Four-star Laurel Highlands standout Rodney Gallagher has set a commitment date.
Gallagher has offers from all over the place and announced a top eight of Pitt, Penn State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Texas. I have said for a long time that I thought Pitt was in a strong position with Gallagher and even saw the Panthers as the favorite for nearly a year. But I have to be honest: that confidence is waning. I don't know if any one school has overtaken Pitt in the hunt, but from what I gather, the Panthers have slid.
Gallagher previously announced that he had scheduled official visits to West Virginia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Penn State for June, and it was interesting to see that Pitt wasn't on that list. I know we often say that a local recruit doesn't need to take an official visit to Pitt since they're so close, but the reality is, the coaches would almost always prefer to have them on campus for a full official visit experience, so I'm sure Pitt was hoping to get him in for one.
Gallagher was at Pitt for an unofficial visit last month and it's certainly possible he could stop back in the South Side at some point between now and July 4. I would also say that I expect Pitt to maintain the relationship with Gallagher even after he commits and stay involved with him, which could pay off down the road. But for now, it looks like the Panthers' struggles with top-rated local prospects are going to continue. There was a strong run in 2020 (Dayon Hayes) and 2021 (Nahki Johnson and Elliot Donald), but it still feels like an uphill battle for Pitt with the locals.
Gallagher has offers from all over the place and announced a top eight of Pitt, Penn State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Texas. I have said for a long time that I thought Pitt was in a strong position with Gallagher and even saw the Panthers as the favorite for nearly a year. But I have to be honest: that confidence is waning. I don't know if any one school has overtaken Pitt in the hunt, but from what I gather, the Panthers have slid.
Gallagher previously announced that he had scheduled official visits to West Virginia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Penn State for June, and it was interesting to see that Pitt wasn't on that list. I know we often say that a local recruit doesn't need to take an official visit to Pitt since they're so close, but the reality is, the coaches would almost always prefer to have them on campus for a full official visit experience, so I'm sure Pitt was hoping to get him in for one.
Gallagher was at Pitt for an unofficial visit last month and it's certainly possible he could stop back in the South Side at some point between now and July 4. I would also say that I expect Pitt to maintain the relationship with Gallagher even after he commits and stay involved with him, which could pay off down the road. But for now, it looks like the Panthers' struggles with top-rated local prospects are going to continue. There was a strong run in 2020 (Dayon Hayes) and 2021 (Nahki Johnson and Elliot Donald), but it still feels like an uphill battle for Pitt with the locals.
