three years ago—even then, the Cardinal's successes were considered an anomaly. 

Stanford football is not a fluke. It was not a fluke when Jim Harbaugh was the head coach from 2007-10. One Sun Bowl and three consecutive BCS bowls later, Stanford is showing no signs of a hangover despite losing Harbaugh and quarterback Andrew Luck to the NFL.

The Cardinal are set with sophomore Kevin Hogan behind center this year. He'll also be there next year. That gives Chryst a year to absorb the playbook and adjust to the tough academic rigors at Stanford. 

Stanford is a legitimate powerhouse and its future looks solid. The class of 2012 was ranked No. 7 by 247Sports. Two 5-star offensive tackles, Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy, were part of this star-studded class.

Murphy was nationally ranked second by position and 11th overall. He was courted by Oregon, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and USC, among others. 

Peat was ranked fourth by position and 30th overall. Among the schools offering him scholarships were Nebraska, Florida State, USC, Miami, Texas and Tennessee.

Having an outstanding line to open up the running game and protect the quarterback have been a staple of Cardinal football. The commitment from Chryst shows there is no sign of Shaw losing his recruiting prowess or changing his game plan. He's also a winner.

Shaw is 2-0 against USC, 1-1 against Notre Dame and 1-1 against Oregon. His Cardinal lost 41-38 in overtime to Oklahoma State in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl and beat Wisconsin 20-14 in the 2013 Rose Bowl game.

This 5-star's commitment is just another day on the farm.