Calabrese a Top '09 NJ Linebacker

Verona, N.J., product Carlo Calabrese will be one of the most sought after prospects at the linebacker position in New Jersey next season and he has already started to impress college coaches while camping this summer. Calabrese gave us a breakdown of his camp stops this summer and talked about other schools showing him interest.

Carlo Calabrese does a little bit of everything for Verona High School whether it is starring on offense, defense or special teams, however his skill set and size make him perfect for middle linebacker at the collegiate level, where he is already getting plenty of looks. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder camped at Penn State, Boston College and Rutgers this summer and also has a number of other programs showing him early interest. We talked with the young athlete about some of these programs and what he feels he does best on the field.

“I think my best qualities are that I have a nose for the ball, explode through the ball carrier when I make tackles and just play very physical,” Calabrese stated. “I also do a good job at jamming guys, cover well and do a good job forcing turnovers whether it is fumbles or interceptions.”

The middle linebacker prospect camped at Penn State, Rutgers and Boston College this summer and has already been contacted in some form by Virginia, Connecticut and Maryland as well. We talked to him about the three schools he camped at as well as another that he holds in high regards, the University of Notre Dame.

Penn State - “I spent three days at Penn State working with their linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden and I think he liked me because he actually had me leading most of the linebacker drills. I like the campus at Penn State and they also bring good academics to the table. They are a great football school and are rich in tradition at the linebacker position. I didn’t get to tour the stadium because I left before they gave us the tour, but it looked huge from the outside.”

Rutgers - “The team is getting really good and it has been two years in a row where they have shown they can play now, so I really see them as a program on the rise that could stay up there. I went to a one-day camp at Rutgers and was invited back to meet individually with their linebackers coach for two hours so we could sit down and break down film together which went well. I think the campus is really nice and also like the coaching staff and the fact that it is close to home.”

Boston College - “My visit to Boston College went great and the campus was beautiful. They showed us around and all of the coaches were really nice, as was the stadium. They offer their students great academics, so if football doesn’t work out you have a great degree that can really take you places after school.”

Notre Dame - “I am good friends with Anthony Fasano and his younger brother, so when he started playing at Notre Dame I really started following them and actually went up for a game with the family to watch him play. It was very nice there and the stadium and campus were absolutely gorgeous. I mean, you have Touchdown Jesus right there and all the other tradition, so it’s a pretty different place. Notre Dame is another school that is great academically. I just sent them film recently, so I am hoping to hear back from them when they can contact us.”

As a sophomore, Calabrese missed four and a half games with a broken wrist, but still managed 53 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. He also had roughly 200 yards on offense and caught four touchdown passes. Calabrese was also the kicker, punter and punt returner for Verona High School. The Star-Ledger named him first-team All-Conference at linebacker, second-team All-State Group I, Essex County third-team defense and the Essex County Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named the All-Purpose Player of the Year, the Essex County Comeback Player of the Year and was a member of the Essex County All-Sophomore team at linebacker.

As a freshman, Calabrese led his team in tackles with 58 solo tackles, three sacks and a blocked point after attempt. He was also the team's kicker and converted on all point after attempts. He was named Essex County Freshman Defensive Player of the Year by The Star-Ledger.

Calabrese runs a 4.7 40-yard dash, a 4.35 short shuttle, benches 300 pounds, squats 400 pounds and can do 35 reps of 150 pounds on the bench press. He is also an honor roll student.