Signed: Braylan Lovelace

Pitt’s first recruit from the WPIAL in the class of 2023 is in.

Leechburg linebacker Braylan Lovelace spent most of the spring picking up offers from Ivy League schools and service academies, with Virginia Tech as his lone Power Five offer heading into June.

But he attended Pitt’s prospect camp in mid-June, impressed the coaches and saw things take off from there. He got an offer from the Panthers that day, scheduled an official visit for the following weekend and committed by the end of the visit.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was about five years old,” Lovelace told Panther-Lair.com after his commitment. “I envisioned myself playing on the field and really I just fell in love with it when I went there. It’s like a brotherhood: everybody takes care of each other. The coaches’ energy is unmatched and that’s what I want to be a part of.”

Lovelace is coming to Pitt to play linebacker, but he was a two-way standout for Leechburg. Serving as the Blue Devils’ primary offensive weapon out of the backfield, Lovelace rushed for 1,241 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 9.8 yards per carry and adding one more score when he turned one of his four receptions into a touchdown.

He also scored on a punt return and threw a 51-yard pass to help lead Leechburg to a 7-3 regular-season record before the Blue Devils lost to Mapletown in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. Lovelace only had 40 yards on 14 carries in that game, but he did score on an 85-yard punt return.

He finished his career at Leechburg with more than 4,000 rushing yards. He’ll enroll at Pitt in January.