Walker Little to Stanford: Cardinal Land 5-Star OL Prospect

The Stanford Cardinal bolstered their offensive front Friday, as offensive tackle Walker Little joined their 2017 recruiting class. 

According to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, Little chose Stanford over in-state Texas.

The 6'8" and 305-pound Little is a 5-star prospect, per Scout, and the No. 16 overall player, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 1 offensive tackle from the state of Texas in the 2017 class.

Little drew plenty of interest throughout the recruiting cycle from some of the top schools in the country, including Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Auburn. All of those notable programs were included on Scout's schools of interest list at one point during the recruiting cycle, but Stanford came out on top Friday.

Little likely generated so much interest from top-notch programs in the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten because he has the ideal size to play tackle at the collegiate level. His physicality allows him to drive defenders downfield and open holes for the rushing attack. He's also athletic enough to move laterally and protect the quarterback from edge-rushers, which is critical with his frame.

Hudl shared some highlights from Little's junior campaign in high school:

Gabe Brooks of Scout provided a scouting report for the big lineman and pointed to his size and "prototype offensive tackle build." Brooks also noted Little's ability to finish through the whistle, especially when he is blocking for the running game.

As Brooks mentioned, the level of competition will quickly increase for Little as he grows accustomed to the college game in his freshman season. Fortunately for his new team, his overall skill set will likely help him develop into a regular starter during his career.

Stanford's offense will likely be in for an adjustment in 2017, as running back Christian McCaffrey will depart for the NFL after carrying the offense in recent years.

It isn't yet known if Little will ascend to a starting spot immediately, but if he can seize one as a freshman, he possesses the type of talent that should make life far easier for Stanford's skill-position players.