Pitt FB Recruiting
2025 Ohio Running Back Loved Junior Day Visit at Pitt
Michael Taylor made it out to Pitt for Junior Day, and it was an experience he very much enjoyed.
Taylor — a 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back from Pickerington North High in Pickerington, Ohio — made his first trip to Pittsburgh, and it was an experience that helped him learn all about the program.
“The visit was great, loved everything about it,” Taylor told Pittsburgh Sports Now.
“The best part of the experience was connecting and building a relationship with coach (Lindsey) Lamar. I definitely spent the most time with coach (Ryan) Manalac and coach (Lindsey) Lamar. The conversations were great, just building on our relationships.”
The love at Pitt is different!! Thank you💙💛 @Pitt_FB #H2P pic.twitter.com/dGKParq84a
— Michael Taylor (@MichaelTayl0r22) February 4, 2024
Taylor doesn’t hold an offer from Pitt at this point, but he has picked up offers from Akron, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Gardner-Webb, Kent State, Kentucky, Marshall, Miami (Oh.), Ohio and Toledo, and he’s looking forward to the opportunity.
After a strong Pitt visit, checking out the facilities and spending time with the coaching staff, he’s hopeful the offer will arrive with continued communication with Lamar and Manalac — and a strong summer of competing at camps before his senior season.
Taylor was an explosive playmaker for Pickerington North as a junior, racking up 120 carries for 1,075 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns — ending the season with 1,370 all-purpose yards.
The major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals and On3) haven’t rated Taylor yet, but as his recruiting process has picked up over the last month, that should be changing throughout the spring.
Taylor is hearing from a variety of teams at this point, the local MAC schools in Miami (Oh.), Ohio and Eastern Michigan and more from Cincinnati, Michigan State, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse. The plan is to check out Cincy and EMU soon.
As he continues to build a bond with Lamar, he’s hopeful of returning to Pittsburgh again and eventually picking up that offer.
Pitt landed its first commitment in the class of 2025 Monday night in the form of Trevor Sommers, a defensive lineman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and there could very well be more on the way in the coming days and weeks.
The Panthers are in the mix for four-star linebacker Dayshaun Burnett (Pittsburgh, Pa.), three-star athlete Emmanuel Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.), three-star offensive lineman Raphael Greene (Cincinnati, Ohio), four-star wide receiver Jadyn Robinson (San Juan Capistrano, Cal.), three-star running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. (Woodbridge, Va.), three-star athlete Jaiden Brown-Demery (Mest Mifflin, Pa.) and three-star edge rusher Sharlandiin Strange (Wyncote, Pa).
