Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt 4-Star DL Target Sincere Edwards Decommits From UCF, Announces New Top 5
When Sincere Edwards takes his official visit to Pitt this weekend, he will do so as a newly uncommitted recruit.
Edwards — a 6-foot-3, 240-pound four-star defensive lineman from Wekiva High in Apopka, Florida — decommitted from UCF Wednesday afternoon, a little over 10 months since he committed last August, and he’s named a top five that includes Maryland, Penn State, Pitt, UCF and USF.
Respect my decision #AG2G pic.twitter.com/dJRI6Z0Y5Z
— 4⭐️ Sincere Edwards (@SincereEdwards0) June 21, 2023
So, what has Pitt done to make his list of finalists?
“Honestly they just showed me something that I’ve never seen before, and what I mean by that is, for one, we could talk about the state of Pitt, Pennsylvania, it’s just different,” Edwards told PSN. “It’s something I’ve never seen before, something me or my family has ever seen before, and I got a real connection with coach Partridge. So, Pitt — I love the defense that they run, and I really see myself fitting in that scheme.”
Edwards is a top target in the class, and he certainly hasn’t lacked offers, as Arkansas, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Colorado, Duke, FAU, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Ole Miss, USF and Utah have all extended offers.
He committed to UCF last August, but he wants to be sure he knows exactly where he will be attending — without any doubt — before his senior season at Wekiva kicks off.
“I want to make sure that I capitalize on every opportunity that is given to me, and for me, decommitting is the right decision because I want to focus on strictly my senior year of high school and go through it with a breeze,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to stress about me being committed and me wondering if I’m really committed to the school, so until I really make a real thorough decision, I’ll be decommitted.”
He most recently made it out to Pittsburgh for a practice visit in April, seeing Pittsburgh in a new light in terms of the atmosphere and the football program.
“I got to meet a guy that I look up to, which is Aaron Donald,” Edwards told PSN in April. “I got to meet him; that was very cool. I also got to meet Calijah Kancey, and that was very cool. So, in meeting these Pitt legends, it was real fun and a great experience.
“It was a real fun (practice), and it was a good experience. I really enjoyed how high-intensity practice was — the defense completely dominated the offense, and it was one of the best practices — if not the best — I’ve ever went to so far.”
Edwards’ relationship with Charlie Partridge has been a major factor in his Pitt interest, with the two bonding heavily during the unofficial visit. They were able to watch Pitt’s film but also some of Edwards’ film from Wekiva, too.
“He loves my versatility, how I can play both inside and three tech and edge, and that’s one thing he mentions,” Edwards said. “If I come here, I won’t be limited to just one position. I’ll be able to showcase my talent at end, tackle and wherever.”
The way that Partridge developed Kancey — the best Pitt defensive tackle since Donald — hasn’t been lost upon Edwards either. “If you look, me and Calijah pretty much have the same body type. I’m 6-1, 260, coming into college he was 6-foot, 250, so it’s about the same there.” The pair share very similar frames and very similar styles of play.
As a junior at Wekiva, Edwards was one of the most disruptive forces in Florida high school ball. He recorded 78 tackles (48 solo), 27 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and recovered two fumbles. His blend of speed and power in a 260-pound frame is apparent.
247Sports rates him as the 533rd-ranked recruit in the class (41st-ranked defensive lineman and 71st-ranked recruit from Florida) while On3 rates him as the 590th-ranked recruit in the class (54th-ranked defensive lineman and 81st-ranked recruit from Florida).
Rivals is even higher on Edwards, rating him as the 19th-ranked strongside defensive end and 49th-ranked recruit from Florida.
With Maryland, Penn State, Pitt, UCF and USF now in the running, Pitt has the opportunity to really wow Edwards with an official visit this weekend. Pitt’s success rate with official visits this June has been very good. So, this weekend will be a business trip for Edwards.
“It’s not really about what am I doing? What am I looking forward to seeing? It’s more so this is a business decision, so with that being said, I’m strictly on business this trip,” Edwards said. “Let’s talk football, how you guys are going to use me, what impact I’ll have on the team, stuff like that.”
Pitt has already landed commitments from a handful of defensive linemen this cycle, including four-star Jahsear Whittington, three-star Francis Brewu, three-star Ty Yuhas and three-star Zach Crothers.
The June 22-24 official visit weekend will feature the likes of Edwards, Yuhas, four-star wide receiver DayDay Farmer, four-star wide receiver Zy’Marion Lang and many more.
