Gorman grad, top NFL prospect appears on Sports Illustrated cover

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015 | 2:45 p.m.

Ronnie Stanley could have been one of the top offensive linemen drafted by the NFL last year, but he elected to stay at Notre Dame. Now entering his senior season, the Bishop Gorman High grad is pegged as a top-3 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. And with the Fighting Irish projected as a playoff team, Stanley is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

The national magazine released its four regional covers for this week’s college football preview edition, and one of them features Stanley alongside the Leprechaun and teammate Jaylon Smith. The other three covers feature Ohio State, TCU and Mississippi State.

Listed at 6 feet 5 ½ inches and 315 pounds, Stanley will once again line up as the starting left tackle on Notre Dame’s offensive line. The Irish are expected to contend for one of four playoff spots at the end of the season. Their schedule starts on Saturday, Sept. 5, at home against Texas.

At Gorman, Stanley was a three-year starter who helped win three state championships and fielded offers from nearly every program in the country. He also played basketball for the Gaels.

Other recent athletes from the area to appear on Sports Illustrated’s cover include a pair of Findlay Prep Wildcats. Findlay Prep products Nick Johnson and Brandon Ashley appeared on covers in 2014 and 2015, respectively, while playing for Arizona. The Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper, who attended Las Vegas High before playing at the College of Southern Nevada, has been on the cover three times.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.