INKED: DB Jason Pinnock signs with Pitt

Jason Pinnock became the seventh player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2017 recruiting class on National Signing Day at 7:19 AM, joining his classmates signing today and four early enrollees who have already been in class at Pitt. Pinnock is a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Windsor (Conn.) who emerged late in the recruiting process, but is a player who Pitt is very high on. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

First mention on Rivals: Pinnock's recruitment started following his junior year as many of the northeast's Division I programs offered the standout cornerback programs in camp settings - UConn was first and schools like Boston College and UMass followed suit. Pinnock eventually committed to Boston College on August 12th, 2016 after several months of contact. During the season, Pitt defensive coordinator Jason Conklin watched Pinnock play and the Panthers began contacting the talented defensive back, leading to a fruitful relationship. A Pitt offer in December and interest from schools like Notre Dame, Tennessee, Syracuse, Iowa State, Ole Miss, and Purdue led to Pinnock decommitting from Boston College and preparing to make a decision in January.

Pinnock flips to Pitt: A January 13th visit to Pitt sealed the deal for Pinnock and his decision to commit to Pitt, as the defensive back announced his decision on January 17th, 2017. While Notre Dame and Iowa State, among other programs, still tried to get Pinnock to take official visits, he shut down his recruitment and has been solid with the Panthers ever since.

In his words: “It was the visit man, it was the visit. It was just great. You know normally you go on a visit to a school and just go with the flow and you just do whatever is scheduled on the itinerary. Everything about Pitt was just… As they say, Pitt is it. The guys there, it’s a brotherhood really. It just felt right... Pitt was interested early in the season and they’re not just over here offering kids right before National Signing Day because guys are leaving or whatever,” Pinnock explained. “My relationship with coach Conklin is really good and we’ve been talking ever since then and building that connection with him and all the coaches over there.”

Pinnock's impact: "Pitt expects Pinnock to play cornerback for the Panthers after defensive coordinator Josh Conklin identified a skill-set he feels could excel at the position when evaluating Pinnock in person this fall. He's listed at 6-feet and 180 pounds, but Pinnock plays a bit bigger than that due to his length. Longer, lean corners are in vogue in college football right now and they fit Narduzzi and Conklin's scheme well. Pinnock's ability to open up his hips, turn, and run downfield is also something that's going to help him at the college level. He'll be asked to stick with receivers downfield and make plays on the ball in the air, something he's shown he has a knack for at a young age." Read more of the breakdown in Jason Pinnock: The Impact.