Pitt FB Recruiting
2025 DB Saimire Locks Has Had Pitt Commit Jahsear Whittington In His Ear
Saimire Locks feels like all Jahsear Whittington talks to him about at school is Pitt.
Locks — a 6-foot-1, 160-pound defensive back from Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the class of 2025 — has had to listen to his elder. And as he’s heard more and more from Pitt’s four-star defensive line commit in the class of 2024, it’s only made him more interested in Pitt.
So, of course, as Cory Sanders extended an offer at the end of April, Locks took notice.
“It felt good,” Locks said, “it was a blessing.”
After a great conversation with @coachcsanders I’m blessed to receive my 5th offer from Pitt university. @TepFootball #go panther🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/YTU4DiFnnC
— ns.saddi (@NsSaddi) April 26, 2023
Pitt joined the likes of Boston College, Delaware State, Penn State and Temple when Sanders offered on April 26, a list that has also added Virginia Tech over the last couple of days. But the Pitt connection is certainly new.
“I ain’t really used to even talk to Pitt, I was just watching them, following them, but I ain’t really have conversations with them,” Locks said.
That is until Sanders made a trip out to Imhotep recently to check in. And as Pitt has secured Whittington and Javon McIntyre from Imhotep in recent classes, it’s something he’s noticed.
Locks certainly views Sanders as a great guy and a great coach, and he feels like watching his Imhotep teammates succeed at Pitt would only serve as motivation, a way for him to grow as both a person and a player in his own right. Their success only makes him want to work harder.
And while he doesn’t know a whole bunch about Pitt, aside from watching Aaron Donald dominate as he was growing up, that will likely change in the months to come.
Sanders and Pitt’s coaching staff views him as a cornerback at the next level, and from what Locks knows of the defensive scheme at Pitt, he does feel like he’d be a fit. “Yeah, that’s kinda how I play, I like playing aggressive, hands-on.” He sees himself as a leader, someone who can bring teammates together.
Locks hasn’t been rated by the major recruiting services yet, something that will certainly change in the weeks and months to come, but that hasn’t stopped his Power Five interest from heating up.
With Boston College, Penn State, Pitt and now Virginia Tech jumping into the fray, it appears to be a sign of things to come as he spends more time at Imhotep.
Pitt’s culture, and its fan base, are what’s pushing Locks to look more into Pitt in the months ahead. And it doesn’t hurt that he has someone like Whittington in his ear either. He plans to visit Pitt soon, but there isn’t a date set at this point.
He wants to be able to find a good community, somewhere he feels wanted, in a college, and his collegiate search is just beginning, but Pitt has made an early impact in his chase.
“The way they’ve talked to me, they’ve made me feel at home, showed me how Pitt is,” Locks said. “They’re making me interested.”
