Tristan Alvano Enjoys Iowa Football Visit

Talented Kicker from Omaha Checks Out Hawkeye Junior Day

'23 Omaha (NE) Westside High kicker Tristan Alvano (left) with Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods

Picking out the aspect of Iowa Football's junior day Tristan Alvano liked most proved difficult. 

"I liked it all. The whole day was great," the Omaha (NE) Westside High kicker said of Saturday's stop in Iowa City. 

Kohl's Kicking ranks him the No. 5 kicker in the country for the 2023 Class. He's the top-rated player at the position in the Midwest. 

Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Oklahoma are among the other schools showing Alvano interest. 

Iowa played host to Alvano (6-2, 185) for the second time this year. He visited campus in January. He found the latest stop valuable. 

"I really enjoyed the interactions and access I had with the coaches, and the player panel Q&A. The facilities also stood out," he said.

"I like how strong the culture and unity is in their program. It really reminded me of my high school program and that is really special to me."

Special Teams Coordinator LeVar Woods spoke extensively with Alvano Saturday. 

"It was far reaching. We discussed random personal matters to get to know each other better. We discussed big-picture items with respect to Iowa and their special teams in particular. And then we got into some very specific details about kicking and how they run their practices," Alvano said.

Iowa graduated starting kicker Caleb Shudak off of its '21 team. Lucas Amaya, Aaron Blum and incoming freshman Drew Stevens were expected to compete for the opening this spring and summer. 

Alvano will keep an eye on that competition. 

"It's to be determined about I would fit into the competition at kicker at Iowa. Iowa has had great kickers over the years and great special teams overall. I do have confidence in myself and my mental approach to kicking," he said. 

"All I can ask from a program is for the opportunity to compete, and based off what I learned it’s a competition every day to get on the field and help the program."

Alvano is eager to find out more about the Hawkeyes. 

"I want to learn about what the atmosphere and intensity is like at a game and a practice. I want to be able to see in person what the players go through, their preparation, and how they handle the speed and intensity of their competition," he said.

Alvano still is thinking about a college major. 

"Right now, I’m not exactly sure. However, I’m interested in Sports Management and Business," he said.

Kohl's had this to say about the Omaha junior: Alvano's most recent camp was in December of 2021. He scored 13 of 15 points on FG's and had a KO score of 107. He did very well during the drill work phase of camp. His performance at the UC Challenge in January of 2022 proved he is a D1 kicker. His 16 points on FG's and 109 points on KO's showed he is potentially the top kicker in the middle part of the US. Alvano is someone to watch this spring!

You can watch Alvano's highlights from the recent national underclassmen challenge HERE.