Mason Alnutt and Patrick Enright, a pair of senior All-Catholic linemen for the Monsignor Martin champion Canisius Crusaders, signed national letters of intent to play Division I football on the first day of college football’s early signing period on Tuesday morning.
Alnutt, a defensive end who received eight scholarship offers, verbally committed to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in early August. UNLV is currently ranked 19th in the country and will play 10th-ranked Boise State in Friday’s Mountain West conference championship game.
“It's every football player's dream to play at the next level,” Alnutt said. “I can't wait for the next four years.
“It was definitely a tough choice. Buffalo and Bowling Green were the other two that my decision came down to. I went out to UNLV with my parents and after talking with the coaches, the players and the academic and strength staff, it felt great so I knew that's where I wanted to be.”
Enright, a two-way lineman who had 14 scholarship offers – including three from the Ivy League – verbally committed to the University of the Holy Cross in August. Holy Cross went 5-1 in the Patriot League this season to win their sixth conference title.
“It feels amazing and there's no other feeling like this,” Enright said. “I’ve waited a long time, a lot of hard work in the weight room and on the field with my coaches has paid off.
“Not only does Holy Cross have great academics, but they're a really good football team. It feels like a wonderful home for me and I really like the coaching staff so I felt like it was a fit for me.”
Crusaders coach Kraig Kurzanski was effusive in his praise for the two.
“Mason's a tenacious kid,” Kurzanski said. “He's a terrific defender, maybe the best pass rusher I've coached in my career. Relentless, physically strong, tough and a very good offensive lineman too.
“Enright is the best offensive lineman I've coached. He will have a great career at Holy Cross and he's only tipping the iceberg, because he's a 280-pound kid. He’ll continue to get strong, but he's athletic and he's smart, and I think he'll have a chance at some point to maybe play pro football.”
When signing his letter of intent, Enright was emotional and for good reason. His father passed away last month but he was there when his son made his decision on where he was going to go.
“My family, they’ve done so much for me,” Enright said. “It's been a tough time, but we've gotten through it together. As a family, I wouldn't be able to do this without them, and I love them so much.
“I know how proud of me he was, and this was one of his goals. He wanted me to be successful, go to college, and playing football is just another aspect to it. So I'm happy that I was able to accomplish it, and I know he’ll always be looking down on me from heaven and knowing how proud he is.”
Kurzanski said that the program that Canisius has built to develop Alnutt and Enright has played a major role in their success at the high school level.
“If you saw those guys as sophomores, this would never have happened if you just looked at them back then,” Kurzanski said. “Both of them got in the weight room and in the offseason training program that we have. We have a coach for every position that works out all year and our staff helped those guys get better and better all three years they’ve been here.
“Obviously in school, you form as a person and as a student – Canisius is a difficult school to go to in terms of academics. So learning discipline helps too, and those kids have worked hard. They deserve it. They're both good students and they're both good people. I'm so proud of Pat and Mason.”
Patrick Enright’s emotional moment at signing day is incredibly touching. His words about his father and the support of his family are a testament to how much heart and soul goes into these athletes’ journeys. Snake game is a simple yet addictive video game where players control a growing snake that moves around a confined area, eating food to grow longer while avoiding collisions with itself and the boundaries of the playing field.