Pitt FB Recruiting
Rising 2025 3-Star RB Isaiah West Begins Pitt Relationship With Official Offer
It’s been a big couple of weeks for Isaiah West as he’s earned running back MVP at Under Armour’s camp in Baltimore and raked in offers from Power Five programs.
Aside from recent offers from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Michigan State, West — a 6-foot, 200-pound three-star running back from St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — picked up an offer from Cory Sanders and Pitt.
“I’m not very familiar with Pitt, but I’ve been talking to them for a while though,” West told PSN. “I’ve been talking to them since my freshman year, and I think they definitely stack up well. I think, to me, Pitt runs the ACC.”
After a great conversation with @coachcsanders I’m blessed to receive an offer from University of Pitt💙💛@Pitt_FB @SJPrep_Football @T_Roken @ryne011 @Coach_Sug pic.twitter.com/Wci1ngrgtC
— Isaiah West (@IsaiahWest_12) May 17, 2023
The offer from Pitt, like every offer that West has received through the early days of his recruiting process, is a blessing. But it still felt great nonetheless.
Sanders made it out to Philadelphia for St. Joe’s annual showcase last year when West was a freshman, and their relationship began to blossom there. The communication continued all through West’s sophomore season, even as he missed time due to an injury, and it led to Pitt offering after his standout camp performance.
The bond between Sanders and West has grown quite a bit, even recently. “He’s a cool guy, funny dude,” West said. “He cracks a lot of jokes. He’s a real loose, not uptight. I like him.” And their talks have while not always about football, have grown, too.
“It’s a good mix of everything,” West said. “He asks me where I’m from, who I live with. He’s always asking me what I do for my legs because he’s always commenting on how big my legs are.
“I just tell him I’m consistent with my workouts, and I got great genetics.”
Despite missing time due to injury as a sophomore at St. Joe’s, West flashed a smooth, shifty athleticism that allows him to make defenders miss on the way to the end zone but also a speed and power blend that makes him hard to bring down. And he’s backed that up with early results on the summer camp tour.
“I would say that I’m balanced as a running back,” West said. “I try to be that four down back. I want to be able to do it all. You can put me out in the slot, make some shakes in the backfield, I try to be able to do it all. I want to be a full threat.”
Isaiah West (@IsaiahWest_12) had a strong performance on his way to winning RB MVP honors at UA Next Camp in Baltimore 💪
2025 RB out of Saint Joseph’s Prep in Philly 📈 @UANextFootball | #UANext pic.twitter.com/XanEJVz3Sp
— The Underclassman Report (@TheUCReport) May 19, 2023
247Sports and On3 have yet to rate West to this point, but Rivals has slotted him as the 14th-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania — while also holding a 5.5 Rivals Rating.
With offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin, West has already received heavy Power Five interest. And he’s made visits to Boston College, Penn State and West Virginia.
Sanders hasn’t been telling West too, too much about Pitt at this point, just that he wants him to make it out to see it for himself — and begin to build a relationship Andre Powell.
West is hoping to make it out to Pittsburgh at some point this summer to get a first look for himself.
“I know that they’re coming off a few good seasons, I know they’re top in the ACC, and that’s about it,” West said.
“Kenny Pickett was a Jersey guy? Oh, wow. Didn’t know that. That’s nice to hear.”
West is taking it day by day at this point, trying not to look too much into the process and just let it come to him naturally. The goal is to have a strong junior season and then really decide which schools he wants to pursue going forward.
It’s about making West feel wanted right now, and that means it’s pivotal for Pitt to bring West out for a visit at some point in the near future.
