Campbell makes the flip during his visit

Phil Campbell arrived on Pitt's campus Friday as a Rutgers commit.

48 hours later, he left as a Panther.

But the safety prospect from South Brunswick (NJ) told Panther-Lair.com Sunday night that his transition from one verbal pledge to the other wasn't quite that sudden.

"I've been thinking about Pitt for awhile," he said. "I was committed to Rutgers and a lot of things happened there with the coaching change and everything, so I've felt like Pitt was the best option for awhile. And that was before the visit; then I came here and fell in love with it. It really made me know that it was the place for me.

"I'm very comfortable with the staff and I can see myself playing for them and I can see them helping me reach my highest potential. I'm comfortable around players, too, and everyone's cool and nice and friendly. I made a lot of friends there, like the recruits I was with, we all enjoyed it.

"I just knew that I loved Pitt. I wasn't going to commit, but after talking to Coach (Pat) Narduzzi and the other coaches on Sunday, I knew I wanted to wrap it up."

Still, the decision wasn't an easy one for Campbell, even though he had been mulling it over for a few months.

"Halfway through the season, I was starting to re-think things, but it was hard because I was verballed to Rutgers and I'm a man of my word. But with everything that happened and Coach (Kyle) Flood getting fired, Pitt was looking better and better. This visit solidified it."

A big part of Pitt's appeal for Campbell is the Panthers' defense. A 6'1" 190-pound safety prospect, Campbell was hosted on his visit by Jordan Whitehead, the Pitt safety who was named ACC Rookie of the Year for his team-leading performance in 2015. The Pitt coaches showed Campbell how they used Whitehead this past season and forecasted a similar future for him.

"The coaches told me exactly how they want to use me," Campbell said. "We watched some film and they showed me how I would fit in on the defense, how I would contribute, and they said I had the chance to come in and compete.

"They said I'm very physical and they like how I fly up the field; they call me a missile, and they said I would fit their defense perfectly. I can cover the pass or blitz off the edge or play the nickel; they can do a lot with me. They said they could use me in so many ways and that they think I'm perfect for the defense. I think I am, too."

Campbell didn't just do his damage on defense this season, though. Granted, he recorded 103 tackles and three interceptions, but he also rushed for 749 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, and the Pitt coaches took note of his offensive exploits as well.

"They said I could even play some offense," Campbell said. "They said I could play tailback and maybe get some plays back there on offense. I feel like they see my talents more than any other school. I think I can really reach my potential there."

After a standout season in which he led South Brunswick to an 11-1 record and a 42-0 blowout win in the Central Group V final, Campbell was named the Home News Tribune Defensive Player of the Year. He was matched in that regard by Pitt commit Maurice Ffrench, who was named Offensive Player of the Year, which means Pitt now has commitments from arguably the two best players in center New Jersey.

"Of course I know Maurice well; we're friends and I'm excited to play with him next year," Campbell said. "He's been talking to me since way back about Pitt, even before I committed to Rutgers. He was always trying to get me to think about Pitt more and more. And all weekend he kept checking in on me; I kept telling him it's awesome here."

Campbell shared that opinion with the other seven recruits who visited Pitt this weekend.

"We became good friends on this visit," he said. "All the recruits, we really felt a bond. We would all like to play with each other; that's what we said. It would be pretty cool if we could get them on board."

Campbell also liked what he saw of Pitt's staff on the visit. That included defensive coordinator Josh Conklin, cornerbacks coach Renaldo Hill and head coach Pat Narduzzi.

"I felt really comfortable with Coach Conklin and Coach Hill," he said. "I was talking football with them and I could picture myself being coached under them. They're great coaches and I could do very well under them.

"And Coach Narduzzi, he's a flat-out great coach. I want to be coached by the best."

With Campbell on board, Pitt now has commitments from 15 recruits in the class of 2016. He is the second recruit from New Jersey to commit to Pitt - along with Ffrench - and he is the second safety prospect, joining Central Catholic's Bricen Garner. He was also the second recruit to commit during an official visit this weekend; Citra (Fla.) North Marion offensive lineman Zack Williams committed Sunday morning.

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