Newton chooses Pitt
Pitt received a big commitment today as Malik Newton committed to the program. Newton is a 6'0" and 220-pound running back out of Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk (Va). He had 18 scholarship offers and narrowed things down to a top-12 that featured programs like Nebraska, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, before he settled on the Panthers.
Newton was the VHSL Class-4A Offensive Player of the Year in Virginia. He rushed for 2,060 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2019 and help guide Lake Taylor to a state championship.
Newton is now the second running back in the 2021 class as he joins fellow Virginia native Rodney Hammond on the commitment list. Hammond is smaller in stature as he checks in at 185-pounds, so the duo should balance and compliment each other at the college level. Newton is a bruising straight-ahead runner, but also has speed to break big runs, whereas Hammond is a shifty runner with great quickness.
With the commitment of Newton, Pitt now has four players committed from the state of Virginia in the class of 2021. Newton is ranked as the 8th best player in the state according to Rivals.com. Hammond checks in at 15th in those rankings, Myles Alston is slotted at 21, and Pitt also has a commitment from rising edge-rusher Trevion Stevenson.
Pitt's recruiting efforts in Virginia can certainly be attributed to wide receivers coach Chris Beatty. He is known for his recruiting connections in his home state, and it is paying off for Pitt in just his second year on the job. Beatty was able to attract plenty of Virginia prospects for visits in the spring of 2019, and Newton was one of those prospects that visited last year. It's been a while since that visit, but it left a mark on Newton.
“I love everything about Pitt,” Newton told Panther-Lair.com back in April of 2019. “Pittsburgh is different from every university I’ve been to; when they talk about brotherhood they mean it and stand on it. And their education is outstanding with the different nationality rooms; [that] is something I would look forward to learning in.”
Pitt now has 13 commitments for the 2021 recruiting class. With a large senior class, there is the possibility Pitt could sign close to a full 25-man class, meaning the Panthers are near the halfway mark before the month of June. Pitt's early emphasis on the recruiting trail this year has certainly been geared towards offense. Pitt has landed four offensive linemen, two wide receivers, a quarterback, and now a second running back.