Bolston worth fighting over

Burtonsville (Md.) St. John’s College Prep defensive tackle Conrad Bolston has more offers than he knows what to do with so far. Now he just has to figure out which one he’ll accept.

“I have offers from Maryland, Boston College, North Carolina, Penn State, West Virginia, UConn and Virginia so far,” said the 6-foot-4, 265-pound standout. “The only team in my top five that hasn’t offered yet is Tennessee.”

Bolston lists Maryland, Boston College, Tennessee, Penn State and Virginia in his top five.

All of them have visited him at school this month along with others like North Carolina, Florida, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Michigan. While he has a top five, it’s a tentative list and he remains open to many other schools.

“I’ll probably make my decision during my senior season,” he said. “I really like playing defensive tackle, and this seems to be a good year for recruiting for that position. I play offensive tackle also during the season. I'll play whatever the coaches want me to play.”

Bolston plans on getting bigger and stronger heading into his senior season.

“I plan to gain 10-15 pounds between now and the beginning of our season with our lifting and conditioning program,” he said. “We have a new coach, Elliott Uzelac, who’s really doing a great job of pulling our program together.”

During an outstanding junior season, Bolston registered 55 tackles and 13 sacks while being named second team all-Met. Bolston is also an accomplished wrestler, posting a 47-4 record as a junior with an impressive 43 pins. He feels it helps him along the defensive line.

“Wrestling helps with agility, leverage and in staying low,” he said. “I think it’s especially helpful for a defensive lineman because a lot of the movements are similar.”

Bolston also has another hidden talent that could help him in the trenches. He earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do before he became a teenager. Having already visited schools like Maryland, BC, Penn State and Virginia during the spring, Bolston has a good idea about each of his top teams.

“I like the coaches and location at Maryland. The team has a lot of heart and they need defensive linemen,” he said.

“Boston College is moving in the right direction and the coaches and academic quality are excellent. Tennessee has great coaches and a history of great defense. Penn State also has tradition and good coaches and I’ve camped there twice so I know it well. Finally, Virginia offers playing time, they have good facilities and nice coaches as well.”

Bolston will camp at Maryland, Virginia and possibly Tennessee this summer and is considered to be one of the top players on the east coast. The recruiting process for the talented defensive tackle is just beginning.

“As I learn more about programs, I become more interested. Right now I don’t really have a solid leader.”<