On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: New leader for 4-star QB Elijah Brown

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star quarterback Elijah Brown holds offers from top programs across the country. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, he is trending towards staying in California for his college football career.

Stanford currently holds a commanding lead for Brown’s commitment at 93.2%. The Cardinal’s odds rose exponentially following expert predictions from On3’s Josh Newberg and Sam Spiegelman.

“It’s a Pac-12 heavy group of contenders in the mix for Elijah Brown,” Spiegelman said. “USC, UCLA, Arizona State and Stanford covet the four-star quarterback, but this is a battle trending between Stanford and Arizona State. Sources close to Brown’s recruitment note that USC is still heavily in play and there are definitely still some possible twists and turns. However, there is a lot of buzz around the Cardinal midway through the spring after some pivotal visits.”

Brown is the No. 63 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 5 player in California.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound signal-caller visited Palo Alto on April 7-8. He has already made multiple trips to Stanford’s campus.

“Stanford’s definitely showing a lot of interest,” Brown told On3’s Chad Simmons on Feb. 13. 

“I took a trip last year with my dad and one of my teammates up to Stanford and that was a nice visit,” he added.

Stanford is hoping to land another California quarterback in Brown

Landing Brown would mark a massive recruiting win for new head coach Troy Taylor and his staff. Stanford currently has two commitments in its 2024 recruiting class in Atlanta (Ga.) Holy Innocents Episcopal School three-star defensive lineman Jacobi Murray and Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian three-star wide receiver Chase Farrell.

Last cycle, the Cardinal took a commitment from one quarterback: Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan three-star Myles Jackson, the No. 489 overall prospect and No. 30 signal-caller in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking. He reclassified from the 2024 cycle.

“What makes Stanford so unique is they do everything right,” Jackson told Simmons on Dec. 8. “It’s definitely the best of both worlds. The academics, the prestige, the things that come with the academic side. You can pursue any career you want at the highest level while playing football at the highest level.”

If Brown chooses Stanford, he will be one of the Cardinal’s highest-ranked commits in the last few classes. In the 2022 cycle, the Cardinal signed a top-75 prospect in four-star EDGE David Bailey, who played high school football at Mater Dei.