Signed: Dorien Ford

Pitt landed six recruits from Pennsylvania in the 2021 class, but the highlight of the group is the trio of WPIAL defensive linemen. That run started with Nahki Johnson in the summer of 2019 and continued with Elliot Donald a year later.

Then, in September, came the third piece: Baldwin defensive tackle Dorien Ford.

While Ford isn’t a four-star prospect like Johnson and Donald, he’s every bit as big - in fact, he might be bigger at 6’4” and 300 pounds. Size aside, Ford was another significant commitment for Pitt’s 2021 recruiting class. He chose the Panthers over offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

For Ford, the final choice seemed to come down to two in-state schools: Pitt and Penn State. But the allure of staying home, playing in front of the hometown crowd and learning from defensive line coach Charlie Partridge proved to be strongest.

Ford expects to start his Pitt career at defensive tackle, but he’s got the potential to move to offensive guard in the future if that’s the best fit.