Harlan: Coveted North Hills lineman fits up-tempo style
By Chris Harlan, Sports Reporter
Saturday, May 23, 2015, 10:42 p.m.
North Hills junior Jake Buccigrossi would prefer a hurry-up offense in college, one that requires everyone to hustle downfield.
“That will really influence my decision,” he said. “I'd like a fast pace.”
How many linemen say that?
A 6-foot-4, 280-pound two-way tackle for the Indians, Buccigrossi is more mobile than most kids his size, coach Pat Carey said. That athleticism has earned him scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I schools that want him as an interior lineman, either at guard or center.
His most recent offer came Thursday from Northwestern.
“One thing that helps him is his ability to run,” Carey said. “With all these up-tempo offenses that colleges are using, I think he fits the bill. That's why West Virginia, Northwestern and schools like that would recruit him.”
Buccigrossi joined the varsity as a freshman and will be a third-year starter as a senior this fall. He drew attention with a strong junior season at right tackle, Carey said.
Rivals.com ranked Buccigrossi as the state's 29th-best recruit in the 2016 class. He and Upper St. Clair tackle Brandon Ford, a Pitt commit, are the only WPIAL offensive linemen among the site's top 30.
“For a big kid, Jake has the ability to move and play with leverage,” Carey said. “He's really a great bender for a high school lineman. And (recruiters) really seem to like his toughness on the field. We had to slow him down in practice. He was knocking kids down and pancaking kids so often that I was afraid of the injuries that could happen around him.”
Buccigrossi's offers arrived one after another in the last four months. His first came in February from ACC school Virginia.
He has since added FBS offers from the Big Ten, Big 12, Mid-American and Conference USA.
West Virginia offered in mid-April. Half of the offers came since April 1.
“It was really an overwhelming experience at first,” Buccigrossi said, “but I've kind of got a handle on it now.”
He would consider any new offers that arrive, but for now he's narrowed his focus to five schools: Arizona, Northwestern, Temple, Toledo and West Virginia.
He already has visited three of the five and would like to see Northwestern's campus some time soon, and maybe Arizona's as well. He also has plans to attend camps at Pitt and WVU in the coming weeks.
Then his college search might adopt a hurry-up approach.
“I'm aiming to make my decision around mid-June,” he said, “so it's coming up quick.”
Chris Harlan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.
All about Jake Buccigrossi
A 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman, the North Hills junior holds scholarship offers from Akron, Arizona, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Colgate, Fordham, Kent State, Lafayette, Northwestern, Old Dominion, Temple, Toledo, Virginia, West Virginia and Western Michigan.
“Beyond that fact that he's a good player, he's a great kid,” North Hills coach Pat Carey said. “He's been very humble through this recruiting process. The kind of kid you root for.”
By Chris Harlan, Sports Reporter
Saturday, May 23, 2015, 10:42 p.m.
North Hills junior Jake Buccigrossi would prefer a hurry-up offense in college, one that requires everyone to hustle downfield.
“That will really influence my decision,” he said. “I'd like a fast pace.”
How many linemen say that?
A 6-foot-4, 280-pound two-way tackle for the Indians, Buccigrossi is more mobile than most kids his size, coach Pat Carey said. That athleticism has earned him scholarship offers from more than a dozen Division I schools that want him as an interior lineman, either at guard or center.
His most recent offer came Thursday from Northwestern.
“One thing that helps him is his ability to run,” Carey said. “With all these up-tempo offenses that colleges are using, I think he fits the bill. That's why West Virginia, Northwestern and schools like that would recruit him.”
Buccigrossi joined the varsity as a freshman and will be a third-year starter as a senior this fall. He drew attention with a strong junior season at right tackle, Carey said.
Rivals.com ranked Buccigrossi as the state's 29th-best recruit in the 2016 class. He and Upper St. Clair tackle Brandon Ford, a Pitt commit, are the only WPIAL offensive linemen among the site's top 30.
“For a big kid, Jake has the ability to move and play with leverage,” Carey said. “He's really a great bender for a high school lineman. And (recruiters) really seem to like his toughness on the field. We had to slow him down in practice. He was knocking kids down and pancaking kids so often that I was afraid of the injuries that could happen around him.”
Buccigrossi's offers arrived one after another in the last four months. His first came in February from ACC school Virginia.
He has since added FBS offers from the Big Ten, Big 12, Mid-American and Conference USA.
West Virginia offered in mid-April. Half of the offers came since April 1.
“It was really an overwhelming experience at first,” Buccigrossi said, “but I've kind of got a handle on it now.”
He would consider any new offers that arrive, but for now he's narrowed his focus to five schools: Arizona, Northwestern, Temple, Toledo and West Virginia.
He already has visited three of the five and would like to see Northwestern's campus some time soon, and maybe Arizona's as well. He also has plans to attend camps at Pitt and WVU in the coming weeks.
Then his college search might adopt a hurry-up approach.
“I'm aiming to make my decision around mid-June,” he said, “so it's coming up quick.”
Chris Harlan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.
All about Jake Buccigrossi
A 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman, the North Hills junior holds scholarship offers from Akron, Arizona, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Colgate, Fordham, Kent State, Lafayette, Northwestern, Old Dominion, Temple, Toledo, Virginia, West Virginia and Western Michigan.
“Beyond that fact that he's a good player, he's a great kid,” North Hills coach Pat Carey said. “He's been very humble through this recruiting process. The kind of kid you root for.”
