Bianchi a Top 2009 NJ Prospect

One of the top players in the Class of 2009 for the state of New Jersey could be West Essex High School athlete Tom Bianchi. The impressive two-way standout camped at Boston College this summer and has been hearing from a number of schools early in recruiting, including Penn State.

Tom Bianchi is only going into his junior season at West Essex High School where he stars at both tight end and defensive end, however given his combination of size and athleticism it looks like a transition to outside linebacker could be a possibility by the time he is ready to suit up at the collegiate level. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound North Caldwell, N.J., native has been officially clocked at 4.62 in the 40-yard dash, 4.40 in the short shuttle and 7.19 in the three-cone drill and has a bright future ahead of him.

“I went up to Boston College for an invite only camp and had a really great time during my visit,” Bianchi said. “The facilities there were just unbelievable and the coaching staff was really nice. I have always liked Boston College and the fact that they offer great academics is just another thing to like about them. I thought the campus was great and the coaching staff seemed very interested in me.”

“Penn State is another school that has been sending me letters at this point, but I have not been to their campus yet,” Bianchi explained. “I don’t know a lot about them specifically, but they obviously have a great tradition and are a big-time football program. I also know that Penn State is a huge school in terms of enrollment and campus size. I also like other schools like Syracuse, Maryland and Rutgers. It isn’t limited to those at all, I guess I just really am interested in any of the big-time East Coast programs at this point and will see what opportunities I get in the future.”

Bianchi was named to the All-Sophomore team by The Star-Ledger last season.