The recruiting effort in the state of Florida continues to slowly pay dividends for the Pitt football program.
Last month, linebacker Albert Tucker from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida committed to Pitt and now a talented running back from Tampa has the Panthers in his Top 7.
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Running back Malik Davis (5-11,187) from Jesuit High School in Tampa released his Top 7 and it included Pitt, Miami (FL), Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky and Indiana as his finalists.
“Each team that made it because of the academic side of what the school has to offer and also because of how they’re recruiting me,” said Davis. “The biggest thing that I’m looking for is someplace that really fits me and that I’ll be successful at.”
So aside from that, why exactly did Davis include Pitt on this list?
“I like Pitt because it’s a great academic school and I think I can go in and make an impact. Pitt also has a history of producing great running backs. I first talked with Coach Powell and he pretty much told me how they felt about me and that I should hear from them soon,” said Davis.
“Coach Harley then came along later and offered me a scholarship. Since then, he’s been the coach recruiting me. We’ve just been building our relationship and working on getting to know each other. The Pitt coaches believe that I can come in and be a player that could come in and help the team early.”
Davis describes himself to me as an every down back that can stay on the field regardless of down and distance. He also says that a big strength of his is catching the ball out of the backfield.
The 3-star back tells me that he’s never been to Pittsburgh but would be excited to make a visit. As far as a timeline to make a decision, Davis says, “maybe before the season or mid-season, I’m not sure yet.”
Keep in mind, Pitt has already received a commitment from 4-star back Todd Sibley so the question becomes how many more backs will Pat Narduzzi take? Bel Air (MD) 3-star back Devin Darrington is high on Pitt but has yet to make a commitment. I talked to him tonight and he said he still plans on making visits to Penn State and Indiana.
This could come down to the first player that commits gets that running back scholarship.