Signed: Jesse Anderson
2023 DB Anderson has good first visit to Pittsburgh | Players, coaches led Anderson to commit to Pitt | Coach Speak: A more in-depth look at Jesse Anderson
Pitt was the first program to offer Jesse Anderson and the Panthers remained a prominent force in his recruitment the entire time up until he signed moments ago. As recently as last week, Auburn out of the SEC offered Anderson, but he did not give the Tigers much consideration, as he remained solid and signed with the team that recognized his talents first.
Anderson checks in at 6'2" and 180-pounds and was a big time wide receiver for Cardinal Gibbons High School throughout his career, but many schools envisioned him playing defense, and he will be coming to Pittsburgh to play safety.
Anderson visited Pitt in the spring and came back to town for an official visit in June. He saw all the school had to offer and opted to commit to Pitt during his official visit.
“It was really the chemistry with the players and how great the coaches are," Anderson told Panther-Lair.com following his decision. "They won me over, and then the players on top of that really made it happen.”
The players likely played a big role in helping him feel comfortable. Cardinal Gibbons is one of the top high school programs in South Florida, and it has produced many Division-1 players through the years. Pitt has landed Vincent Davis and Marquis Williams from the powerhouse program and it's a school that is regularly on Pitt's radar. Pitt assistant coach Charlie Partridge was one of the lead recruiters and he himself is a native from South Florida.
“He’s from down this way so he knows how we operate and he loves this area,” Anderson said of Partridge. “He loves everything about me as a player and we have a great bond.”
In total, Anderson chose Pitt over Auburn, Boston College, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, NC State, Wake Forest, and more.
Anderson's high school coach, Matt DuBuc, has coached a lot of talent through the years and has won a lot of football games, and he had high praise for Pitt's newest signee.
“I’ll tell you this, this is going to be my 20th year in high school football and he’s probably the most competitive player I have ever coached,” Dubuc told Panther-Lair.com in an interview back in July.
Anderson battled injuries through his senior year, but still came down with 27 catches for 359 yards and four touchdowns in six games in 2022. He helped lead Cardinal Gibbons to an 11-2 record, and was a member of school's state championship teams in 2020 and 2021.
Pitt's defensive back room flipped a lot in recent days, with both starting safeties Erick Hallett and Brandon Hill opting to head to the NFL next season. Pitt has some returning players at these spots and have added a prominent transfer as well, but Anderson should have an opportunity to work his name into the mix right away as a true freshman.