Pitt FB Recruiting
Brookins’ INT Part of Memorable Brawl Experience for Steel Valley Recruit
When the ball tipped up in the air in the second quarter of the Backyard Brawl and the Pitt defense came down with it, Steel Valley’s Da’Ron Barksdale had to make sure the number matched with who he thought picked it off.
“Once I seen the numbers 1 and 2 combined, I stood up so fast,” Barksdale told Pittsburgh Sports Now.
Barksdale stood for five minutes celebrating his former Steel Valley teammate and close friend Cruce Brookins’ first-career interception.
Steel Valley stand up! What a sick pick on a deflected pass by former Ironmen star QB Cruce Brookins! 👏 pic.twitter.com/lb70BT6GMg
— Steve Rotstein (@SteveRotstein) September 14, 2024
After Pitt sealed its comeback win against West Virginia, the 2026 three-star defensive back joined the rest of the recruits that were in attendance in the locker room, but Barksdale was waiting for one person and that was Brookins.
“That was the first person I went to. As soon as he walked in, we made eye contact, and we were jumping,” Barksdale said.
Brookins and Barksdale share a close connection that was formed long ago in high school, making the experience on Saturday that much more meaningful.
“I was with Cruce since he had one offer. Being that kid that had no offers, worked hard every day, I always looked up to Cruce. Without him, I don’t think I would be as good as a DB that I am today. Once I got to high school, he was my mentor, so it was deeper than just football at that moment,” Barksdale said.
Barksdale has been a frequent visitor of the Pitt program, including a game day visit for the home opener against Kent State, and he was in attendance for the 2022 Backyard Brawl, too. However, nothing compares to the game he saw on Saturday.
“It was amazing,” Barksdale said. “I go to the games a lot. Going to that Backyard Brawl, I don’t think there was nothing like that since they won and beat them with the pick-six. It was different.”
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior holds offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV and Akron, but he has built a particularly strong relationship with the hometown program over the years.
“Sometimes I can’t explain it,” Barksdale said about the feeling surrounding the Pitt program for him. “There are times I’m there, and it feels like home. It’s speechless sometimes, and it’s breathtaking.”
As Barksdale joined the locker room celebration after the Pitt win against WVU, he saw the coaches (Pat Narduzzi, Cory Sanders and Archie Collins) who have been building that bond with him.
“Everywhere you went, it was great energy. The locker room vibes — coach Narduzzi, coach Sanders, coach Collins, everybody was hype in there,” he said.
The coaches are a pivotal reason why Barksdale considers Pitt so highly when it comes to his recruitment.
“The reason I say Pitt’s so high is it’s the hometown, the head coach texts me every single week, coach Sanders texts me, coach Collins texts me sending motivational quotes. Just a little text message means a lot to a recruit. When a coach checks on you every week, twice a week, three times a week, it’s like they want to build a bigger bond with you,” Barksdale said.
Pitt has also been there with Barksdale through an injury that sidelined him for the majority of his sophomore season. Now, Barksdale is back and helping Steel Valley in whatever way he can on both sides of the ball as the Ironmen look to overcome their 1-3 start.
“We’re going to be an underdog. We’re going to be the next Beaver Falls. We see how good we can be, we just got to execute,” Barksdale said.
As the fall continues and Barksdale gets back into form on the field, he plans on returning for another Pitt game this season, potentially the Clemson matchup, he told PSN.
He also hopes to take in a game at Notre Dame and is trying to get up to Ann Arbor, Mich. to see Michigan and Oregon in November.
