Rivals100 DE has nine near the top, talks UGA, Clemson, Bama, & Vols visits
Antonio Alfano has been laying low for most of the offseason. His quiet work has been paying dividends though and the 2019 Rivals100 defensive end out of Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic took a road trip to see some of his top contenders.
IN HIS OWN WORDS...
"My first stop was University of Georgia," Alfano said. "It's a great school. I love the history there and the people are so nice. I love the defensive line coach and he really broke things down for me. I got a chance to go against Keiondre Jones there too and he's a really good athlete.
"I got to go to Clemson next," he said. "Clemson was awesome. It's like a playground there. Coach Swinney is amazing and coach Venables is great. They're definitely one of my top schools.
"After that we headed over to Alabama," said Alfano. "I talked to coach Saban for a little while there and he offered me. He told me to keep working hard and have a great season.
"Next we went up to Tennessee and saw my friend Jarrett Guarantano," he said. "I got to spend some time with him. I met with coach Jones and he offered me. We toured the facility and the campus. Everything was just amazing. I really liked how close-knit the alumni and the fans are there.
"From these visits, I'm going to take away how the coaches really cared about their players, the family atmospheres, and where I will be living," Alfano said. "Where I choose is where I'm going to spend the next chapter of my life so the atmosphere around me is very important.
"Near the top my list, and no specific order, Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Rutgers, Florida State, Miami, Florida, Clemson, and Michigan," he said. "I'm probably just going to visit some regional schools coming up. It'll be somewhere close. As far as a commitment goes, the earliest would be next year around this time.
"LSU is one that I'm making an effort to get in touch with," said Alfano. "Georgia, Clemson, Penn State, and Rutgers are also making a big-time effort. The environment will be a big factor for me. I want to get the full college experience."
RIVALS' REACTION
From a physical standpoint, it's very clear Alfano has been putting in a lot of effort to improve and it much more focused on becoming a better player. When it comes to his recruitment, Alfano is very much in the early stages of what will probably be a drawn out process. Schools that are relatively close to home will likely emerge as his top contenders as the process wears on. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Rutgers will be schools Alfano talks about all the way up to his commitment but schools like Georgia, Tennessee, and many others will likely receive additional visits.
