Less than a day after Stanford signee Elijah Crawford announced he was reopening his recruitment, BYU emerged as a school the four-star guard is considering.
BYU, Kansas, Louisville and Wake Forest are among the schools who’ve reached out to Crawford, and he is planning to visit BYU next Monday, LeagueReady reported Thursday morning.
Who is Elijah Crawford?
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Crawford signed with Stanford last November as part of the Cardinal’s 2023 recruiting class. At the time, then-Stanford coach Jerod Haase said, “Elijah is a terrific basketball player who has flown under the radar. He is a dynamic guard with the ability to score and make plays for others at a high level.
“While his skills are impressive, his ability to lead and his ‘find a way’ mentality is something that we absolutely need, and it will translate extremely well to the college level.”
Haase was fired after the 2023-24 season and replaced by former Washington State head coach Kyle Smith.
On Wednesday, Crawford announced he was reopening his recruitment, telling On3.com he had been released from his National Letter of Intent at Stanford.
“After careful consideration and talking with my family and inner circle, I have decided to re-open my recruitment,” Crawford said in a statement to On3. “I would like to thank Stanford University and the coaching staff for the opportunity. However, at this point my family and I believe it is in my best interest to view all of my options while still considering Stanford.”
Crawford, who played his high school ball at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, was rated a four-star prospect in 247 Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 112 overall recruit nationally in the 2023 class.
He was named the New Hampshire MaxPreps Player of the Year after averaging 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds during his senior season. He also shot 52.7% from the field, 48.8% from 3-point range and 83.1% from the free-throw line, according to MaxPreps.
“He plays with good balance and is able to absorb contact in the paint,” On3.com’s Jamie Shaw wrote in scouting Crawford. “Crawford is confident on the ball, and he is at his best in the mid-range. He is capable of getting into dangerous areas of the floor and making plays. Crawford is a threat to rise up and score, while also distributing to teammates.
Why is Elijah Crawford considering BYU?
Brandon Dunson, who led Stanford’s recruiting efforts with Crawford according to Inside the Cardinal’s Will Schwartz, is now on Kevin Young’s staff at BYU, a link as to why the Cougars are likely getting such an early look at the point guard.
Young, since replacing Mark Pope as BYU’s head coach, has brought in a pair of other players.
Brody Kozlowski, who like Crawford is set to be a true freshman this fall, originally signed with USC before being released from his NLI and signed with BYU.
Also, former Utah center Keba Keita has signed with the Cougars after transferring away from the Utes after two seasons on the Hill.
Still, BYU has five remaining scholarships to fill as Young, the former Phoenix Suns associate head coach, assembles the roster for his inaugural season as the Cougars’ head coach.
Crawford would be the seventh-highest commitment in BYU basketball history in 247 Sports’ composite rankings, Vanquish the Foe BYU insider Robby McCombs reported.
McCombs also suggested that even with the Cougars retaining junior point guard Dallin Hall, who went into the transfer portal before deciding to stay at BYU, there could be options for Crawford to play alongside the veteran Hall in Young’s system.
“Kevin Young in the NBA showed that he could play two point guards on the floor simultaneously. Elijah would give BYU another playmaker and give BYU another scoring option that can score off the bounce from the 3-point line or by attacking the basket,” McCombs wrote.