Michael Smith commits to Pitt
Vero Beach (Fla.) native and standout wide receiver Michael Smith committed to Pitt today after a late-blooming recruitment saw the Panthers get out to a hot start.
Pitt picked up yet another commitment in the 2017 class when Michael Smith pledged to join the group. Smith is a wide receiver out of Vero Beach (Fla.) and a late-blooming prospect who received his offer from Pitt late in the process. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide receiver began seriously considering Pitt following an official visit to the school on December 9th.
Smith chose Pitt over offers from Notre Dame, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Washington State, among others. Pitt offered Smith upon visiting his high school on December 3rd. The Panthers’ coaching staff stopped by Vero Beach (Fla.) High School, located nearly midway between Miami and Orlando, once again on December 7th. Smith’s weekend official visit to Pitt put the Panthers ahead and despite a late offer from Notre Dame and another official visit to Georgia Tech, no other school could overcome Pitt’s lead.
Smith is Pitt’s third wide receiver commitment in this class, joining Bethlehem (Pa.) legacy recruit Darian Street and fellow Florida native Dontavius Butler, who plays at Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage. Along with Butler, linebacker Albert Tucker, defensive back Damarri Mathis, defensive end Deslin Alexandre, and offensive tackle Jerry Drake Jr., Smith is Pitt’s sixth commitment from the state of Florida in the 2017 class.
For a long time, Smith was unranked by Rivals.com and had not yet been evaluated by a member of the network. That is largely, due to the fact that the big-bodied wide receiver posted only five catches for 100 yards and one touchdown through his first three seasons of high school. However, after a monster final year, Vero Beach’s best-kept secret earned three-star status.
As a senior, Smith exploded; he set single-season records in the Treasure Coast region with 24 receiving touchdowns and 1,561 receiving yards. Smith also recorded 67 receptions on the year. By some reports, Smith led the state of Florida in receiving touchdowns, although stats are not officially compiled by the state at this point in time. You can view Smith’s senior highlight tape at this link.
This commitment, the Panthers' 21st overall, will elevate Pitt to 1,468 points in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings at the time of publication. Barring any last-second changes from other schools, that should give Pitt the 33rd-ranked class in the country and the 6th-ranked class in the ACC.
Stay tuned for more reporting on Michael Smith’s commitment and the Vero Beach (Fla.) standout’s recruiting process as we gather further information on his decision.
