Khalil Anderson isn’t the highest-rated recruit in Pitt’s class, but he is certainly one of the top prospects to sign with the Panthers, and the coaching staff had to fight off quite a host of contenders to hold onto him.

Anderson was one of the last recruits to commit to Pitt in the April-May-June run, and he made his commitment after a dead period visit.

Anderson’s visit came as part of a multiday trip north. He and his family flew to Detroit, drove to Pittsburgh to see the campus and city, drove back to Detroit, spent the night and then drove to East Lansing to visit Michigan State before spending one more night and flying home.

A day later, Anderson committed to Pitt. But his recruiting process didn’t stop there. When he picked the Panthers, Anderson had an impressive offer sheet that included Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan State, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

In the months after he committed, though, word got out that Anderson was one of the top corners in the southeast, and his offer sheet grew. Ole Miss offered him less than a week after he committed to Pitt. Arkansas came in a week after that. South Carolina, Minnesota and Mississippi State offered before the summer ended. Miami jumped in with an offer in November. And then Penn State joined the mix last week.

And those were just the offers. Georgia and Clemson were showing interest in Anderson, and while they had higher targets on the board, the Bulldogs and Tigers were both hoping he would delay his signing until February.

Anderson stuck with Pitt, though, and he’ll join the Panthers next June as a cornerback prospect with a real shot at early playing time. Over the last two seasons, he recorded eight interceptions and 25 pass breakups, combining a nose for the ball with plus-athleticism and closing speed to be a menace for opposing passing attacks.