The Best of the WPIAL: 10-6

The Best of the WPIAL is a feature series running through the most highly-rated players from the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League – or high school football in the greater Pittsburgh area for the uninitiated – in the Rivals.com era. Rivals began releasing lists of the nation’s 100 best prospects in 2002 and the Rivals250 followed that in 2006. This list contains only the top 40 players by high school ranking, not college or NFL production.

Western Pennsylvania has always been a cradle to some of football’s most outsized talents and personalities and many of them come within recent memory. You can read the introduction to the series here, and see numbers 40 through 36, 35 through 31, and 30 through 26, 25 through 21, 20 through 16, and 15 through 11. Below continues the countdown as we head into the top 10.

Miles Sanders was one of the most heavily-contested recruiting battles in not just the WPIAL, but the country, for the class of 2016. Much like fellow Pittsburgh-area standout Damar Hamlin, Sanders was a contentious recruiting battle between local rivals Pitt and Penn State, with national attention coming in from schools like Alabama, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Sanders, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound all-purpose back from the highly productive Woodland Hills (Pa.) program, committed to Penn State nearly two full years before his National Signing Day. However, the departure of Penn State offensive coordinator John Donovan made Sanders reconsider things for a while and he fielded an in-home visit from Pitt as well as Penn State. The Nittany Lions ultimately hung on to Sanders’ commitment and it was a big victory for James Franklin and company. Sanders earned effusive praise from Rivals.com Midwest regional analyst Josh Helmholdt: “Sanders provides one of the most complete games from the running back position I have covered in the last several classes. He has the size and strength to run between the tackles and the speed and elusiveness to hit the home run off the edge. Sanders plies his craft with a mastery beyond his years.”

Lucas Nix came out of high school in the recruiting class of 2008 with a world full of potential. Offensive tackle is a premium position, and Nix looked like the next big thing in the trenches when he emerged out of Jefferson Hills (Pa.) Thomas Jefferson at 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds. Nix’s recruitment came before the easily accessible social media era, but he still earned national offers despite that. Pitt, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois, and Wisconsin all recruited the big-time player, but Nix elected to stay at home and play for Pitt for his college years. Nix had a strong career at Pitt, starting 25 games for the Panthers over the course of his sophomore and junior seasons, both at right guard and right tackle. However, a knee injury robbed him of his senior season and another year to start at right tackle. Nix made at as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders and started 10 games at left and right guard for the Raiders in the 2013 season. Nix signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears prior to the 2015 season, but was cut when the rosters narrow in September. He has not yet signed with another NFL team and has unfortunately continued to struggle with knee injuries.

Dorian Bell’s high school performances at Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway are still remembered within the community and the Pittsburgh area as a site to behold. A heat-seeking missile at 6-feet and 226 pounds, Dorian Bell quickly became a highly sought-after prospect in the 2009 recruiting class as a linebacker. In addition to the usual suspects like Pittsburgh, Penn State, and West Virginia, Bell was offered by Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Boston College before he graduated. Bell committed to Ohio State in the spring before his senior year, immediately following a visit to the Buckeyes’ spring game. Bell’s career at Ohio State never got off the ground in the way some expected it might. He redshirted in his first year on campus and saw action as a backup linebacker as a redshirt freshman, but transferred out of Columbus prior to the next year. Bell would have been eligible if he continued at Ohio State and instead opted for Duquesne. Bell became an FCS All-American with Duquesne and earned a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but never made an NFL career materialize. He has since returned to Gateway to coach the Gators’ linebackers alongside other former teammates.

Dorian Bell was not the only five-star prospect at Gateway High School in the class of 2009, as the standout linebacker ranked second in the state to his teammate. Defensive back Corey Brown was also a highly-regarded recruit with national offers pouring in for the athletic, lean prospect. Brown, whose blend of bounce and ranginess at 6-feet and 180 pounds attracted college teams from all over, picked up offers from Boston College, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia before committing to Ohio State to continue his career alongside Bell. Brown didn’t retain the name Corey for very long at Ohio State and quickly became known as “Pitt” Brown, in direct contrast with classmate Corey “Philly” Brown. “Pitt” Brown stayed at Ohio State for all five years of eligibility, playing in 47 games and even starting in nine as a redshirt senior before being supplanted by five-star freshman Vonn Bell. Brown also received a try-out for the Pittsburgh Steelers as he came out of college, but did not make the team. Brown recorded 79 tackles at Ohio State and while his production was limited, his one career interception was big moment for the Pennsylvania native as it came against Penn State. Brown picked off his former home-state team in the end zone, showing off some of the ball skills and athleticism he was known for in high school.

Dorian Johnson came out on top of the pile among the ten offensive linemen hailing from the WPIAL who have earned Rivals250 distinction since 2002. Johnson was a highly-prized offensive tackle from Belle Vernon (Pa.) in the 2013 recruiting, drawing rave reviews for his athleticism and 6-foot-6, 280-pound frame. "He has long arms and is very strong, allowing him to make good initial contact and knock faster pass rushers off balance,” said Rivals.com southeast analyst Woody Wommack at the conclusion of his senior year. “His physicality will serve him very well at the college level, where he'll likely be relied on to be a bookend tackle." Johnson gave Pitt a big boost when he selected the local school over offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and virtually everybody else in the country. He quickly lived up to his five-star billing when he became the first true freshman to start on Pitt’s offensive line since 2006, getting the nod at left tackle against Georgia Tech. Johnson hasn’t come off the field since, starting 27 consecutive games for Pitt (out of 29 total) at the left guard position. Johnson was a second-team All-ACC performer in the 2015 season, was nominated by Panther-Lair.com subscribers as a top five player on the roster for 2016, and received preseason All-ACC distinction from media members. Johnson will be a critical cog on the offensive line in 2016 for Pitt and looks to have a bright future in the National Football League ahead of him. If and when Johnson does get drafted into the pro ranks, he’ll join players like Mike McGlynn, Jeff Otah, Jason Pinkston, and T.J. Clemmings as Pitt offensive linemen in the NFL.