INKED: DT Devin Danielson signs to Pitt
Jefferson Hills (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson defensive tackle Devin Danielson has signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his athletic and academic career at Pitt. Find out more about Danielson and his recruitment.
Devin Danielson became the first player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2018 recruiting class on the early National Signing Day, joining his classmates signing today in the recruiting class at Pitt. Danielson is a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Jefferson Hills (Pa.) and one of two players in Pitt's 2018 class from western Pennsylvania powerhouse program Thomas Jefferson. Find out more about Danielson's recruitment and history below:
Danielson emerges as a recruit: Devin Danielson is a naturally quiet young man who's often avoided seeking attention in the recruiting process and has rarely tweeted out any of his offers or visits. If you ask people close to the Thomas Jefferson program, Danielson has been collecting offers since his freshman year and his scholarship list is even longer than the illustrious group listed on Rivals profile. Pitt, Michigan State, Louisville, Wisconsin, UCLA, Iowa, and West Virginia are just a few of the most prominent schools to line his offer list, however long it may actually be.
Pitt offers Danielson: Pitt offered Danielson in February of his junior year, the culmination of contact that had begun several months prior between members of the Pitt coaching staff, including Pat Narduzzi and Rob Harley. The offer immediately impressed Danielson. “It feels great to get the Pitt offer. I grew up watching Pitt. They’ve been doing well under coach Narduzzi. They’re on the come-up and only getting better,” said Danielson. “Pitt’s up there right now, they’re one of my top schools right now.” Over time, Pitt transitioned defensive line coach Charlie Partridge into the primary point of contact for Danielson and emerged as the top school on his list in late February. Danielson visited Pitt for a spring practice in March and in May alongside teammate and then-recent Pitt commit Noah Palmer. Pitt eventually made the cut for Danielson's top four, which was announced on Panther-Lair.com, as a decision neared.
Danielson commits to Pitt: After months and months of frequent contact with the Panthers, Danielson announced his decision to stay at home and commit to Pitt on June 27th. It was a rare use of Twitter for a recruiting announcement from the famously-quiet recruit.
In his words: "During one of the games, I just looked around and knew this is where I want to be,” Danielson told Panther-Lair.com. “I was with the coaches a little bit, but being there for two full days, it just got to me that that’s where I want to be.”
From his coach: “He’s so destructive; he just really screws things up in the backfield…they can’t do so many things because he’s so destructive... First of all, he’s so strong,” legendary Thomas Jefferson head coach Bill Cherpak said, “and he just really - he can overpower people, but at the same time, he gets off the ball so fast and really has great body control in terms of what he can do and change directions."
Danielson's Impact: "Although he's already 290 pounds before his senior season, Danielson carries very little bad weight and he's on the trim side for a defensive tackle. His bull rush is likely the most effective tool in his pass-rushing arsenal right now and when he gets low leverage, he can drive offensive linemen into the backfield before they realize what's happening. Ask Thomas Jefferson's opponents how many plays he's blown up before they can develop by knocking a guard on his rear end." Read more about Danielson's impact and positional fit here.