Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt’s First Batch of Official Visitors – Defensive Edition
It will be a very, very busy weekend at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as the Pitt coaching staff hosts a number of talented recruits in the class of 2024 on official visits.
There are a plethora of four-star recruits, on both sides of the football, but we’re looking at just the defensive side of the football in this article.
Here’s a primer on which defensive recruits will be in Pittsburgh from June 1-3.
Elias Rudolph — 6-foot-4, 220-pound four-star defensive end from Deerfield Beach High School in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Rudolph is one of Pitt’s top defensive targets in the class of 2024, and it’s his relationship with the coaching staff (namely Randy Bates and Charlie Partridge) that has allowed for an official visit.
He’s picked up offers from nearly every major program in college football, but he’s narrowed down his list to a top four of Pitt, Ohio State, Michigan and Miami.
247Sports rates Rudolph as the 222nd-ranked recruit in the class (15th-ranked edge and the 34th-ranked recruit from Florida) while Rivals rates him as the 208th-ranked recruit in the class (16th-ranked weakside defensive end and fourth-ranked recruit from Ohio).
On3 rates him as the 260th-ranked recruit in the class (29th-ranked linebacker and 39th-ranked recruit from Florida).
Rudolph will be taking official visits to Pitt (June 1-3), Michigan (June 9), Miami (June 16) and Ohio State (June 23).
Photo courtesy of Dominic Kirks’ Twitter account.
Dominic Kirks — 6-foot-5, 250-pound three-star defensive lineman from Villa Angela St. Joseph in Cleveland, Ohio
Pitt actually jumped into the equation for Kirks well before he blew up on the camp circuit this summer.
Kirks earned defensive line MVP honors at the Under Armor camp in Columbus earlier this month, and he’s earned offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin since late February.
247Sports rates Kirks as the 498th-ranked recruit in the class (49th-ranked defensive lineman and the 16th-ranked recruit from Ohio). On3 rates him as the 28th-ranked defensive lineman and the 11th-ranked recruit from Ohio while Rivals rates him as the 43rd-ranked defensive lineman and 21st-ranked recruit from Ohio.
As of now, Kirks will be visiting Pitt (June 1-3), Kentucky (June 9) and Washington (June 16), so it will be key for Pitt to start his journey off with a strong impression.
Photo courtesy of Gabriel Williams’ Twitter account.
Gabriel Williams — 6-foot-4, 190-pound four-star linebacker from St. Vincent Pallotti in Laurel, Maryland
Williams made a visit to Pittsburgh for a spring practice in April and literally spent the entire day. From 7 a.m. until after 7 p.m. He’s Pitt’s top linebacker target in the class.
He also boasts offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Memphis, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee, USC, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
247Sports rates Williams as the 214th-ranked recruit in the class (20th-ranked linebacker and the sixth-ranked recruit from Maryland) while On3 rates him as the 107th-ranked recruit in the class (eighth-ranked linebacker and the second-ranked recruit from Maryland).
Rivals rates him as the 27th-ranked outside linebacker and the 12th-ranked recruit from Maryland — holding a 5.8 Rivals Rating.
With official visits planned for Pitt (June 1-3), Virginia Tech (June 9) and Duke (June 23), Williams is a recruit that Pitt should push hard to commit before leaving.
Davion Pritchard — 6-foot-1, 165-pound three-star cornerback from Fitch High School in Youngstown, Ohio
Pritchard is one of the more under-the-radar recruits amongst Pitt’s official visitors not just this weekend but throughout the spring.
He holds Power Five offers from Boston College, Kentucky, Maryland and Pitt, along with offers from the likes of Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Oh.), Ohio, Temple, Toledo, Western Michigan and Youngstown State.
247Sports rates Pritchard as the 118th-ranked cornerback and the 63rd-ranked recruit from Ohio. Neither Rivals nor On3 have rated him yet.
Pitt just extended him an offer about two weeks ago, so the relationship is new but certainly growing.
Photo courtesy of Reggie Powers’ Twitter account.
Reggie Powers III — 6-foot-1, 195-pound four-star safety from Centerville High in Dayton, Ohio
Pitt may not have offered Powers as early as other schools, but the coaching staff has been talking to him consistently since his sophomore season. And it’s been every day for a while now.
He holds offers from 30 programs, but he’s narrowed his top five to just Ohio State, Cincinnati, Pitt, Northwestern and Michigan State.
247Sports rates Powers as the 578th-ranked recruit in the class (55th-ranked safety and the 19th-ranked recruit from Ohio). On3 is even higher on Powers, rating him as the 34th-ranked safety and the 12th-ranked recruit from Ohio.
Rivals hasn’t rated Powers yet, but he does hold a 5.6 Rivals Rating.
Powers has already made his first official visit to Northwestern earlier this month, and he has officials lined up for Pitt (June 1-3), Michigan State (June 9-11), Cincinnati (June 16-18) and Ohio State (June 22-24).
