As the Patriots contingent pulls into the parking lot at this SEC school's athletic offices -- nestled between impressive athletic facilities that include an indoor practice field, outdoor turf field, beautiful baseball stadium and football game stadium -- Caserio praises the upgrades they immediately notice since the pair last made this specific trip some years earlier. An early southern spring has the trees already flowering on campus, buds of growth that are somewhat appropriate as the young football players with their day in the Patriots spotlight hope to bloom into NFL talents.
To get things going Caserio sets up shop in the coaches' meeting room, a projection screen and video-loaded laptop at his ready.
It's right about 7 a.m. when the first prospect on the team's four-man list strolls into the room and takes a seat just to Caserio's left and a few spots down from the observations of Scarnecchia, who is more an informed bystander than active participant with this offensive skill player, considered by many outside scouting services to be a late, draftable candidate despite not being invited to the Combine.
