Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt 2026 Targets: Wide Receiver Interest
One of Pitt football’s four commitments so far in the 2026 class comes from three-star wide receiver Dylan Wester out of Booker High School in Sarasota, Fla.
Wester, at 5-10, 160 pounds, brings that small but speedier side that offensive coordinator Kade Bell is looking for in his skill position athletes and that approach hasn’t changed when it comes to targeting other wide outs in the class.
At this point, the main questions comes as to how many more receivers Pitt will take? Bell and wide receiver coach JJ Laster brought in three freshmen — Cam Sapp, Bryce Yates and Tony Kinsler — in their first recruiting class at Pitt. The Panthers also have 2027 Florida wide receiver Jacob Thomas waiting down the road.
Bell has made it known that he prefers to develop high school athletes than to rely constantly on the transfer portal. Pitt already has a handful of receivers that will be on campus for official visits in June.
Here are some names that Pittsburgh Sports Now is keeping an eye on when it comes to wide receivers for the 2026 class.
Larry Miles — Four-star out of Jones High School in Orlando, Fla.
PSN has been told that Miles is one of the prospects high on Pitt’s recruiting board and the Panthers will get the speedy talent on campus for an official visit on June 5-7.
Miles had a long list of top offers, but recently cut his recruitment down to 10 schools: Pitt, Miami, Florida State, Syracuse, Louisville, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Georgia Tech and Boston College. Rivals rates Miles as a four-star slot receiver.
The 6-foot, 174-pound excellent route runner will be a tough get for Pitt. He has other official visits set with Kentucky (June 13) and Louisville (June 20), while Miami and Syracuse are other schools to watch for. However, Miles appears to have a good relationship with the Pitt staff and could be a true contender for his talents.
Gary Hadley Jr. — Three-star out of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Florida
Hadley is another receiver high atop Pitt’s board. He told PSN that he will be in Pittsburgh for an official visit from June 5-7.
The 6-foot-3, 184-pound receiver brings more size and reach to the receiver room that would place him on the outside. Hadley sees a fit in the Pitt offense and has built a strong bond with Laster.
His recruitment is still shaping up, but Hadley currently holds offers from Ole Miss, LSU, Missouri, Minnesota, UCLA, Wake Forest, Pitt, UCF, Arkansas, Indiana, Tulane and others. Rivals lists Hadley as a three-star wide receiver.
Nyqir Helton — Three-star out of Winslow Township High School in New Jersey
Out of the first three targets listed, Helton is one that could land at Pitt. He has the Panthers as a top school with Syracuse, Boston College, Rutgers and Illinois.
The 6-foot, 175-pound prospect will be at Pitt for an official visit on June 12-14. He will also take OVs at Syracuse (May 30) and Boston College (June 6).
Helton was in Pittsburgh this spring at the end of March for an in-depth look at the program, which was another step in securing the three-star talent.
Blake Hamilton — Three-star wide receiver out of Fort Bend Christian Academy in Texas
Hamilton is looked at as an athlete by many schools as he stood out on both sides of the ball last season at Fort Bend. For Pitt, however, it views Hamilton specifically at receiver and he’s an option that Pitt is looking to land.
The 5-9, 160-pound speedster was in attendance for Pitt’s spring game on April 12 and has expressed high interest in the program. Pitt became Hamilton’s first Division I offer back in January and he will return for an official visit from June 5-7.
Along with Pitt, Hamilton holds offers from Army, Navy, UTEP, Air Force, Miami (OH), Idaho and others.
Zechariah Jenkins — Three-star out of Laurel High School in Mississippi
Jenkins will be in Pittsburgh for an official visit from June 19-21. Pitt has kept in contact with the 6-foot-2, 190-pound talent and will try and visit him in the coming weeks.
Pitt offered Jenkins back in early February, but the Panthers will battle with a handful of other key offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State, Missouri, Memphis, Oregon State, Tulane and others.
Santana Carlos — Three-star out of Flanagan High School in Florida
Carlos hails from the same high school as Thomas, the 2027 wide receiver commit. Pitt has targeted both players hard with Bell and Laster making an in-school visit in late January.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound receiver will be at Pitt for an official visit from June 19-21. It’s apart of a busy schedule that features additional official visits at Purdue (May 23-25), Boston College (May 30-June 1), Toledo (June 6-8) and UCLA (June 12-14).
Pitt has been recruiting Carlos for a while as it was the second Power Four program to extend an offer. The three-star talent, according to 247Sports, shows a lot of speed and tools that fit into the Pitt offense.
Ace Theus — Three-star out of Duncanville High School in Texas
This is a prospect that Pitt has a strong chance of landing after Theus was on campus for a spring visit in March. He offered high praise of his experience when it came to the culture, interactions with coaches and players and fit into the offense.
Pitt has been involved with Theus since former wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood offered him early in 2024. The new offensive staff has continued that relationship with tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski visiting him in-person back in January.
That has led to an official visit for June 12-14, according to 247Sports. He will also be at Oklahoma State on May 29-31, Utah on June 6-8 and Arizona on June 20-22.
Demetrice McCray — Three-star out of First Academy in Orlando, Fla.
McCray picked up an offer from Pitt in January and not long after scheduled an official visit with the program for June 5-7. The 6-foot, 187-pound is quite interested in the Panthers and will get a much better look at the program in two months.
He’ll also take an official visit at Boston College. Along with Pitt and Boston College, McCray holds additional offers from Ole Miss, Louisville, North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas State, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Purdue, Tulane, USF, UNLV and others.
Devin Fitzgerald — Four-star out of Brophy Prep in Arizona
It’s hard to keep the son of Pitt legendary wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald out of the equation when it comes to the 2026 class. Despite high interest from around the country, Fitzgerald has been recruited by Pitt for over a year now and picked up an offer last June after competing at a camp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
So far, Fitzgerald has one official visit set with UCLA in June. He’s taken recent spring visits at the Bruins, Arizona, Clemson, North Carolina and Stanford.
It’ll will be a difficult task for Pitt to become even a true contender for Fitzgerald, but there is a foundation there and it’ll come down to if Pitt can get him back on campus.
David Aboya — Three-star out of Milton High School in Florida
Aboya is one of the latest receives to set an official visit with Pitt. He’ll be in town from June 5-7.
Pitt became just the second Power Four offer for the rangy 6-3, 180-pound talent. He holds offers from Syracuse, Pitt, Army, Navy, Toledo, Samford and Liberty.
Aboya is an under-the-radar prospect that could see his recruitment pick up in the coming months. Rivals views him as a three-star receiver.
