Pitt FB Recruiting
Top 2025 Pitt Commit Receives Offer from Big Ten Program
The Pitt coaching staff is in for a battle when it comes to keeping Elijah Dotson locked up through National Signing Day.
Dotson — a 6-foot-2, 175-pound four-star defensive back from Belleville High in Detroit, Mich. — received an offer from Vanderbilt earlier this month and an offer from Iowa Friday. It’s just the latest development in the highly sought-after defensive back’s recruitment.
Dotson recently told Allen Trieu of 247Sports that he remains “fully committed” to Pitt, despite a visit to in-state Michigan.
Dotson committed to Pitt in May at a special ceremony at his high school, choosing the Panthers over a list of finalists that included Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State.
He held Power Four offers from Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee and Wisconsin. But the Panthers stood out largely because of the coaching staff.
“They were my first offer, I have a good relationship with coach Collins, he’s from Detroit and I’m from Detroit so we’ve kind of got that connection,” Dotson told Pittsburgh Sports Now when he committed. “And the last time I visited they showed me more than just football, they showed me the school and everything.
“They’ve been on me really heavy the last two months, the whole offseason really. I have a good relationship with coach Narduzzi, so everything just felt right.”
Dotson is an electric two-way playmaker, who is off to a very strong start in his senior season at Belleville.
In two games at Belleville this season, he’s been a dominant force. He racked up 17 tackles in Week 1 and followed it up with seven tackles, a pick-six and an offensive touchdown. And he added six more tackles, another pick-six and an offensive touchdown in Week 2, too.
Belleville 2025 WR/S Elijah Dotson (Pittsburgh commit) should have woken up a lot of people in week 1 with his performance.
17 tackles.
It's crazy that we think that others aren't giving him enough attention!@ElijahDotson06 @BellevilleFB pic.twitter.com/roBNX4OBQe
— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) September 6, 2024
Dotson did a lot of everything during his junior season at the University of Detroit Jesuit High, racking up 43 receptions, 1,653 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns — adding 66 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. And he feels like Collins will be able to help elevate his game.
247Sports rates Dotson as the 20th-ranked safety and third-ranked recruit from Michigan in the class while On3 rates him as the 12th-ranked athlete and fourth-ranked recruit from Michigan.
Rivals rates him as the 52nd-ranked wide receiver and sixth-ranked recruit from Michigan.
Pitt will be in for a fight to keep Dotson committed the rest of the way, especially considering the dynamic start to his senior season, but the Panthers have fostered a strong bond already.
Pitt holds five defensive back commitments in the class, including Dotson, obviously. The class also includes three-star cornerback Cole Woodson (Haymarket, Va.), three-star cornerback Shawn Lee Jr. (Harrisburg, Pa.), four-star cornerback Mason Alexander (Fishers, Ind.) and three-star safety Joshua Guerrier (Ocoee, Fla.)
Dotson is making a trip to Pittsburgh this weekend as the Panthers take on West Virginia in the 107th Backyard Brawl.
So why would they be in for a fight to keep him when he already had offers from all the top schools and still picked Pitt?
😳right
💰
Exactly