Pitt FB Recruiting
Where Did Pitt Stand With WPIAL Transfer Portal Commits?
A lot has been made of how well Pitt has — or hasn’t — recruited the WPIAL ranks in recent seasons. The WPIAL isn’t what it used to be, but there’s still plenty of talent in the area.
Pitt has done a good job in securing WPIAL stars in recent classes, and while it hasn’t always worked out (looking at the class of 2021), the recent returns are promising with Sean FitzSimmons, Braylan Lovelace and Cruce Brookins primed for big role defensively this season.
Pitt has picked up 11 WPIAL commitments over the last five classes, with at least one in each class, and there have been WPIAL stars who didn’t commit to Pitt the first time return home via the transfer portal — M.J. Devonshire, Donovan McMillon and Derrick Davis Jr.
2021: four (Elliot Donald, Stephon Hall, Dorien Ford, Nakhi Johnson)
2022: one (Sean FitzSimmons)
2023: two (Cruce Brookins, Braylan Lovelace)
2024: three (Julian Dugger, Cam Lindsey, Ty Yuhas)
2025: one (Shep Turk)
Pitt landed a commitment from former Penn Hills star Rashan Murray this offseason, landing him from the Division II ranks, and his second recruitment was quite a bit more active this time around.
But he’s the only former WPIAL star (so far, never know what could happen) to land in Pittsburgh this cycle.
There were eight other former WPIAL players to hit the transfer portal and wind up at Power Four programs. Pitt, for the most part, didn’t appear to pursue many too heavily — if at all. But how about the first time around?
Raion Strader wasn’t received heavily out of Penn Hills in the class of 2023. He held offers from Miami (Oh.) and Toledo, choosing the RedHawks, and it worked out well. Strader turned two excellent seasons into a commitment to Auburn — over dozens of Power Four offers. Pitt may have missed, but so did every other Power Four program.
Tyreese Fearbry was a top target out of Perry in the class of 2022, but he somewhat surprisingly committed to Kentucky. He spent a few seasons with the Wildcats before entering the portal and eventually committing to Wisconsin. Not much more Pitt could’ve done here.
Levi Wentz didn’t pick up a scholarship offer from Pitt coming out of Pine-Richland in 2020 but did receive a walk-on opportunity. He spent a couple of seasons at Old Dominion and eventually transferred to Albany — breaking out in 2024. It didn’t appear as though Pitt was interested this time around.
Nikhai Hill-Green may have finished his high school career at St. Frances in Baltimore, but the Pittsburgh native started at North Catholic. He had Pitt amongst his list of finalists but wound up choosing Michigan. He spent a few seasons with the Wolverines before transferring to Charlotte and then Colorado and now Alabama. He was one of the top targets in the portal this time around.
NiJhay Burt was an under recruited prospect from Steel Valley in the class of 2022, committing to Eastern Illinois over lower Division I and Division II offers. Pitt wasn’t in the running out of high school and didn’t appear to circle back in the portal this offseason as he committed to Michigan State.
Marques Watson-Trent didn’t receive any Power Four offers out of Blackhawk in the class of 2020, but he turned into a Power Four level player over five seasons at Georgia Southern. He entered the portal this offseason and received some immediate P4 interest — but not Pitt. He wound up committing to Nebraska.
Deamontae Diggs received some Power Four interest out of McKeesport in the class of 2020, but Pitt didn’t come calling. He went to Youngstown State, spent four seasons with the Penguins and hit the portal. Pitt was interested last offseason, before he committed to Coastal Carolina, and wasn’t involved as he committed to Florida State this time around.
David Pantelis was recruited heavily by the Ivy League programs out of Upper St. Clair in the class of 2021 and spent four seasons with the Bulldogs. Pitt wasn’t involved in his first recruitment and despite serious interest in the portal this offseason, wasn’t involved again.
WPIAL to the Power Four:
- Penn Hills defensive back Raion Strader — Miami (Oh.) to Auburn
- Perry Traditional edge/OLB Tyreese Fearbry — Kentucky to Wisconsin
- Pine-Richland wide receiver Levi Wentz — Albany to Kansas
- North Catholic linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green — Colorado to Alabama
- Steel Valley defensive back NiJhay Burt — Eastern Illinois to Michigan State
- Blackhawk linebacker Marques Watson-Trent — Georgia Southern to Nebraska
- McKeesport edge Deamontae Diggs — Coastal Carolina to Florida State.
- Penn Hills cornerback Rashan Murray — CalU to Pitt
- Upper St. Clair wide receiver David Pantelis — Yale to Stanford
All in all, it’s not as if Pitt missed out too badly. Fearbry and Watson-Trent committed elsewhere despite heavy interest. And both received heavy interest in the portal, too.
Strader would have been a nice addition out of high school, but just about every program missed there. And at least this offseason, the only former WPIAL star to receive major interest was Murray, who committed to Pitt.
