Stanford football lands offensive lineman from Nevada

While the 2024 season saw some inconsistent offensive line play, Tyson Ruffins comes in looking to add a big boost for next season.

Nov 20, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; General view of the Stanford Cardinal helmet during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Stanford football's roster for 2025 is starting to take shape. While a plethora of players have opted to enter the transfer portal and play out the remainder of their eligibility elsewhere, there are also players that have chosen to come to Stanford and rewrite their legacy with the Cardinal. One of those players, Nevada offensive lineman Tyson Ruffins, has chosen Stanford as his next destination as the transfer announced his commitment to the Cardinal over the weekend.

Ruffins, who is the first transfer that the Cardinal have landed thus far, is a big signing as he will provide strong depth to an offensive line that has seen players such as Connor McLaughling, Austin Uke and Luke Baklenko all announcing that they were hitting the portal.

Standing at six-foot-two, 291 pounds, Ruffins started in nine games for the Wolfpack in 2024, missing a few games due to an injury, and was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week after his week one performance against SMU. Ruffins chose to come to The Farm over offers from schools such as Kansas and Cal.

A former three-star recruit out of Long Beach Poly, Ruffins was highly courted by some of the best academic institutions in the nation, receiving offers from schools such as Columbia, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Pennsylvania and Yale among others. 

The Cardinal had a lot of issues on their offensive line in 2024, allowing 39 opponent sacks this season, which ranked No. 122 in the nation. Ruffins' signing brings a versatile lineman capable of playing multiple spots and with his physicality being highly regarded, he should find the transition to the ACC fairly seamless.