Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt 2027 WR Commit Receives Offer from Backyard Rival
The on-field Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia dates back to 1895, but the series was halted for 11 years before returning in 2022 for the current four-game stretch.
While the game took a hiatus, it didn’t stop the two programs from battling on the recruiting trail for talent from around the region.
With West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez back in the fold, there’s an expectation that he will once again contend for prospects that Pitt has an eye on as well and that also goes for players that are already committed to one of the programs.
Pitt 2027 wide receiver commit Jacob Thomas has seen his recruitment explode since committing to Pitt in March and the Mountaineers are the latest to extend an offer to the Florida native. On Wednesday, Thomas picked up an offer from WVU’s inside receivers coach Logan Bradley.
EXTREMELY Blessed To Receive An Offer From West Virginia🗻!! @CoachBradleyWVU pic.twitter.com/hIscwwDcuM
— Jacob Thomas (@1gump_) April 24, 2025
West Virginia is not the only school that Pitt will have to fend off to keep the 5-10, 160-pound speedster locked in. Thomas also added offers from Maryland and Louisville on Wednesday. That brings Thomas’ overall offer sheet to Pitt, WVU, Maryland, Louisville, Miami, Florida State, Kentucky, Auburn, UCF, Boston College, Purdue, Toledo, FIU, Marshall, Georgia State, Akron and Bowling Green.
It’s not all that surprising that Thomas has quickly risen in the recruiting circuit as he boasts blazing speed after posting a 10.38 100-meter dash at the Florida High School track districts. On the field, he posted 28 receptions for 624 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore at Flanagan High School last fall.
On the same day Thomas added three more Power Four offers, 247Sports also updated its rankings, which lists the wide receiver as a three-star prospect, the 52nd player at his position and 38th-best recruit in Florida — up from No. 51.
With the updated rankings, that also meant fellow 2027 commit Tyler Reid — the younger brother of current Panther Desmond Reid — received a boost in his profile.
The 5-foot-9, 165-pound running back out of Miramar High School in Florida is now a high three-star prospect and checks in as the No. 21 running back in the class. He’s also the 29th-best player in the Sunshine State.
Reid became the second Pitt commit in the 2027 cycle back on March 6.
