LaCivita has major potential on and off the field

In the recruiting business you deal with a lot of student-athletes. There are some that just have it all together and shock you with their maturity. They make you forget, at times, that these are just 16 and 17 year old kids. Bryan LaCivita, the 2012 wide receiver from St. Francis Catholic high school, is one of those kids.

The 6-foot-1, 175 pound athlete has worked very hard to get himself in better shape by adding 15 pounds over the last few months. When he is not hitting the books, he is on the field running routes or catching passes.

"I work really hard to better myself every day. My hands are what separate me from other receivers. I work on it constantly and try to catch everything that comes my way. Ball control is something else I work on. I take a lot of pride in it and it has improved greatly."

LaCivita is a goal oriented student-athlete with an incredible work ethic. He maintains a 4.17 GPA in the classroom and was chosen as one of the 16 state representatives for the FHSAA Athletic Advisory Committee. On the field, he has some major goals for himself and his teammates.

"I really want to make the playoffs this year. Our school hasn't had football for a long time and now that we are no longer independent, I really want our team to take the next step and make the playoffs for the first time. Individually, I just want to help our team by making big catches in clutch situations. Like I said, I pride myself on having great hands and I want to prove that my hard work has paid off this year. Anything that I can do to help our team win is good enough for me."

LaCivita looks beyond depth charts and team records when looking for a university to attend and has a very good idea of what he wants in a program.

"I focus on academics first and foremost. The academics are the most important thing when picking a school, as well as the coaching staff. I want to major in sports management and at some point in the future, I would like to become a football coach."

Schools are just getting his junior highlight film, so his recruitment is just starting to heat up. He has a broad range of schools he is looking at and at this point, he is open to everyone.

"I don't have any offers at the moment, but I am getting plenty of interest from schools. I am hearing a great deal from the Ivy League schools and some other Division 1 schools. Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State, NC State, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Harvard have contacted me. My junior film was just recently released so I think things will start picking up soon and during my senior year."

LaCivita, who plays both receiver and safety for St. Francis Catholic, is a humble individual and gave some praise to his teammate for pushing him to get better.

"Jermaine Kirkland, another wide receiver on our team, is someone to watch out for. He and I battle during practice and try to out-perform each other. He pushes me to get better, as I do for him."

While some high school athletes take it easy in the summer and enjoy their break from school, LaCivita is constantly working to get better and achieve his personal goals.

"I work very hard in the summer to make sure I stay in shape and get better. I train up at Florida State University and I train a lot with Kez McCorvey. He has really helped me improve my overall game. I have added weight and have done the things necessary for a good senior season."

Matt Olesnevich, the head coach at St. Francis Catholic, had nothing but praise for LaCivita and spoke highly of him, both on and off the field.

"Bryan is a great kid. He works very hard in the classroom, shows excellent maturity, and always has excellent behavior. On the field, Bryan is an excellent player with tremendous knowledge of the game. He is a playmaker that makes plays when we need them. Bryan's teammates are amazed by some of his catches. His hands are phenomenal and the best aspect of his game."

Scouting Report from FlaVarsity.com

Bryan is the definition of a possession receiver. He has enough speed to get away from defenders and uses his body control to get open with ease. During testing this off-season, he ran a 4.55 40-yard-dash and jumped 33 inches in the vertical. His hands are terrific. Let me rephrase. He has some of the best hands in the state. If he touches the ball, it is not hitting the ground. It is obvious that he works hard at his craft and it shows on the football field. He has added size to his lean frame and with his work ethic, he could be 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds by the time he finishes his freshman year of college.

As a junior, LaCivita had 33 catches, 340 yards receiving, and 8 touchdowns.

Tom Loy, the Recruiting Analyst for FlaVarsity.com, can be reached at tomloy2006@hotmail.com or followed on twitter - @tomloy2002.