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Cottonwood Heights • Stanford landed another top-rated prospect from the state of Utah. Brighton's Sione Lund announced his commitment to the Cardinal coaching staff during his visit to Palo Alto, Calif., to watch his future team play Notre Dame.
Lund, who is considered a four-star recruit for the Class of 2017 by every major recruiting outlet, is now the seventh local prospect to pledge to Stanford since 2012, joining fellow four-star teammate Simi Fehoko, who committed in July.
"Simi, we've already talked about this, it's something we've always wanted," Lund said. "Our families would love to see us there [together] with all these other Stanford recruits and players they have right now from Utah."
Lund, who plans to study architecture, struggled to remain healthy this season, including missing significant action against Jordan after suffering an apparent shoulder injury. He still finished as the leading rusher for the Bengals, with 1,184 yards and 14 touchdowns on 113 carries for a sparkling 10.5 per-rush average. He also recorded team-high 123 tackles, an average of 11.2 takedowns per night.
"I'm feeling great. Injuries did take a toll, but with our season ending a little bit earlier, I've taken the time to recover and get back to 100 percent," Lund said.
Lund belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but he's "not sure" if he'll serve a religious mission immediately following graduation, or play one year and then leave. He is considered the No. 1 in-state prospect for his class, according to Rivals and Scout. ESPN ranks him fourth, while 247sports labels Lund as the third-best overall prospect.
"[As a freshman], I sat down with coach [Ryan] Bullet here at Brighton, and he asked me what I wanted in the long run. I said I wanted a successful future, and he said, 'Stanford would be a great place for you,'" Lund explained. "Ever since then, I really worked for that offer and tried to keep my academics up because of what Stanford offered in the long run."
Lund, who maintained a cumulative 3.7 grade-point average at Brighton, now has 2,125 yards and 22 touchdowns, 230 tackles, 12 sacks, and two interceptions in his two seasons in Cottonwood Heights. He maintains offers from Arizona State, BYU, California, Colorado, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington and Washington State in addition to the Cardinal, according to Rivals.
"Stanford was in front of everyone by a long run," Lund said. "… It's something I wanted to get out of the way. I wanted to focus on my schooling here at Brighton. I didn't really want to go through the stress. It's something I've known for a little bit now. I know what I want already."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Local Stanford commits
Sione Lund, Brighton • Four-star athlete for the Class of 2017
Simi Fehoko, Brighton • Four-star receiver for the Class of 2016
Houston Heimuli, Bountiful • Three-star running back for the Class of 2015
Gabe Reid, Timpview • Three-star defensive end for the Class of 2015
Dalton Schultz, Bingham • Five-star tight end for the Class of 2014
Sean Barton, Woods Cross • Four-star defensive back for the Class of 2013
Brandon Fanaika, Pleasant Grove • Four-star offensive lineman for the Class of 2012