Black Shoe Diaries

If the name Arcidiacono sounds familiar, well..it should. Mark Arcidiacono is a three year member of the Penn State football program, redshirting in 2009 and working his way up the depth chart in 2010 and 2011. Brandon Arcidiacono is an incoming freshman in the Rutgers Class of 2012, who is holding to his commitment for now. (Brandon did not have an offer from Penn State.)

A year later, Nick Arcidiacono (6-4, 233 pounds) is trying to make a name for himself as an offensive lineman/tight end/defensive end out of Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, PA. Nick is currently waiting on his first offer, but is hearing from schools like Penn State, Rutgers, Boston College, Maryland, Miami, Nebraska, and Michigan State.

Unlike his brothers, Nick is "getting mostly projected as a defensive end or tight end." He has yet to send his tape out to recruiters, which explains his current lack of offers. But that won't last long.

Luckily, with two brothers that have gone through the process, Nick is getting a lot of quality guidance.

"My brothers don't really put any pressure on me, they just give me advice and wish me the best. I've learned a lot from them and seeing them go through this process has prepared me and I know what to expect."

With brother Mark already in State College, Nick has made numerous unofficial trips to Penn State over the past three years. But he hopes to get on campus in a more professional fashion very soon.

"I definitely plan to take a visit to Happy Valley this off-season. I took 2 game visits there this season which were the Eastern Michigan and Purdue games."

Other schools are making a push for the multi-talented junior. Arcidiacono recently made the trek to Boston College and Maryland, and has plans to visit even more campuses.

"I also plan to visit Rutgers, West Virginia, and Michigan State."

It's still early in the process for most recruits, including Arcidiacono. Getting film out, speaking with schools, visiting campuses, and generally getting a feel for what you're looking for is a long process. Some pick a school early, some take the summer and commit before the senior season, and some wait it out until the end.

"If a school feels right to me and I feel I really fit in, I might make my decision early, but only if I know its the right school for me."

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