Cascarano commits to Cavs

By Jay Jenkins

Published: June 16, 2008

Sean Cascarano was set to verbally commit to Virginia on Saturday, but needed the approval of a person with a vested interest.
The massive offensive lineman’s father, who was in Chicago, did not make the trip to Virginia for the program’s annual Blue Chip Recruiting weekend.
“Once I got back, I talked it over with him and my mom,” Cascarano said, “and we just came to the conclusion that it was the best place for me academically, with football and just as a school.”
After the discussion, the three-star offensive tackle from Glenview, Ill., called late Sunday night to verbally commit to the Cavaliers’ coaching staff. Cascarano became the 16th player to join the recruiting class for 2009.
His decision, however, did not come without a host of serious questions from his dad.
“He just said, ‘Is it the one place that you want to go?’” Cascarano recounted. “I had been getting looks from some other schools that had not offered me and he asked if they offered would that change anything.
“I said, ‘Nah, I don’t really care. This is the one school that I want to go to.’”
Cascarano had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan State and Duke, but had quickly moved UVa to the top of his list prior to his visit.
That interest only intensified after the youngster spent time with three current Cavaliers — Danny Aiken, Landon Bradley and Zane Parr — on Saturday.
“I just shot a lot of questions off them,” he said. “They gave me a lot of honest answers and they were the answers that I was looking for. I would say that was big, just knowing that they enjoyed it there.
“They gave me the positives and the negatives; that’s for sure. They didn’t say that it was perfect, but they loved going there.”
During his visit, Cascarano met with Virginia offensive line coach Dave Borbely and was told that he “could play pretty much any position on the line.”
That could involve tackle or guard, but center seems unlikely as Cascarano is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds — and growing.
“I’d say that I am an athletic player for an offensive tackle,” Cascarano said. “I move pretty well, I get off the ball pretty well and I am also physical on the line. I would say those are my strengths.
“But whatever position helps the team out the most, I am all for that.”
Cascarano, the Cavaliers’ sixth out-of-state prospect, is the second offensive linemen in the class to verbally commit. Luke Bowanko, of Centreville High, committed in April.