Western Kentucky picked up a second commitment on Wednesday, landing a convincing special teams player in Community School of Davidson (N.C.) 2022 kicker and punter Lucas Carneiro.
The 6-foot-0, 185-pound five-star kicker out of Cornelius, N.C. announced his commitment to the Hilltoppers over social media on Wednesday evening.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Carneiro spoke with InsideHilltopperSports.com about his commitment and discussed what ultimately led to his decision.
The late addition to the 2022 class was offered by the Hilltoppers on June 15, revealing that just three days prior, he was on campus for a visit and workout.
Carneiro said he will be enrolling to Western Kentucky in late July and will be available for the Hilltoppers' fall camp.
"It feels amazing. I loved the campus, the facilities were great and they are only getting better. The coaching staff is also amazing."
— Lucas Carneiro
Carneiro said that WKU assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Andy LaRussa played a crucial role in his recruitment as he was the first member of the Hilltoppers' coaching staff to reach out to him. He said they communicated consistently leading up to his visit.
"Coach LaRussa was the one who reached out to me. I was in contact with him the whole time, until I met everyone when I came up for the visit. He was straight-up with me and means business."
— Lucas Carneiro
Carneiro said that as a kicker, he is mostly self-taught and has had to push himself to improve and grow throughout his high school football career.
"I’ve had to push myself more than anyone because I've never had competition. It was always me pushing myself every day to get better, be the best and be able to commit to a good D1 program."
— Lucas Carneiro
While at Community School of Davidson, Carneiro said that his coaching staff did assist him in his development but he was also teaching himself.