2016 Pittsburgh Football Recruiting Class Breakdown

2016 Pitt Recruiting Class: It’s Pat Narduzzi’s chance to show what he can really do, and what he can apparently do is copy the Michigan State recruiting playbook by bringing in plenty of above-average defensive options and lots of talented running backs.

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Pitt Football Recruiting Class Overview

It’s a really, really nice class with head coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff getting enough time to show what they can do. This was a good group of midrange talents without any real risks – the Panthers bulked up on D, and found the backs they needed on O.

The Class Is Heavy On …

Running back. The defense got more than its share of big bodies up front and good prospects for the secondary, but this class is about the ground game. Pitt has turned into a place known for cranking out star backs with Dion Lewis, LeSean McCoy, and James Connor putting up massive numbers, and now it’s becoming a place to go. The coaching change last year didn’t slow down the ability to bring in terrific backs with George Hill the best-looking of the class, and Kaezon Pugh and Chawntez Moss not all that far behind.

The Star of the Class Is …

RB George Hill, 6-0, 200 – This was the key prospect the coaching staff got to make a good class potentially great. Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin all made a big push, but the big, quick athlete looks like the potential next franchise back for the Panthers if he can provide a little more pop.

The Team’s Biggest 2016 Depth Chart Hole Is …

The defensive line. Fortunately, Pitt has a head coach and a staff that know how to get the most out of their defensive options. The Panthers lose three starters up front including Darryl Render and Ejuan Price, but that’s about it. Even with all the great backs coming in, there are plenty of good options already in place, and the young receiving corps is deep enough to overcome the loss of star Tyler Boyd.

2016 Pitt Football Recruiting Class

Keyshon Camp DL 6-4 275 Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson
Phil Campbell DB/RB 6-1 195 Kendall Park, N.J./South Brunswick
Chris Clark- TE 6-6 245 Ridgewood, N.J./Avon Old Farms (Conn.)
Therran Coleman DB 6-0 190 Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear
Maurice Ffrench WR 5-11 185 New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick

Ruben Flowers WR 6-3 190 Lima, Ohio/Lima Senior
Brandon Ford OL 6-5 295 Upper St. Clair, Pa./Upper St. Clair
Bricen Garner DB 6-1 175 Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Zack Gilbert DL 6-1 240 Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg
Damar Hamlin DB 6-1 185 McKees Rocks, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Bryce Hargrove DL 6-4 260 Akron, Ohio/Coventry
George Hill ATH 5-11 200 Youngstown, Ohio/Hubbard
Patrick Jones- DL 6-5 250 Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield
Thomas MacVittie QB 6-5 225 Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller
Aaron Mathews WR 6-4 190 Clairton, Pa./Clairton
Henry Miller DB 6-3 205 Kissimmee, Fla./Gateway
Justin Morgan OL 6-6 365 Bronx, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School
Chawntez Moss – RB 5-11 195 Bedford, Ohio/Bedford
Chase Pine LB 6-2 220 Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette
Kaezon Pugh LB 6-1 210 Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa
Elias Reynolds LB 6-2 225 Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day School
Amir Watts DL 6-3 270 Chicago, Ill./Wendell Phillips Academy
Rashad Weaver DL 6-5 255 Cooper City, Fla./Cooper City
Rashad Wheeler DL 6-3 280 Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Zack Williams OL 6-5 275 Silver Springs, Fla./North Marion