2012 DE has two early offers

After losing a number of top players to graduation, there were several question marks regarding Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep this season. However, after three games, all of these questions have definitely been answered and the Ironmen are once again one of the top teams in the country. One of the leaders of the defense has been junior defensive lineman Darius Hamilton, who has already picked up two offers.

Hamilton, 6-foot-4 and 240-pounds, has seen all of his playing time at defensive tackle this season and has approximately 25 tackles and 5.5 sacks through three games.

"I think I've stepped up and I've been a leader on the field," said Hamilton. "We have a very young team that had to grow up quickly to play the teams we play, and so far I think we're doing a good job."

The early part of the season has seen the Ironmen come up with dominating road wins against Gilman (Md.) and St. Ignatius (Ohio).

"We knew they were good teams and that if we wanted to beat them we were gonna have to play a fast paced and physical game," said Hamilton. "I believe they were great wins for our team to show people around the world that we are not in a down year."

With Don Bosco Prep annually being a hotbed of recruiting, it's no surprise that Hamilton is quickly seeing his recruitment hit another level.

"It's going well so far," he said. "I'm hearing from Rutgers, Syracuse, Penn Sate, Connecticut, Pitt, Boston College, Wisconsin, and Michigan. I have verbal offers from Rutgers and Pitt."

An interesting connection that Hamilton has with Pittsburgh is that his father, Keith Hamilton , played for the Panthers before enjoying a successful career in the NFL. Will this give the Panthers an advantage with the younger Hamilton?

"It won't have any effect on me," said Hamilton. "I'm gonna go where I feel the most comfortable."

While he hasn't had a chance to take any visits yet this season, he is hoping to attend games at both Pittsburgh and Rutgers later this fall.