The Pitt coaches hit the ground running on Monday, spreading out across the country on the first day of recruiting in the December contact period.
The most notable thing to me is that no Pitt coaches were local on Monday; everybody was not just out of the area, but out of the state. Here’s a look at who the coaches went to see.
- New Jersey saw a heavy Pitt presence on Monday, with five coaches in the Garden State. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s main stop was Ocean Township for quarterback commit Kenny Pickett. Canada made an in-home visit with Pickett and spent a lot of time talking about Pitt’s offense. Pickett will take his official visit in two weeks (Dec. 9-11) and plans to enroll early at Pitt.
- Pat Narduzzi was in New Jersey, too, and he checked on two Pitt commits: offensive linemen Owen Drexel and Carter Warren. Narduzzi was joined on his visit with Drexel by offensive line coach John Peterson, and Narduzzi and Peterson were joined by tight ends coach Tim Salem for the visit with Warren.
Drexel is also going to take his official visit the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- The biggest New Jersey visit on Monday, though, was for four-star Paramus Catholic linebacker Drew Singleton. Singleton has seemed like a long shot for most programs outside of a select few, but it sounds like Pitt has his ear. He visited Pitt over the summer and has maintained contact with Salem and linebackers coach Rob Harley; on Monday, those two coaches visited Singleton.
I would still say it’s something of a long shot, but the chances for Pitt with Singleton are better than I would have thought. The big thing to watch now is whether Pitt can get an official visit. I’ve heard there’s a realistic chance of that happening in January.
- The same thing applies to a group of recruits in Detroit, where cornerbacks coach Renaldo Hill spent Monday. One of Hill’s stops was Cass Tech, a perennial powerhouse that churns out championships almost at the rate it puts out Division I athletes, and the 2017 and 2018 classes are no different.
For Pitt, the focus in 2017 at Cass Tech is on two players: cornerback Donovan Johnson and defensive end Zach Morton. So far, I’ve confirmed an in-home visit with Johnson, which is big. Johnson is a four-star cornerback prospect who has said Penn State and Virginia Tech are his top two schools, but Pitt is pushing for him and it was good for Hill to get in front of him Monday night.
Morton is tougher to get a read on. Since he’s committed to Syracuse, he’s keeping a low profile, but Pitt is still pursuing him and I believe there is still some interest on his part. As with a few of these guys, we’ll see if Pitt can get him on campus for a visit.
- Pitt is also still pushing for another four-star cornerback from Detroit in King’s Ambry Thomas. Thomas, who is from the same school at Avonte Maddox, is a big-time cornerback prospect; he is a four-star recruit who ranks as the No. 17 corner in the nation and has offers from across the country. Michigan is thought to be the leader for Thomas, but he’s a priority for Pitt and the coaches are trying to get him on campus.
- Meanwhile, running backs coach and special teams coordinator Andre Powell was in Washington, D.C., on Monday for a visit with defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman. Twyman is one of Pitt’s top remaining tackle targets, and it looks like the Panthers are in the lead for him. As Ryan reported Monday afternoon, Twyman has scheduled one official visit so far: he’ll be at Pitt the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- While Narduzz, Peterson, Salem, Harley, Hill and Powell were all in the northeast or Midwest, two Pitt coaches were in the southeast: receivers coach Kevin Sherman and defensive coordinator Josh Conklin.
Sherman was in Georgia to visit with Pitt legacy/athlete recruit Connor Heyward. Heyward will take an official visit to Michigan State this weekend and then visit Pitt either the following weekend or the weekend of Jan. 13-15.
- Conklin had some big targets in his sights on Monday. His main stop was at Lakeland High School, the alma mater of current Pitt freshman Keyshon Camp and the home of a couple of top 2017 recruits. One is cornerback prospect Damarri Mathis, a South Carolina commit who became a former South Carolina commit during the afternoon on Monday.
Mathis has quite a bit of interest in Pitt and while I can’t say that Conklin’s visit with him and his interest in Pitt spurred his decommitment from the Gamecocks, it seems like quite an overlap of events.
Conklin also had a visit with four-star running back Anthony Davis. Davis is big-time; he’s a four-star prospect who ranks as the No. 13 running back in the nation, and Pitt offered him in April. Given his offer sheet and lack of public comment - plus Todd Sibley’s commitment - Davis faded off the radar for us but not for the Pitt staff.
Davis maintained contact with the coaches throughout the summer and fall, and after his in-home visit with Conklin Monday night, it sounds like there’s a good chance he will take an official visit to Pitt - possibly in two weeks. We’re still working to confirm that as well as a visit date for Mathis, but it seems like there’s a good chance both Lakeland stars could be in town the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- Pitt had a big crew in New Jersey on Monday; on Tuesday, the focus will be Florida, as it sounds like five Pitt coaches will head to the Sunshine State. Conklin will continue recruiting in the state, but Narduzzi, Salem, Sherman and defensive line coach Tom Sims are all expected to head in as well.
We’re working to confirm some of the visits those coaches will have, but so far we know that Narduzzi, Sherman and Salem will meet with receiver commit Dontavius Butler and receiver target D’Jaundrae Edwards. Butler will take his official visit in two weeks; Edwards plans to be on campus this coming weekend.
- Powell won’t be in Florida on Tuesday; he’ll stay in the DMV area and have a visit with linebacker target Nathan Proctor.
- Pitt commits Cam Bright and Gabe Houy will also have in-home visits with members of the staff on Tuesday.
The most notable thing to me is that no Pitt coaches were local on Monday; everybody was not just out of the area, but out of the state. Here’s a look at who the coaches went to see.
- New Jersey saw a heavy Pitt presence on Monday, with five coaches in the Garden State. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s main stop was Ocean Township for quarterback commit Kenny Pickett. Canada made an in-home visit with Pickett and spent a lot of time talking about Pitt’s offense. Pickett will take his official visit in two weeks (Dec. 9-11) and plans to enroll early at Pitt.
- Pat Narduzzi was in New Jersey, too, and he checked on two Pitt commits: offensive linemen Owen Drexel and Carter Warren. Narduzzi was joined on his visit with Drexel by offensive line coach John Peterson, and Narduzzi and Peterson were joined by tight ends coach Tim Salem for the visit with Warren.
Drexel is also going to take his official visit the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- The biggest New Jersey visit on Monday, though, was for four-star Paramus Catholic linebacker Drew Singleton. Singleton has seemed like a long shot for most programs outside of a select few, but it sounds like Pitt has his ear. He visited Pitt over the summer and has maintained contact with Salem and linebackers coach Rob Harley; on Monday, those two coaches visited Singleton.
I would still say it’s something of a long shot, but the chances for Pitt with Singleton are better than I would have thought. The big thing to watch now is whether Pitt can get an official visit. I’ve heard there’s a realistic chance of that happening in January.
- The same thing applies to a group of recruits in Detroit, where cornerbacks coach Renaldo Hill spent Monday. One of Hill’s stops was Cass Tech, a perennial powerhouse that churns out championships almost at the rate it puts out Division I athletes, and the 2017 and 2018 classes are no different.
For Pitt, the focus in 2017 at Cass Tech is on two players: cornerback Donovan Johnson and defensive end Zach Morton. So far, I’ve confirmed an in-home visit with Johnson, which is big. Johnson is a four-star cornerback prospect who has said Penn State and Virginia Tech are his top two schools, but Pitt is pushing for him and it was good for Hill to get in front of him Monday night.
Morton is tougher to get a read on. Since he’s committed to Syracuse, he’s keeping a low profile, but Pitt is still pursuing him and I believe there is still some interest on his part. As with a few of these guys, we’ll see if Pitt can get him on campus for a visit.
- Pitt is also still pushing for another four-star cornerback from Detroit in King’s Ambry Thomas. Thomas, who is from the same school at Avonte Maddox, is a big-time cornerback prospect; he is a four-star recruit who ranks as the No. 17 corner in the nation and has offers from across the country. Michigan is thought to be the leader for Thomas, but he’s a priority for Pitt and the coaches are trying to get him on campus.
- Meanwhile, running backs coach and special teams coordinator Andre Powell was in Washington, D.C., on Monday for a visit with defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman. Twyman is one of Pitt’s top remaining tackle targets, and it looks like the Panthers are in the lead for him. As Ryan reported Monday afternoon, Twyman has scheduled one official visit so far: he’ll be at Pitt the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- While Narduzz, Peterson, Salem, Harley, Hill and Powell were all in the northeast or Midwest, two Pitt coaches were in the southeast: receivers coach Kevin Sherman and defensive coordinator Josh Conklin.
Sherman was in Georgia to visit with Pitt legacy/athlete recruit Connor Heyward. Heyward will take an official visit to Michigan State this weekend and then visit Pitt either the following weekend or the weekend of Jan. 13-15.
- Conklin had some big targets in his sights on Monday. His main stop was at Lakeland High School, the alma mater of current Pitt freshman Keyshon Camp and the home of a couple of top 2017 recruits. One is cornerback prospect Damarri Mathis, a South Carolina commit who became a former South Carolina commit during the afternoon on Monday.
Mathis has quite a bit of interest in Pitt and while I can’t say that Conklin’s visit with him and his interest in Pitt spurred his decommitment from the Gamecocks, it seems like quite an overlap of events.
Conklin also had a visit with four-star running back Anthony Davis. Davis is big-time; he’s a four-star prospect who ranks as the No. 13 running back in the nation, and Pitt offered him in April. Given his offer sheet and lack of public comment - plus Todd Sibley’s commitment - Davis faded off the radar for us but not for the Pitt staff.
Davis maintained contact with the coaches throughout the summer and fall, and after his in-home visit with Conklin Monday night, it sounds like there’s a good chance he will take an official visit to Pitt - possibly in two weeks. We’re still working to confirm that as well as a visit date for Mathis, but it seems like there’s a good chance both Lakeland stars could be in town the weekend of Dec. 9-11.
- Pitt had a big crew in New Jersey on Monday; on Tuesday, the focus will be Florida, as it sounds like five Pitt coaches will head to the Sunshine State. Conklin will continue recruiting in the state, but Narduzzi, Salem, Sherman and defensive line coach Tom Sims are all expected to head in as well.
We’re working to confirm some of the visits those coaches will have, but so far we know that Narduzzi, Sherman and Salem will meet with receiver commit Dontavius Butler and receiver target D’Jaundrae Edwards. Butler will take his official visit in two weeks; Edwards plans to be on campus this coming weekend.
- Powell won’t be in Florida on Tuesday; he’ll stay in the DMV area and have a visit with linebacker target Nathan Proctor.
- Pitt commits Cam Bright and Gabe Houy will also have in-home visits with members of the staff on Tuesday.
