Quarterback Tate Forcier, a top recruit from San Diego, has drawn the interest of some 30 Division I schools. Courtesy of the Forcier family

Tate Forcier was training at Marv Marinovich's Orange County, Calif., facility early this year when his cell phone rang. Forcier's father was on the line, and he had good news. Stanford had offered the Scripps Ranch (San Diego) quarterback a scholarship. But Forcier, one of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2009, didn't celebrate immediately. After watching the recruitment of older brothers Jason (who began at Michigan and transferred to Stanford) and Chris (UCLA), Forcier understood the process better than most.

He wanted to see that offer in writing.

Not long after, an envelope arrived at Forcier's home. Inside was a four-paragraph letter from Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh offering a full scholarship. "It kind of didn't hit me until I actually received the letter in the mail," Forcier said. "When you get that first offer, it's one of the best feelings. You know you have a place. You're set. You're not worrying, 'Am I going to get recruited?'"

Forcier has since received 29 more offers, and as the written offers have arrived, Forcier and his family have scanned them and posted them on the brothers' Web site. As of Tuesday morning, the Forciers had posted 21 offer letters on the site, and those letters offer a fascinating glimpse into a key moment in the recruiting process that is often talked about but rarely examined.

Thanks to Forcier, we know that Harbaugh believes Stanford represents "the greatest combination of academic and athletic excellence in existence." We know LSU has yet to order new letterhead since winning the 2007 BCS title. We know that Oklahoma State coach Mike "I'm a man!" Gundy writes the same way he talks -- with ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

Forcier has offers from schools in all six BCS conferences, so the letters posted on his site offer an excellent cross-section of big-time programs. And like Gundy's all-caps missive, each says a lot about the coach and the program he represents.

Claims

All the letters offer to provide tuition, room, board and books, but of the 21 letters Forcier has posted, Harbaugh's offers the most hyperbole. The second paragraph opens with, "As both the top academic institution in the world, and the home of the top collegiate athletic program in the world..."

Penn State, which, like Stanford, has an excellent record for graduating players, also emphasized academics in its offer. In a letter from the desk of Joseph V. Paterno, Forcier is reminded that the Nittany Lions have "maintained a commitment to achievement in the classroom and on the field with unyielding fervor."

Meanwhile, Washington coach Ty Willingham hints in his offer letter to Forcier that in previous years, the program may not have stressed the non-football aspects of the college experience. "The beliefs of the football program are aligning more with the mission of the University than at any time in the history of this great institution," Willingham wrote in a letter dated Feb. 19, a few weeks after The Seattle Times published a scathing series examining the behavior of Washington's 2000 Pac-10 title team coached by Rick Neuheisel. Willingham also seems to consider Forcier a savior of sorts. "With your greatness, we know that the Husky football program will return to being the best in the country," Willingham wrote. "The impact that you have will be immediate and tremendous."