The 3-2-1 Column: Commitments, official visits, and all things recruiting

The month of June is all about recruiting and so is this week’s 3-2-1 Column. The Pitt football program netted five commitments during the first big official visit weekend this month to raise the class total to 11 prospects. The coaches will look to add to that total with seven more prospects on campus as we speak. Let’s take a look at where things stand on the recruiting front.

THREE THINGS WE KNOW

Pitt adds more playmakers to new offense

The theme so far for Pitt’s 2025 recruiting efforts has been about adding more playmakers to the offensive side of the ball. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi brought in an entire new offensive coaching staff this offseason, and that group led by offensive coordinator Kade Bell, has been hitting the recruiting trail hard to bring in players to fit his up-tempo style.

It has been an obvious change in philosophy from previous Pitt offensive regimes, as Bell tends to value quicker, speedier players to blend into an offensive system that likes to operate at high speed. Last weekend brought in a few more players into the fold who certainly fit that description.

Pitt landed commitments from three more offensive playmakers over the weekend from Maryland-based wide receiver Damarion Fowlkes, Florida speedster Ja’Kyrian Turner, along with a big pass catching tight end in Max Hunt. Those players join a recruiting class that already featured commitments from quarterback Mason Heintschel, running back Tony Kinsler, and wide receiver Bryce Yates.

As things sit halfway through the recruiting class, Pitt has really addressed the skilled positions heavily to date. There will be more offensive weapons visiting in the coming weeks, but the Panthers are certainly ahead of the game in that regard as things sit on June 14th.

In terms of the new commitments, I think perhaps the headliner prospect from last weekend’s haul is DaMarion Fowlkes, a 5’11” and 170-pound wide receiver out of Maryland. Fowlkes was a huge weapon for Good Counsel High School last season, as he helped lead his team to a 10-1 record and a WCAC Championship.

Of course, the WCAC is one of the better high school leagues in the Northeast, as he squares off against perennial powers like DeMatha Catholic, Gonzaga Prep, and St. John’s College regularly. As a junior, Fowlkes led the conference in receiving yards (811) and touchdowns (11) in 11 games. He did that with a 2024 four-star recruit on his team who is off to Florida State this season. Fowlkes should have even more responsibility as a senior, which should be a scary thing for opposing defenses.

Fowlkes is a polished route runner and can make splash plays, and I get the sense he will see the field at Pitt sooner rather than later. There are certain recruits that give you a sense that they will play right away. Kenny Johnson, a current sophomore for Pitt, put off those vibes after he committed, and I get the same feeling around Fowlkes. He’ll be too good to keep off the field in my opinion. It surprises me more schools weren’t in pursuit, but in never hurts to land a prospect over West Virginia, as he has since cancelled an official visit to Morgantown after making his decsion. A big senior year could entice more schools to get involved, of course, so he very well could be a player the Pitt coaches need to work to keep committed until December.

Fowlkes caught my attention, but I think Turner and Hunt deserve some recognition as well. Turner is on the smaller side, but it’s hard to deny the speed he plays with and it shows up on his film, where he makes big play after big play. He sort of has that quick burst reminiscent of former Panther Quadree Henderson displayed year ago. Turner’s role should be interesting once he gets to Pitt, as the line between running back and slot receiver is a little blurred in this offense and he could line up almost anywhere.

Hunt is virtually a big wide receiver in high school, but will be expected to put on some weight once he gets to college. Again, it shows there is a shift in philosophy, because Hunt seems more geared towards making plays rather than an in-line blocker.

There is no denying that having Heintschel, the quarterback of the class, on campus was helpful in landing some of these prospects as they start to build a bond with one another. College coaches usually like to strategically place when the quarterback takes his official visit, so I do not think it was on accident he was there last week to help aid in the recruiting of some new offensive weapons.

Another nice LB pickup

If you have reading along, I have not exactly been hiding my appreciation for the upward trajectory in Pitt’s linebacker recruiting over the past couple of seasons. For most of Pat Narduzzi’s Pitt tenure, his defenses have been elevated by elite defensive line play and a secondary often filled with future pros. Linebacker always seemed to be a step below, but I do think the tides are changing, and it could be a position of strength in the future. Ryan Manalac, who is entering his fourth season as the linebackers coach, certainly deserves a lot of credit for developing this position and improving the recruiting.

Pitt has stacked impressive linebacker hauls in the classes of 2023 and 2024, and I think the Panthers got off to a good start in the class of 2025 with the commitment of Justin Thompson, a three-star linebacker from Good Counsel, which of course makes him a teammate of fellow recruit, DaMarion Fowlkes. Thompson chose Pitt with a pretty strong offer sheet as he picked the Panthers over schools like Baylor, Cal, Duke, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Thompson’s film shows him playing in space and also attacking the quarterback on blitzes. He already plays a role similar to what Pitt asks of its linebackers, so the scheme certainly appealed to Thompson, and he said as much after he committed.

“They’re like the most aggressive defense in the country,” he told Panther-Lair.com on Monday. “I’m going to fit real well into their system and how they do things. They blitz a lot, which is what I like to do, so it just fits right.”

Thompson is a good start to this year’s linebacker recruiting, and as I mentioned above, it follows a recent trend of landing good prospects here. Last year’s freshman class of Braylan Lovelace, Jordan Bass, and Rasheem Biles already showed a fair amount of promise in 2023 and are all expected to have bigger roles this year. The incoming group of freshmen consisting of Cameron Lindsey, Jeremiah Marcelin, and Davin Brewton were some of Pitt’s better recruits in the class of 2024. The Linebacker spot needed a jolt of energy, and at least on paper, the recruiting has answered the call over the past couple of seasons.

Visit weekend No. 2 is under way

Pitt likes to operate its official visits on a Thursday through Saturday morning format, meaning the seven official visitors for this weekend arrived in Pittsburgh last night. The majority of the official visit will be taking place today, as the entire staff will show the recruits all Pitt has to offer with a red carpet treatment throughout the weekend. As things wrap up Saturday morning, each player typically meets with Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi and that is when you may see potential commitments. So who should we be keeping an eye on this weekend, let’s take a look.

Shep Turk is the lone committed prospect visiting this weekend. The 6-5 275-pound offensive linemen from Thomas Jefferson High School, just outside of Pittsburgh committed last month and is one of the leaders of the class. It is likely that his presence here this weekend will be to help the coaches recruit the other six recruits in town.

Quante Gillians is a solid looking defensive end prospect, and Pitt will be going up against some familiar competition for his commitment. Gillians is out of Rochester (NY) and has already taken official visits to Boston College and Syracuse. The Pitt visit is happening now, with Michigan State set to get the final one before he decides. Gillians had 10.5 sacks as a junior and would be a nice pairing with Julien Anderson, a three-star DE who committed last week.

Bryson Williams is a versatile athlete out of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Michigan. He plays on both sides of the ball in high school, but Pitt prefers him as a linebacker. The 6-2 and 200-pound three-star certainly has the physical tools to fit into Pitt’s defensive scheme. Michigan State and Kansas appear to be the main competition.

Joshua Guerrier is listed as an athlete, but he is a defensive back prospect, and a good one at that. He is just below four-star status and is one of the DBs highest on Pitt’s recruiting board. Guerrier is coming off of an Iowa State visit, with Iowa and South Florida also set to get him on campus.

Cole Woodson is a talented DB out of Virginia and once again, Pitt is working against some familiar foes. His other offers include Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and West Virginia. Going up against a group of ACC schools and one of your biggest rivals are the type of recruitments Pitt would ideally like to win.

Jordan Fields is a big, athletic 6-6 and 265-pound linemen out of Houston. It’s rare to get Texas prospects to Pittsburgh, but he is the third native of the Lone Star state to take an official visit this month. Fields has a visit to Kansas scheduled after this weekend.

Perhaps the most intriguing player on campus this weekend is Shawn Lee of Harrisburg. He is simply one of the best high school football players in Pennsylvania, though his offer sheet does not necessarily match that. I think there are questions about what position he can play at the next level, which has stunted his recruitment a little, but it’s hard to dismiss his natural ability on the football field. He led Harrisburg High to a 12-2 record while throwing for 2,256 yards and 26 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,451 yards and 19 scores. Lee took an official visit to Iowa State last week and as of now, his recruitment could come down to Pitt or the Cyclones.

I think the biggest takeaway from the group that is visiting is that Pitt will take a commitment from any of them. Last week, some visitors may have been held off a bit, but I don’t get the sense of that happening here. If Pat Narduzzi sends out his usual, ‘Pitt is it’ tweets on Saturday morning, then it’s a player the coaching staff would really like to land. It’s a smaller group, but I think it’s also a collection of players the Pitt coaches value pretty highly.

TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE

What about the other visitors from last week?

The first official visit weekend of June saw the Pitt football program host 14 prospects. Of those 14, four of them came to town already committed to the Panthers, plus the additional five who made their pledges last week. So what about the other five visitors? Let’s take a look at where those guys stand as of today.

The headliner among this group is four-star linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin from Miami. He stars for Miami Central High School and has a very impressive offer sheet to back up his four-star rating. Marcelin was been rather quiet in terms of giving interviews, so it’s hard to get an entire read on his situation. He visited Miami prior to coming to Pitt, and many feel that is where he may ultimately end up, but he does have visits to Louisville and Stanford in the coming weeks, with Penn State lingering as well. Marcelin would be a huge get for Pitt, but again, he has not said much to get a read on that situation.

Ayden Webb was a late add to the visit list, but an intriguing one. The Pitt coaches certainly worked Texas more than usual during the spring, and got Webb, a 6-2 and 165-pound safety from Dallas to make the trip to Pittsburgh last week. Webb was another player who was quiet after his visit last week. He does have Kansas and Houston visits slated for the next two weekends and will probably go into decision mode after that. Given that Pitt only has one DB in the class, and depending how things go over the next two weeks, I would not write him off just yet.

Byron Nelson, another Texas native, made the trip to Pittsburgh last week and had positive things to say. Nelson was especially blown away by the scenery Pittsburgh had to offer, as it was his first time in Pennsylvania. His plan all along was to visit Pitt, Vanderbilt, and North Carolina, which appears to still be in tact. Given that Pitt only has one offensive linemen in the class, I still think Nelson’s commitment would be welcomed.

Denzil Williams, a three-star offensive linemen from New York, also seemingly had a strong impression of Pitt on his visit. The Panthers look like they will be in a battle with ACC foes Boston College and Syracuse, where he plans to take official visits over the next two weeks. Williams is in a similar position with Nelson, as in Pitt would likely take his commitment and are willing to wait out how these next two visits work out for him.

The last official visitor from last week was Madrid Tucker, a three-star wide receiver/slot back from Florida. The only official visit Tucker had planned this month was to Pitt, and he left town without committing. I’m not sure if he had the opportunity to do so, as guys like Ja’Kyrian Turner and DaMarion Fowlkes may have beaten him to the spot. It’s not uncommon for this to happen, as official visits are certainly an opportunity to show off the school just as much as getting a closer look at the prospects physically, which could ultimately dictate decisions.

What does this class still need?

Pitt has 11 commitments to date as things sit this morning, so let’s take an inventory of where things look from a position point of view. If we were to assume Pitt is going to take around 22-24 prospects, then this class is about halfway done, meaning there is still plenty of work to do.

Quarterback: 1 commit

I think Pitt tossed around the idea of taking two quarterbacks this class, but there does not seem to be many candidates or traction on that notion at the moment. Pitt is probably set here with Heintschel.

Running Back: 1 commit

Kinsler is the lone commitment here, but I do think they may look to add another running back in this class. Pitt has two backs out of eligibility after this season, and only signed one in the class of 2024, so I would look for another addition here at some point, although there aren’t any backs visiting this current weekend.

Wide Receiver: 3 commits

Pitt is certainly ahead of the game with commitments from Fowlkes, Turner, and Yates. There is a world where you could consider Turner a small running back and not a receiver, so I think that leaves room to add another receiver or two in this class.

Tight End: 1 commit

Pitt may hold with one tight end in this class and look to add to the position through the transfer portal, a common occurrence for this program. The Panthers have failed to land a high school tight end in quite a few classes through the years, so it’s a positive step to get one in the fold early with Hunt's commitment.

Offensive Line: 1 commit

Shep Turk is holding the fort down for now, but Pitt had two O-Line visitors last week, one happening right now, and at least three set for next weekend. They will likely 2-3 more in the class of 2025. Pitt signed five last year, so I don’t expect them to get all the way to that number this year, but still have room for some additions here.

Defensive Line: 2 commits

Pitt has one defensive end and one defensive tackle at this point. Trevor Sommers is not talked about enough, but he’s a really good fir for this defense and a highly productive player starring for a powerhouse program like St. Thomas Aquinas. Julien Anderson committed last week. He’s on the lighter side, but posted an impressive film as an edge rusher. Pitt did sign five defensive linemen in the class of 2024 and also landed five out of the transfer portal, so this year’s signing class might not get quite as high.

Linebacker: 1 commit

Justin Thompson is a good start here. Plus, Pitt has added six linebackers in the past two classes, so this one might not require three. I still expect Pitt to pursue at least one more, but I can’t rule out a third-straight three-linebacker class either.

Defensive Back: 1 commit

I think this is going to be an area of emphasis moving forward. Pitt has one commitment here, and a good one at that, in three-star Elijah Dotson from Michigan. The Panthers have three defensive backs on campus this weekend, and several slated to visit on the 20th. There could be some turnover at this position as well for the current roster, so I think we’ll see an influx of defensive backs among Pitt’s next set of commitments.

ONE PREDICTION

Only two commitments this weekend

Heading into last week, there were a few obvious candidates that seemed close to committing to Pitt. Guys like Hunt, Fowlkes, and Thompson all had really positive things to say about Pitt in the spring. They also only had one official visit planned, so it did not come off as a surprise when they committed before leaving town.

I would say there aren’t as many obvious prospects you can point to this weekend, and couple that with the smaller number of visitors, so I’m really expecting a quieter Saturday morning in terms of commitments.

I think the number this weekend is probably two, which would take them to 13 commitments heading into the final big weekend of June, and that is about where Pitt would typically hope to be at this stage of the month. As I mentioned, I do think the coaches like the group of visitors this weekend a good bit, so any commitment here is a player they highly value.