Pitt FB Recruiting
A Look into the Top Five Commits in Pitt Class of 2025
Pitt lost its top-rated commit in the class of 2025, but while it’s a tough break, it’s not the end of the world.
Pitt has 21 commitments in the class of 2021 — 12 offensive and nine defensive. And there’s intrigue across the roster. Elijah Dotson, who flipped to Michigan, was the consensus No. 1 recruit. There isn’t one in his wake.
National Signing Day is two weeks away, way earlier than previous seasons, and based on which recruiting service you use, the new top recruit in the class is four-star wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes (247Sports), four-star defensive back Mason Alexander (Rivals) or four-star safety Cole Woodson (On3).
If we’re using the On3 Sports composite, which takes On3, 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN into account, here’s the top five.
And this list doesn’t include four-star safety Cole Woodson, three-star offensive lineman Shep Turk, three-star quarterback Bryce Yates or three-star wide receiver Bryce Yates, who are close.
Photo courtesy of DaMarion Fowlkes’ Instagram
DaMarion Fowlkes — wide receiver
Fowlkes may just be the crown jewel of the Pitt recruiting class now, elevated to four-star status by a couple of national platforms. He’s not the biggest wide receiver, but he fits the system perfectly.
Fowlkes — a 5-foot-10, 170-pound wide receiver from Good Counsel in Olney, Md. — committed to Pitt over offers from Boston College, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Charlotte, ECU, Indiana, JMU, Kent State, Liberty, Memphis, Old Dominion, Temple, UNLV, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
“(My host Poppi Williams) coming from the school coach Kade came from and knowing that offense, he really explained it to me well,” Fowlkes told Pittsburgh Sports Now over the summer. “We sat down and watched a little bit of his film and he showed me the ins and outs of the offense, and it really just opened my mind and blew my mind how great that offense works.”
247Sports rates Fowlkes as the 230th-ranked recruit in the class (22nd-ranked wide receiver and seventh-ranked recruit from Maryland) while On3 rates him as the 46th-ranked receiver and ninth-ranked recruit from Maryland.
Rivals hasn’t ranked Fowlkes, but he does hold a 5.7 Rivals Rating.
He’s caught 31 passes for 612 yards (19.7 yards per reception) and four touchdowns, adding five punt return touchdowns and another kick return touchdown.
Mason Alexander
Mason Alexander — cornerback
Alexander is one of the four-star recruits in the class, a track star who has the fluidity to play cornerback.
Alexander — a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Hamilton Southeastern in Fishers, Ind. — committed to Pitt in June over some serious contenders, picking the Panthers over offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pitt, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Toledo, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
247Sports rates Alexander as the 371st-ranked recruit in the class (35th-ranked cornerback and seventh-ranked recruit from Indiana) while On3 rates him as the 462nd-ranked recruit in the class (42nd-ranked cornerback and 11th-ranked recruit from Indiana).
Rivals rates him as the 34th-ranked cornerback and fifth-ranked recruit from Indiana — holding a 5.8 Rivals Rating.
Alexander recorded 52 tackles (26 solo), an interception and two pass breakups this season.
Photo courtesy of Joshua Guerrier’s Twitter account
Joshua Guerrier — safety
Guerrier is another riser in the class, and in a class of versatile athletes, he’s way, way up there. There isn’t much he didn’t do in his senior season.
Guerrier — a 5-foot-11, 170-pound three-star athlete from Ocoee in Ocoee, Fla. — committed to Pitt in July over Iowa, Iowa State and USF, along with additional offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, FAU, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, Louisville, Marshall, Temple, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Western Kentucky and Wisconsin.
“For me, it’s not what they did, it’s how I saw the school and how I saw myself being there and making plays,” Guerrier said. “I can see myself definitely making plays, especially with the scheme they have. Their scheme fits me perfectly whether it’s free safety, field safety, so it was the scheme part. And the coaching staff.”
247Sports rates Guerrier as the 27th-ranked athlete and 64th-ranked recruit from Florida while Rivals rates him as the 17th-ranked athlete and 72nd-ranked recruit from Florida — holding a 5.7 Rivals Rating.
On3 rates him as the 51st-ranked cornerback and 61st-ranked recruit from Florida.
Guerrier completed four pass attempts for 40 yards, carried the ball 31 times for 375 yards (37.5 yards per carry) and hauled in 32 receptions for 675 yards (21.1 yards per reception) and five touchdowns. He added 60 tackles (42 solo), six tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions and three pass breakups. And added 350 yards on punt returns and 443 yards on kick returns.
Synkwan Smith — running back
Smith is one of the most underrated recruits in the class, an explosive running back who plays a bit like current Pitt star Desmond Reid.
Smith — a 5-foot-9, 165-pound running back from Roswell in Roswell, Ga. — committed to Pitt over offers from Arkansas State, UConn, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, Kent State, Marshall, UMass, Miami (Oh.), Pitt, Toledo. Western Kentucky and Wofford.
247Sports rates Smith as the 41st-ranked athlete and 70th-ranked recruit from Georgia while On3 rates him as the 30th-ranked athlete and 127th-ranked recruit from Georgia.
Rivals rates him as the 14th-ranked running back and 59th-ranked recruit from Georgia — holding a 5.7 Rivals Rating.
Smith missed time due to injury but still racked up 78 carries for 506 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns, adding 15 receptions for 104 yards and three touchdowns — and eight punt returns for 235 yards (29.4 yards per return).
Photo courtesy of Tony Kinsler’s Instragram account.
Tony Kinsler — wide receiver
Kinsler is perhaps the most versatile weapon in the class, which says a lot considering his contemporaries in the class.
Kinsler — a 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver from Spruce Creek in Port Orange, Fla. — committed to Pitt over offers from Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, FAU, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Marshall, UMass, Tulane, USF, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Western Michigan.
“I’m going to be playing slot, a little bit of wideout and he said I’d be getting the ball at running back, too,” Kinsler said. “Basically just giving me the ball and letting me go to work.”
247Sports rates him as the 714th-ranked recruit in the class (107th-ranked wide receiver and 92nd-ranked recruit in Florida) while On3 rates him as the 651st-ranked recruit in the class (106th-ranked wide receiver and 81st-ranked recruit from Florida).
Rivals rates Kinsler as the 15th-ranked all-purpose back and 100th-ranked recruit from Florida — holding a 5.7 Rivals Rating.
Kinsler only carried the ball once for four yards, but he led Spruce Creek with 62 receptions for 905 yards (14.6 yards per reception) and 15 touchdowns.
Nice class. On to the portal to complete the class.
It’s a nice class if you like to be mediocre. We’re not going to win a championship when our best five recruits are probably ranked as high as Clemsons bottom 5 recruits. I feel bad for the writers here they keep trying to spin this garbage into a positive article. Our boasters are all talk no action. SMU say what you want is trying to win they’re in this league making nothing and they’re on the verge of the playoffs.
Michigan just paid $5 million for the #1 quarterback in the class. Can’t compete with that kind of money. Expect Dotson got a similar deal.
Pitt will never be a high ranked team until they decide to get a good coach. Naduzzi keeps the team floating but he doesn’t have the ability to take it to national heights.
Well who do you want? For every great coach that exists in CFB they all 1 thing real well recruit from there own backyard. Narduzzi will never get the great talent from Pennsylvania cause all those guys exist in Phily whereas the WPIAL players well they are what they are which isn’t much. High School Football in Phily is 10x better than WPIAL Football and every single person who watches High school Football in Pennsylvania knows that.