Is OT Alvarez close to a decision

Rumors have started to circle that Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton offensive tackle William Alvarez is close to committing to North Carolina. Rivals caught up with the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder to find out where he is at in the recruiting process.

"Actually I was at North Carolina last weekend and I really enjoyed my visit," he said. "I'm a lot more interested in them now than I was before, but I'm not close to committing. I enjoyed my time there with Tommy Thigpen and John Bunting and really hit it off with the staff.

"I particularly liked the campus and area too. I think of them as a team on the rise and anyone that can beat Miami and Florida State must be doing something right. Growing up I was a big fan of North Carolina basketball and I like that aspect about them too."

Though he had an excellent visit to North Carolina Alvarez still claims to have no leaders.

"It's pretty open for me," he said. "In fact I've begun to think about a decision with my coach and we've decided I'll probably make it during or after the season. I do want to take all five of my official visits."

With 17 offers on the table and no clear favorites, what is Alvarez looking for out of a school?

"I'm looking for a few things," he explained. "I'm going to check out the graduation rates, how things run at the program, whether they have players that get into trouble and somewhere I feel at home. I think it would be nice to play closer to home because my parents could see me."

This summer the Commonwealth lineman plans to stay in-state for a visit.

"I think I'm going to Virginia Tech sometime this week," he said. "I've never been there and basically I want to see some high quality facilities and professional coaches. Coach Beamer has already visited my school and I've talked to him on the phone and he seems like a good person. It should be an interesting surprise when I visit."

Alvarez is hoping to make a few other trips this summer including one back to North Carolina along with trips to West Virginia and Penn State.