Although the class of 2017's National Signing Day is rapidly approaching and Pitt's coaches are still working on closing out several senior targets, the Panthers have continued to build relationships and lay groundwork for the recruiting class of 2018. Pitt will host a junior day in February (date still undetermined, although the 11th or 18th look likely) and they're beginning to build a clearer sense of what the recruiting board will look like. With that in mind, they recently offered three in-state prospects in Pennsylvania's loaded 2018 linebacker crop.
We first spoke about Erie (Pa.) standout Jesse Luketa, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound outside linebacker who originally hails from Canada. He's been on an absolute tear and is now up to 27 scholarships total, including schools like Pitt, Penn State, Ole Miss, WVU, UCLA and others. Luketa informed me that Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt staff have been telling him that he's their top linebacker target in the class of 2018 and they seem to have a real shot at him. Luketa has visited Pitt for the Penn State game and plans to be back again soon.
Obviously when a guy begins to rack up national offers in this capacity, it means that Pitt won't have an easy time for him and it will be a true recruiting battle, but he really likes the campus and where the program is heading. Being that Luketa isn't an actual Pennsylvania native, there may be less of a draw to Penn State, Pitt, and other "local" programs than you would normally see.
You can check out his highlights below:
Four-star Nick Tarburton emerged seemingly overnight to become a national-level prospect. Nick started the New Year with zero scholarship offers, but once word of his 96 tackle, 17 TFL, 6 sack, first-team all-state season at the 6A level for Pennridge got out, that changed quickly. Since the start of January, Pitt, Michigan State, Maryland, Louisville, and Rutgers have all offered Tarburton and Penn State is expected to join that list this weekend.
Tarburton wasn't on our radar when he visited Pitt for the Penn State game, but that's obviously changed now for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound inside linebacker. He plays with a mean streak and it wouldn't in any way be surprising to see a dozen more programs offer the Bucks County standout within the next couple months. He says he greatly enjoyed his visit to Pitt and seems interested in the city environment that Pitt offers. This recruitment seems destined to take off to a national level, but Pitt's early interest may end up paying dividends in terms of staying involved. Tarburton's parents are both graduates of a Pitt branch campus. You can read my article with him about the offer and his interest here.
You can view Tarburton's highlights below:
The third offer extended in-state was to Mechanicsburg (Pa.) product Charlie Katshir, a hybrid safety/outside linebacker. Katshir currently stands at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds but he'll likely grow into his body and to a full-sized outside linebacker as time goes on. Katshir holds offers from the likes of Penn State, West Virginia, Rutgers, Boston College, and others and Pitt joined that list this month.
The Harrisburg-area prospect previously visited Pitt for the Panthers' game against Penn State during the season, a trip that went well for Katshir. However, it's hardly a secret that Harrisburg-area prospects and Penn State tend to mesh pretty well. Katshir's best friend Zack Kuntz has already committed to the Nittany Lions and many feel that the outside linebacker won't be too far behind Kuntz. I plan to speak with Katshir tonight about his offer from Pitt and he's clearly taking his time in recruiting, visiting schools like Pitt, Notre Dame, and West Virginia, but it would be surprising for him to spurn the Nittany Lions.
You can view his highlights below:
It's worth noting how incredibly impressive this linebacker class is as a whole in Pennsylvania for the class of 2018. Rivals250 prospect Matt Bauer of Cathedral Prep has committed to Notre Dame already, Archbishop Wood's Matt Palmer has two Power Five offers, and then you have the possibility that Rivals250 Aliquippa safety/ATH Kwantel Raines could grow into a linebacker. It's an incredibly deep and talented year at the position in Pennsylvania, Pitt and Penn State might both be able to fill their needs without leaving the state.
Other prospects have started to garner interest including guys like Noah Plack, Ian Edenfield, Brayden Jones, Christian Arrington, Trent Fries, Rovny Dasilva, and Tariq Jones.
We first spoke about Erie (Pa.) standout Jesse Luketa, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound outside linebacker who originally hails from Canada. He's been on an absolute tear and is now up to 27 scholarships total, including schools like Pitt, Penn State, Ole Miss, WVU, UCLA and others. Luketa informed me that Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt staff have been telling him that he's their top linebacker target in the class of 2018 and they seem to have a real shot at him. Luketa has visited Pitt for the Penn State game and plans to be back again soon.
Obviously when a guy begins to rack up national offers in this capacity, it means that Pitt won't have an easy time for him and it will be a true recruiting battle, but he really likes the campus and where the program is heading. Being that Luketa isn't an actual Pennsylvania native, there may be less of a draw to Penn State, Pitt, and other "local" programs than you would normally see.
You can check out his highlights below:
Four-star Nick Tarburton emerged seemingly overnight to become a national-level prospect. Nick started the New Year with zero scholarship offers, but once word of his 96 tackle, 17 TFL, 6 sack, first-team all-state season at the 6A level for Pennridge got out, that changed quickly. Since the start of January, Pitt, Michigan State, Maryland, Louisville, and Rutgers have all offered Tarburton and Penn State is expected to join that list this weekend.
Tarburton wasn't on our radar when he visited Pitt for the Penn State game, but that's obviously changed now for the 6-foot-3, 230-pound inside linebacker. He plays with a mean streak and it wouldn't in any way be surprising to see a dozen more programs offer the Bucks County standout within the next couple months. He says he greatly enjoyed his visit to Pitt and seems interested in the city environment that Pitt offers. This recruitment seems destined to take off to a national level, but Pitt's early interest may end up paying dividends in terms of staying involved. Tarburton's parents are both graduates of a Pitt branch campus. You can read my article with him about the offer and his interest here.
You can view Tarburton's highlights below:
The third offer extended in-state was to Mechanicsburg (Pa.) product Charlie Katshir, a hybrid safety/outside linebacker. Katshir currently stands at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds but he'll likely grow into his body and to a full-sized outside linebacker as time goes on. Katshir holds offers from the likes of Penn State, West Virginia, Rutgers, Boston College, and others and Pitt joined that list this month.
The Harrisburg-area prospect previously visited Pitt for the Panthers' game against Penn State during the season, a trip that went well for Katshir. However, it's hardly a secret that Harrisburg-area prospects and Penn State tend to mesh pretty well. Katshir's best friend Zack Kuntz has already committed to the Nittany Lions and many feel that the outside linebacker won't be too far behind Kuntz. I plan to speak with Katshir tonight about his offer from Pitt and he's clearly taking his time in recruiting, visiting schools like Pitt, Notre Dame, and West Virginia, but it would be surprising for him to spurn the Nittany Lions.
You can view his highlights below:
It's worth noting how incredibly impressive this linebacker class is as a whole in Pennsylvania for the class of 2018. Rivals250 prospect Matt Bauer of Cathedral Prep has committed to Notre Dame already, Archbishop Wood's Matt Palmer has two Power Five offers, and then you have the possibility that Rivals250 Aliquippa safety/ATH Kwantel Raines could grow into a linebacker. It's an incredibly deep and talented year at the position in Pennsylvania, Pitt and Penn State might both be able to fill their needs without leaving the state.
Other prospects have started to garner interest including guys like Noah Plack, Ian Edenfield, Brayden Jones, Christian Arrington, Trent Fries, Rovny Dasilva, and Tariq Jones.
