Fowlkes on Pitt commitment: 'It really felt like home to me'
Damarion Fowlkes had Pitt high on his list prior to his official visit, but after spending a whole weekend in Pittsburgh it was enough for his to make a decision. Fowlkes, a 5-10 and 170-pound wide receiver, out of Maryland was one of five players to commit on Saturday and revealed his decision on social media moments ago.
“It really felt like home to me,” Fowlkes told Panther-Lair.com about why he committed. “Being around the players and coaches, they had great bonds with each other and I wanted to be part of it.”
The three-star wide receiver out of Good Counsel holds 20 offers and had plans to take official visits to Indiana and West Virginia later this month, but opted to cancel those plans and commit on the spot.
“It felt great,” Fowlkes said of making his decision early. “It took a lot of stress off of me with all the schools and now I feel like I can breathe and I’m excited to work.”
The weekend was a big opportunity for him to spend with his future position coach, JJ Laster.
“Before hanging out this weekend we had a great relationship,” Fowlkes said of the Pitt assistant. “We talked, he FaceTimed me here and there, but after this visit I feel like our bond is even stronger. He’s still a coach to me, but he feels like a father figure and he’s somebody that I can look up to.”
He was also able to learn more from Laster about the type of offense first year offensive coordinator Kade Bell plans to run in Pittsburgh. Fowlkes, a playmaking receiver, sees a natural fit for himself in this scheme.
“I like how it’s a fast-paced offense,” Pitt’s newest commit explained. “They don’t really give the defense time to set up. They move real quick and they throw to everybody on the field. I feel like I’ll be a great fit in the slot for that offense, get the ball in space and make plays.”
In addition to spending time with the assistant coaches, his visit concluded in a meeting across from head coach Pat Narduzzi. Fowlkes said that was a big deciding factor.
“He really sealed the deal because before that meeting, I was still a little hesitant, but him talking to me and my parents and explaining everything that Pitt has everything to offer for us, it really sealed the deal and it was a great talk,” he said.
On the visit, Fowlkes was paired with Raphael ‘Poppi’ Williams as his player host, who showed him a more in-depth look at what it would be like to live in the city.
“He’s a really good guy, he’s funny, and he really showed me what Pitt is all about because before hanging out with him I thought Pitt was just a boring old city,” said Fowlkes. “But exploring the city and riding around with him, you got to see how much Pitt and Pittsburgh has to offer.”