Tuesday Pitt/WPIAL Recruiting Notebook

Another day of Pitt and WPIAL Recruiting and as always, we’ll keep an updated blog of news and notes.  This will be updates throughout the entire day, so check back.

**Pitt TE coach Tim Salem is up and out early.   It appears as though he’s in Brooklyn, New York this morning.   Wonder if he’s visiting 5-star OT Isaiah Wilson from Poly Prep (Brooklyn).   Wilson is the #1 ranked offensive tackle and the 5th ranked player in the country.   I’ll work to try and find this out.

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UPDATE (8:40 AM)-

**Pitt offered Huntington, West Virginia offensive tackle Billy Ross (6-5, 295).  Ross is rated by Rivals as a 3-star player but his offer list is one of a 4/5 star player (Florida, Florida State, Miami, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan St, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Va Tech, West Virginia).

This morning I talked briefly with Ross about the Pitt offer and his recruiting.

“Coach Peterson messaged me yesterday and offered me over the phone.  Yes I will consider Pitt, I didn’t grow up hating Pitt haha I grew up a Marshall fan not WVU.  I’ve never been to Pitt but I’ll probably make it up there during the summer for a visit”, said Ross.

“It’s a very exciting time for me, I never expected all of this to happen and I’m just very thankful. North Carolina and Virginia have stood out because of the great academics and the success NC has had and the success UVA will have with their new coaching staff.  Also Florida state stands out because they were my first Power 5 offer and are pretty much the reason I have all these offers. ”

“However,  I’m still wide open with my recruitment. I’m looking for good academics, good football and a place where I feel comfortable and could live for 4-5 years”, said Ross.

UPDATE (9:03 AM)-

**A day after offering WPIAL stars Paris Ford and Lamont Wade, I’m told that Alabama is likely to offer another highly regarded local player.   Source tells me that Alabama is expected to offer North Allegheny OT Josh Lugg, who’s made a commitment to Notre Dame.

UPDATE (10:17 AM)-

**I’m told that running backs coach Andre Powell is out recruiting the Maryland/DC area today.

**Beaver Falls 2018 WR Malik Shepherd received a scholarship offer today from Temple.  Yesterday, Shepherd was offered by Toledo, which was his first offer.

UPDATE (10:28 AM)-

**Pitt has reportedly offered Lakeland, Fla 4-star RB Anthony Davis.   I’m still trying to confirm this.  Davis (5-10, 200) is rated as one of the top 10 backs in the country.  Holds offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida St, Georgia, Miami, Michigan St, Michigan, Mississippi St, Ohio St, Oklahoma, West Virginia.

UPDATE (11:35)-

**Since February, we’ve been following 3-star Ohio OT Joel Honigford and today he updated me on his recruiting process. Early on, Pitt was a leading contender for him but things have changed.   Over the weekend, Honigford received an offer from Michigan State to go along with ones from Michigan, Auburn, Oklahoma, TCU, Penn State and Nebraska.

“It’s a true blessing to have received all these offers and being able to have opportunities to attend one of these schools”, said Honigford.

“My mindset has changed to me wanting to make a decision before the season starts that way I can just be me. Pitt is still on my list but not as high just because of other opportunities.”

“I talk to Pitt coaches 3-4 times a week and I really enjoy the staff and the people they have there”,  said Honigford.

“I think I’m a month or two away from a decision at the latest. I do not have a top 5 yet.”

UPDATE (12:34 PM)-

**We mentioned earlier that Coach Powell was in Maryland today and it resulted in an offer,  2018 OLB/WR Noah Taylor was picked up an offer from Pitt. Taylor(6-4, 190) is from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Pitt is the first school to offer Taylor.

UPDATE (12:48 PM)-

**Pitt basketball coach Kevin Stallings has offered his third  scholarship since taking over.  Roosevelt (MD) 4-star guard Naji Marshall received an offer today.  Marshall is a 6-5, 200 shooting guard at Eleanor Roosevelt HS.  Marshall also has offers from Cincinnati, Temple, Xavier, Virginia Tech and VCU.

UPDATE (3:48 PM)-
**Hearing Kwantel Raines, David Adams, and Kurt Hinish will be getting Alabama offers. At least people are pushing Nick Saban to offer and he’s highly contemplating it.

UPDATE (4:16 PM)-
**Big day for Central Catholic 2018 DE David Green who picked up his first 2 offers:  first from Bowling Green and then from Iowa State.  Green is a big talent and will be getting plenty of major offers.

UPDATE (7:52 PM)-

**Pitt basketball coach Kevin Stallings offered his second player of the day.

David Beatty (6-4, 170) is a combo guard from Philadelphia but plays for St. Benedict’s Prep School in New Jersey.   Beatty currently holds offers from Georgetown, Kansas State, Memphis, Miami, Penn State, VCU, Florida State and South Carolina.

The Scouting Report (according to Future 150.com) is very athletic, great ball-handling, excellent finishing through contact and versatile player.

Stalling and his staff scouted Beatty over the weekend at an AAU tournament.

UPDATE (9:26 PM)-

I’ve been able to confirm that Pitt TE coach Tim Salem was in Brooklyn, New York today talking with one of the best recruits in the entire country.  Salem visited with 5-star OT Isaiah Wilson from Poly Prep (Brooklyn).   Wilson is the #1 ranked offensive tackle and the 5th ranked player in the country.  I’m attempting to find out how the visit went and if Wilson plans on making a visit to Pitt.

UPDATE (9:33 PM)-
**Steel Valley RB Dewayne Murray picked up an offer from Kent State tonight, which is Murray’s 9th offer.