National Signing Day: Filling Heisman-Candidate Toby Gerhart's Shoes

In 2009 Stanford Cardinal fans watched in awe as Toby Gerhart delivered a Heisman-caliber performance in downhill running. Like one of the great iron locomotives that plowed the frontier on robber-baron Leland Stanford's transcontinental railway, Gerhart pounded yard by powerful yard en route to victories over more highly touted programs at Washington, Oregon and USC.

Come September 4th, 2010, when the Cardinal open their season against Sacramento State, Gerhart will have gone pro in the NFL. Can anyone blame him?

Stanford fans can't wait for Gerhart to show professional defenses the incomprehensible strength he can muster down to the fourth quarter.

Yet how will Stanford start to plug the gaping hole left by Gerhart's departure for greener pastures?

Putting aside rising running backs like Usua Amanam, Tyler Gaffney, Michael Spanos, Andrew Stutz, and Stepfan Taylor and more experienced farm hands like Jeremy Stewart, who will the Cardinal turn to in coming years, beginning with national signing day on Wednesday, February 3rd?

Prospective Running Backs

Anthony Wilkerson

This 6 foot, 217-pound four-star speedster from Tustin High School has verbally committed to join the Cardinal’s ground-based wrecking crew. Wilkerson’s one of the best backs available. Like Gerhart, he’s demonstrated tremendous leg strength and could develop into a similar bruiser whose speed and moves make him a serious threat when he breaks away. While achieving a 3.8 GPA, Wilkerson rushed for 2322 yards and 34 touchdowns during his senior year. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry.

Ricky Seale

Averaging 8.19 yards per carry, Seale and his slightly more diminutive 5-10/185 frame crashed through for 2745 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. Seale favors Stanford or San Diego State. With a less than powerful 3.3 GPA at Escondido High School and a 1450 SAT score, Seale would be unwise to decline Stanford’s scholarship offer, particularly given some senior-year injury woes.

Prediction: Seale signs to the Farm.

Delino DeShields

Harkening from College Park, Georgia, DeShields is the son of Major League Baseball second baseman Delino DeShields, Sr. Although this 5-9/180 Woodward Academy running back looks to carry the pigskin at the college level, he intends to follow in his father’s footsteps with a career on the baseball diamond. Given his two-sport versatility, DeShields has been heavily recruited. Stanford’s much more impressive baseball program should be an advantage for the Cardinal, who have tendered DeShields a scholarship offer but have yet to get a commitment.

Prediction: DeShields follows the likes of Mike Mussina, Carlos Quentin and Jed Lowrie and ultimately commits to the Cardinal.