Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt DB Commits Remain Strong Despite Elijah Dotson Decommitment
Pitt lost a member of its class of 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday, and it just so happened to be Elijah Dotson, a four-star cornerback who was rated as the top recruit in the class.
It was a tough blow to a recruiting class that isn’t viewed as outstanding by any of the national recruiting outlets, but it isn’t a death blow either.
Pitt initially staved off Michigan, Michigan and Penn State to secure Dotson — a 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back from Belleville, Michigan — in May. He cited a strong connection with secondary coach Archie Collins and the coaching staff looking at him as a cornerback at the college level.
But he’s gone, and Pitt still has four defensive back commits in the class — two cornerbacks and two safeties. With two weeks until National Signing Day.
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 Cole Woodson’s Instagram account
Cole Woodson — safety
Woodson is the biggest riser in the class, elevated to a four-star recruit just recently.
Woodson — a 6-foot-1, 190-pound three-star defensive back from Battlefield in Haymarket, Va. — committed to Pitt in July, picking the Panthers over offers from UConn, Duke, JMU, Minnesota, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
“I enjoyed sitting in on the meetings and practice as well as seeing much of the campus,” Woodson said after committing. “In speaking with coach Narduzzi and coach Sanders, I feel that they are both good men and coaches who know how to develop talent out of high school. I was impressed overall with my visit and knew I had to get back.”
247Sports rates Woodson as the 59th-ranked safety and 21st-ranked recruit from Virginia. Rivals rates him as the 33rd-ranked recruit from Virginia — holding a 5.5 Rivals Rating.
On3 rates Woodson as the 36th-ranked safety and ninth-ranked recruit from Virginia.
Battlefield is 11-0, one of the best ranked teams in Virginia, and Woodson is one of the most versatile players on the roster. He’s recorded one carry for a 31-yard touchdown, caught 15 passes for 364 yards (24.3 yards per reception) and five touchdowns. And he’s racked up 27 tackles (26 solo), two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Photo courtesy of Shawn Lee’s Twitter account
Shawn Lee Jr. — cornerback
Lee is an interesting recruit considering he was one of the top athletes in the state as a junior and was forced to leave the state as a senior.
Lee — a 5-foot-10, 170-pound cornerback from Harrisburg High in Harrisburg, Pa. — committed to Pitt in June over offers from Akron, Buffalo, UConn, Howard, Iowa State, JMU, Kent State and North Carolina State.
247Sports rates Lee as the 1,269th-ranked recruit in the class (105th-ranked athlete and 22nd-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania) while On3 rates him as the 93rd-ranked cornerback and 20th-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania.
Rivals rates him as the 30th-ranked recruit in the class — holding a 5.5 Rivals Rating.
He starred on both sides of the ball at Harrisburg as a junior, racking up 3,721 yards and 45 total touchdowns (1,451 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground) and 47 tackles (32 solo), four interceptions and seven pass breakups. The lack of major interest is surprising, but it may have to do with his size. It’s harder to find his stats as a senior at Milford Academy.
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.
