Pitt FB Recruiting
DeBose Picks Up Offer From Pitt
The Pitt coaches have been scouting Zion DeBose for months and yesterday they pulled the trigger and offered him a scholarship.
“I was very happy when I got the offer especially after I just got done watching them beat Clemson. It was great”
DeBose is a 6-3, 225 defensive end from Spencer, North Carolina. The pass-rushing specialist is rated by 247 Sports as a 3-star prospect. Pitt joins Cincinnati, East Carolina, Illinois and Missouri as schools that have offered DeBose.
I asked DeBose to describe his skill set to Panther fans.
“My strength is my get off, my quickness. My first step and quickness carry me as a player. Once I get to a college program they’ll be able to put weight on me,” said DeBose. “Then I can turn that quickness into power which will make me a more effective defensive end. I’ll be able to the run better, which is something I’ve been focusing on the past couple of years. I feel like my pass rushing skills are pretty good, my run defense is where my weakness is at so I’ve been working on that.”
Photo courtesy of Zion DeBose
DeRose tells me that Coach Tim Salem has been recruiting him since late September or early October.
“He’s gotten to know me and really has built that relationship. Some days it’s not about football. Some days it’s just ‘how are you doing,’ ‘what’s going on,’ stuff like that. Some days he sends pictures of the campus or just things you can do in Pittsburgh. It’s great,” said DeRose.
Photo courtesy of Zion DeBose
After talking with DeBose, I came away very impressed with how mature and articulate he was. He’s a very impressive kid that’s received plenty of guidance from home.
“My parents have always made me aware of the importance of grades first and being a well rounded man,” said DeBose.
“At Pitt the have my major (architecture) and also have other fields that I could major in if I change my mind (business management). The Pitt coaches care about academics too not just football.”
Although he didn’t say Pitt was his leader, I did get the sense that DeBose will seriously consider them and has them pretty high on his list.
“I’ve never been to Pittsburgh. My mom is from Philadelphia but I’ve never been to Pittsburgh. I’m going to talk to my parents but there’s a good chance I’ll be taking an official visit there.”
Photo courtesy of Zion DeBose
“Pittsburgh is a really good school. I’ve been doing research on them as I’ve been getting recruited in case the offer came,” said DeBose. “Pittsburgh, I can really see myself going there so I’ll probably give this official a try but I have to talk it over with my parents and see how they feel about it and then go from there.”
PSA! EVERYBODY PLEASE CHECK OUT MY MID-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS! https://t.co/iIwtwLnt0H #hudl
— Zion DeBose (@ZDeBose_TG) October 8, 2016
Uncommitted Defensive Ends with Pitt offers: Matthew Butler (Garner, North Carolina), Deron Irving-Bey (Flint, Michigan), Lawtez Rogers (Greenbelt, Maryland), Victor Dimukeje (Baltimore, Maryland), Kevince Brown (Orlando, Florida), Stephon Zayas (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), TyJuan Garbutt (Fredericksburg, Virginia), Jordan Wright (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), Kofi Wardlow (Washington, DC).
// Featured image: Photo courtesy of Zion DeBose
