When considering his college future, Cathedral Prep (Erie, PA) rising senior defensive tackle James Trucilla took to heart advice given to him by his older brothers, John and Luke, who both experienced the recruiting process (John for track and Luke for football).

“The first thing they said was that I will know where I want to go because I will just feel at home,” Trucilla said. “The first time I walked on to UVa, I felt at home. I could see myself there. It had a homey feel. The coaches are down-to-earth. I sat in on an academic meeting. You don’t hear a lot about getting too excited about academics, but that was kind of cool too. I just felt like it was the perfect school academically and athletically. It fits my personality well. The coaches are great. The more I’m in contact with the coaches the more I want to play so badly. I’m of course excited about my senior season in high school, but I’m so excited for UVa and playing there.”

Michigan State was also high on Trucilla’s list at the time of his June 18th commitment to UVa. The 6’1”, 270-pound prospect impressed the Spartans at camp this spring; however, when it came time to offer, Michigan State was on the fence. An offer might have come further down the road, but “I knew UVa really wanted me,” Trucilla said.

A primary reason some major colleges stayed away from offering was height.

...