Pitt Football Recruiting Update: Current Class Of 2016 Has 10 Verbal Commitments
By Brett Tunno
It has been awhile since my last football recruiting piece, so I figured it was a good time to discuss the current 10 verbal commitments for the Pitt Class of 2016.
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Pat Narduzzi has Pitt currently sitting with a 3-1 (1-0 ACC) record, with a homecoming game against Virginia tomorrow afternoon. The ACC Coastal Division is wide open, so there has been some talk about a Clemson/ Pitt ACC Championship game, but we have a lot of football to go.
We also have much recruitment to go, but as a refresher, here are the current verbal commitments for the Pitt Class of 2016, with rankings according to Scout and Rivals.
1.) Local 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle Brandon Ford from Upper St. Clair: He is ranked the No. 2 offensive tackle in Pennsylvania by Scout (#60 in the country), and he will join a large, tough offensive line that was built by the previous staff.
2) Moeller High School 3-star 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback Thomas MacVittie from Ohio. MacVittie, the No. 4 quarterback in Ohio (#58 in the country), had offers from Cincinnati and Miami, Ohio. With excellent height and a strong arm, he is considered a steal at this point and could fight for the Pitt starting job within the next two seasons. Nathan Peterman and Chad Voytik will both be seniors next season, so MacVittie will likely contend for the starting position the following season against Ben DiNucci and Adam Bertke.
3) Local playmaking safety Bricen Garner from Central Catholic. He committed to Pitt on KDKA. At 6-foot-3 and the No. 2 safety in Pennsylvania (#45 in the country), he could become a hometown star for Pitt alongside Jordan Whitehead.
4) Bedford High School 3-star runningback Chawntez Moss from Ohio. Last year the 5-foot-11, 195-pound back compiled over 2000 yards on the ground with 32 touchdowns. The lineage of strong running backs will certainly continue at Pitt, as Moss, the No. 5 running back in Ohio (#57 in the country) pledged to join the 412 Crew.
5) Williamsburg, Virginia (Lafayette HS) outside linebacker Chase Pine is a heavy hitter with size at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Pine, currently a 3-star, was the No. 1 outside linebacker in Virginia (#84 in the country), and he chose the Panthers over California, Georgia, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
6) New Brunswick High School RB/DB Maurice Ffrench from New Jersey. He was recruited as an athlete who can play on either side of the ball, and has the potential for an explosive play. The 5-foot-11, 175 pounder ran a 10.5 100 in a track meet this year, so I would not want to race him. Currently only a 2-star on Scout and Rivals, but that could change.
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7) Lima High School 4-star wide receiver Ruben Flowers from Ohio. At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, he is ranked the No. 2 wideout in Ohio (#78 in the country), and a MacVittie to Flowers duo may be in the future. Flowers had offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky. He has excellent size and could be used to help fill the void left when Tyler Boyd goes to the NFL Draft. According to rivals.com, Flowers is a 4-star and the No. 55 wide receiver in the country.
8) Coventry High School 3-star defensive end Bryce Hargrove from Ohio. He has excellent size at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds and is rated the No. 5 end in the state (#90 in the country). He selected the Panthers over Cincinnati and Rutgers, and he was the fourth commitment from Ohio. He certainly fits the mold of Pat Narduzzi’s defenses, and he likely will be a defensive tackle.
9) Central Catholic 3-star defensive tackle Rashad Wheeler joined fellow teammate Bricen Garner, committing to the Panthers on KDKA. The 6-foot-4, 270 pound defensive tackle will make an impact on Pat Narduzzi’s defenses over the next few seasons. He is rated the No. 1 defensive tackle in Pennsylvania (#43 in the country). He chose Pitt over West Virginia, Penn State, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Syracuse, and Boston College.
10) Brashear High School 3-star cornerback Therran Coleman also chose Pitt and made his decision on KDKA. Honestly, how cool is it for these local athletes to select their college football choice on local television? Coleman is a very athletic cornerback with size at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, and he is ranked No. 2 in Pennsylvania at his position (#86 in the country). He chose Pitt over Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Cincinnati, and Arizona State. According to rivals.com, he is the No. 64 defensive back in the country. Coleman could fight for the starting spot that will open up due to the graduation of Lafayette Pitts.
Therefore, to date, Pitt has four local commitments, four commitments from the state of Ohio, as well as one from Virginia and one from New Jersey. Five of the commitments will be on the defensive side, whereas five are offensive commitments. So far, a quarterback, a wide receiver, two running backs, an offensive tackle, two on the defensive line, a linebacker, a safety, and a cornerback have committed to Pitt, and this list will surely grow. I would say that this current class has much balance, covering most of the positions.
Former 5-star, No. 1 tight end in the country Chris Clark has decided to transfer from UCLA and he will soon choose between Pitt and Syracuse. The 6-foot-6, 250 pounder from Avon, Connecticut wants to be closer to home, and he could instantly contribute to the Panthers and play alongside senior Scott Orndoff. JP Holtz will graduate after this season, so Clark would definitely contribute with Orndoff.
Next: Pitt Offense Will Explode Against Virginia