By Monday, Lucas Folan had already attended football camps at Boston College, Lehigh, Yale, Wagner, the University of Maine, and Bryant, hoping to impress college coaches with his athleticism and ability as a pass rusher attacking the quarterback off the edge.
A 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound rising senior at Catholic Memorial, the Weymouth teen is coming off a very productive 2017 season in which he racked up 19 tackles for losses and 12.5 sacks, in addition to 51 tackles and two forced fumbles.
In May, Folan attended the invite-only Nike Football Opening Regionals camp at the New York Jets facility in New Jersey. The camp, whose notable alums include New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, and over 100 current NFL players, is attended yearly by four- and five-star recruits.
The talent and competition at the camp proved eye-opening to Folan.
“The camp had some of the best talent in the country,’’ he said. “We all had a chance to compete against four- and five-star players that are going on to play at schools such as Georgia and Alabama. I have to say of all the camps, that was definitely one that has opened my eyes to see how much I needed to work on to succeed this fall.’’
Folan, a returning Globe All-Scholastic, recently picked up his first official offer from Bryant University, a Division 1 program in the Northeast Conference under the direction of second-year coach James Perry. The offer, he said, provided “huge confidence.’’
With his camp tour complete, Folan has turned his attention to offseason workouts four days per week with his teammates at Catholic Memorial. He will be a captain under new coach John DiBiaso.
Catholic Memorial finished 6-5 last fall under interim head coach Brent Williams.
“It’s important for the captains to stay on top of the younger guys,’’ Folan said. “They are going to help us out a lot this year at many different positions.’’
One of the newcomers is Folan’s younger brother, Will, a sophomore receiver, a development Folan says is already pleasing their father, Seamus, to no end.
But Folan is hardly the only local high school footballer spending quality time at camps devoted to the sport this summer. His teammate at Catholic Memorial, senior defensive back Hunter Tully of Taunton, attended camps at Boston College and Bentley University and also visited Dartmouth College, the University of New Hampshire, and Stonehill College.
Through discussions with coaches at the camps, Tully has learned what positions he will likely play at the college level and the techniques he needs to work on going forward.
“I’m mainly focused on our team and this upcoming season,’’ Tully said. “We have our workouts, they’re taken very seriously by our players, and I’m very excited for our season.’’
North Andover senior receiver Gabe DeSouza, who has attracted interest from, among others, Harvard, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Maine, and Sacred Heart University, has attended camps at each of those schools.
He said he has learned to be patient and find the right fit as he works with his North Andover teammates on weight lifting, conditioning, and 7-on-7 passing drills.
“Everything that I’ve learned about the recruiting process and playing at the next level,’’ said DeSouza, “is that you don’t need multiple offers. All you really need is one school to believe in you and you can make the most out of it.’’
Another returning Globe All-Scholastic, Xavier Gonsalves, a 6-3, 230-pound two-way end from reigning Division 7 Super Bowl champion Mashpee High, has received offers from Maine and UMass, the latter after an excellent showing in Amherst.
In addition to camps, Gonsalves has been working out with his team in Mashpee daily and has participated in 7-on-7 drills every Wednesday.
“I’ve learned so much from the camps and coaches that have helped me get better throughout the summer,’’ he said.
Lynn English wideout/defensive back Prince Brown has been busy getting game reps in the Legacy Football 7v7 League while prepping for his senior season.
His primary focus: improving his speed.
So far, he has generated interest from Division 2 programs in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Brown, who helped lead Lynn English to the Division 3 North final last fall with 10 touchdown receptions, 49 tackles, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups, said he has a simple approach to what happens next.
“I’m interested in any college,’’ he said, “that looks at me.’’
Jake Caccavaro can be reached at jake.caccavaro@globe.com.
