Pitt Hosting Elite 2027 ATH at the Backyard Brawl

Pitt is set to host dozens and dozens of recruits at the Backyard Brawl this weekend, and it’s a major opportunity to showcase the football program to some of the top targets in the classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Pittsburgh Sports Now has learned that Pitt will be hosting one of the top recruits in the class of 2027 on Saturday.

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Anthony Cartwright — a 6-foot-4, 220-pound four-star athlete from Detroit Country Day in Franklin, Mich. — will be in Pittsburgh for the Backyard Brawl, a source told PSN. He’s one of the younger recruits in town but one of the highest-rated nonetheless.

Cartwright holds offers from Alabama, Bowling Green, Illinois, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Tennessee and Tulane.

Pitt was the second program to extend Cartwright an offer, jumping into the fray for the talented two-way star. It’s secondary coach Archie Collins, who has recruited the Detroit area hard lately, who extended the offer last October.

Cartwright has an impressive skillset that could translate on either side of the ball, but it appears he’s being looked at by most coaching staff as a tight end at the next level. His blend of size, speed and athleticism is certainly hard to cover.

2027 Detroit (Mich.) Country Day “ATH” Anthony Cartwright with a huge catch against Dearborn Fordson at the 7 on 7 HS showcase at Wayne State hosted by @smsbacademy

Offers from Michigan State, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan among others..https://t.co/jculxsrHim pic.twitter.com/nH3yX2il61

— Kenny Jordan (@Kenny_Jordan5) June 26, 2024

247Sports rates Cartwright as the 52nd-ranked recruit in the class of 2027 (10th-ranked athlete and third-ranked recruit from Michigan) while On3 rates him as the 48th-ranked recruit in the class (fourth-ranked tight end and third-ranked recruit from Michigan).

Rivals hasn’t evaluated Cartwright yet, but that will certainly change in the days ahead.

Pitt hasn’t landed any recruits in the class of 2026, let alone the class of 2027, but it’s clear that Cartwright is an early top target for Collins and the coaching staff.

The other recruits from the class of 2027 expected to be in attendance, which PSN has confirmed, are Gabriel Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Khalil Taylor (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Larry Moon III (Aliquippa, Pa.), Zachary Gleason (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jimmy Kalis (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Carter Bonner (Penn Hills, Pa.) and Colin Urrea (Naples, Fla.).