Offers roll for huge OT Alvarez

Offers are coming in for huge Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton offensive tackle William Alvarez. According to Hylton head coach Lou Sorrentino all the big schools are stopping by with scholarships for his star lineman.

"I don't even know how many offers he has anymore," he said. "All the schools are coming through and offering him including Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, West Virginia, Penn State, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida, Tennessee, Louisville, North Carolina and others.

"Most of the offers have been fairly recent since they saw him in person because he looks much better when you see him close up. There are still a few schools waiting to get back to him like Georgia."

Does Alvarez have any favorites at this time?

"He is still in the collection phase right now," Sorrentino said. "Everybody looks good to him and I know he's going to have a very hard time saying no to everyone. Already this month I've had Ralph Friedgen, Frank Beamer and Phillip Fulmer come into my office to find out more about him. I think his decision is going to come down to wherever his heart is and I think staying close to home is a factor too. We'll probably start narrowing down his list of schools by the end of this summer, but right now he's got to focus on his grades first.

"He had his best quarter just recently and his grades are on the way up. We still have to see what he gets on the SAT, but personally I'm confident he'll be a qualifier. He's right at about a 2.0 GPA in his core classes and will be taking summer school to improve that."

What are all the colleges seeing in the Commonwealth lineman?

"I feel he's got a huge upside, great feet, good punch and a wonderful nastiness about him," he stated. "The thing about William is that he's only been playing football for a couple years and if you check out his film he still is raw and inconsistent at times. From the recruiters that have talked to me though, they see a lot of room for improvement and a nice frame. He also holds his weight well and has natural ability."

It certainly has to help that Alvarez is also a great person.

"He is a great kid and people like him," he said. "He talks to everyone from classmates and teachers to the lunch lady and janitor. He likes people and at his core is a real good kid with a great personality. I think that's what really keeps him from getting better grades because he gets distracted a lot, but it's hard to stay mad at him for too long."

Sorrentino believes Alvarez will attend a few camps in June at nearby schools including Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and North Carolina.

Last season Alvarez earned all-state honors.