EA on '15: Number one recruiter
Justin Rowland
EagleAction.com Recruiting Analyst
Assistant coaches are on the payroll and recruiting is one of their primary job descriptions. BC's scholarship offer was all Anthony Palazzoloneeded to transform himself into the Eagles' class leader of sorts.
Though he was listed as a tackle, Palazzolo is probably a guard.
Palazzolo was Boston College's first commitment from the Class of 2015. That alone made him unique. He bought in before anyone else. At the time he was a four-star recruit. He finished the recruiting process with three stars, but he wasn't far off from the four-star status he had previously attained.
Not surprisingly, people close to the program thought the decision to drop Palazzolo a star was a mistake and they believe they will be proven right in time.
"I think it was a bad call," one person close to the program toldEagleAction.com. "Sometimes I think a lot of rankings come from whether a kid goes to enough camps. That favors guys who advertise themselves more. (Palazzolo) committed right around the time a lot of those camps were going on."
So, according to the BC insider perspective, Palazzolo limited his exposure by committing so early and making it clear he was solid and unwilling to go through the same camp grind as some other recruits. But there's another belief common at the Heights.
"There may not have been as much respect because he was from Connecticut," a source added.
BC obviously doesn't have a bias against Connecticut recruits. The state is a crucial life line that has become arguably one of the two most important pieces of the puzzle every year, along with Massachusetts. It's reliable and the staff believes underrated in terms of quantity and quality most years.
Palazzolo will be a guard for Boston College. He's a big kid with a big personality. Before ever enrolling at Boston College, Palazzolo will have made a huge impact on the program. He was often one of the first smiling faces that visiting recruits saw upon stepping foot on campus. He went out of his way to visit as often as possible, and he always had a positive word to pass along about the program. But more important than selling the school, Palazzolo acted as an ambassador, most effectively by just building relationships. Group text message threads have been big for BC classes under Steve Addazio.
"He's like a big bear," one person said of Addazio's personality. "He's a big kid and just a great guy."
He's got the kind of personality that draws other people in and many believe that the bond between BC's offensive line class in '15, which has been well documented, was largely due to Palazzolo reaching out so often and getting to know everyone. Whenever an offensive line commitment visited BC last year they could be found with at least one more offensive line commit, assuming there was another there. It may not have been a clique, but it might have seemed like one from a distance.
"He was definitely the number one recruiter," a source told us.
That alone made Palazzolo very important for the Eagles. He also happened to be one of BC's higher-ranked recruits.
The Fairfield Prep lineman has been listed at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds and that's in line with what he's been listed at elsewhere. Upon committing to BC, Palazzolo's recruitment slowed significantly. Even if other schools had continued to recruit him aggressively it's unlikely that would have mattered much.
Justin Rowland
EagleAction.com Recruiting Analyst
Assistant coaches are on the payroll and recruiting is one of their primary job descriptions. BC's scholarship offer was all Anthony Palazzoloneeded to transform himself into the Eagles' class leader of sorts.
Though he was listed as a tackle, Palazzolo is probably a guard.
Palazzolo was Boston College's first commitment from the Class of 2015. That alone made him unique. He bought in before anyone else. At the time he was a four-star recruit. He finished the recruiting process with three stars, but he wasn't far off from the four-star status he had previously attained.
Not surprisingly, people close to the program thought the decision to drop Palazzolo a star was a mistake and they believe they will be proven right in time.
"I think it was a bad call," one person close to the program toldEagleAction.com. "Sometimes I think a lot of rankings come from whether a kid goes to enough camps. That favors guys who advertise themselves more. (Palazzolo) committed right around the time a lot of those camps were going on."
So, according to the BC insider perspective, Palazzolo limited his exposure by committing so early and making it clear he was solid and unwilling to go through the same camp grind as some other recruits. But there's another belief common at the Heights.
"There may not have been as much respect because he was from Connecticut," a source added.
BC obviously doesn't have a bias against Connecticut recruits. The state is a crucial life line that has become arguably one of the two most important pieces of the puzzle every year, along with Massachusetts. It's reliable and the staff believes underrated in terms of quantity and quality most years.
Palazzolo will be a guard for Boston College. He's a big kid with a big personality. Before ever enrolling at Boston College, Palazzolo will have made a huge impact on the program. He was often one of the first smiling faces that visiting recruits saw upon stepping foot on campus. He went out of his way to visit as often as possible, and he always had a positive word to pass along about the program. But more important than selling the school, Palazzolo acted as an ambassador, most effectively by just building relationships. Group text message threads have been big for BC classes under Steve Addazio.
"He's like a big bear," one person said of Addazio's personality. "He's a big kid and just a great guy."
He's got the kind of personality that draws other people in and many believe that the bond between BC's offensive line class in '15, which has been well documented, was largely due to Palazzolo reaching out so often and getting to know everyone. Whenever an offensive line commitment visited BC last year they could be found with at least one more offensive line commit, assuming there was another there. It may not have been a clique, but it might have seemed like one from a distance.
"He was definitely the number one recruiter," a source told us.
That alone made Palazzolo very important for the Eagles. He also happened to be one of BC's higher-ranked recruits.
The Fairfield Prep lineman has been listed at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds and that's in line with what he's been listed at elsewhere. Upon committing to BC, Palazzolo's recruitment slowed significantly. Even if other schools had continued to recruit him aggressively it's unlikely that would have mattered much.
