Pitt football 2017 recruiting class gains two new commits, loses one

Head coach Pat Narduzzi now has seven pledges for his second full recruiting class at Pitt. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographer

Pitt football’s 2017 recruiting class gained two new verbal commitments and lost one this past week.

Three-star running back Todd Sibley and two-star offensive lineman Owen Drexel announced their intentions to join the Panthers in 2017 on June 15. On June 20, three-star cornerback Exree Loe rescinded his verbal commitment to Pitt.

A 5-foot-10, 211-pound running back from Akron, Ohio, Sibley had offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Kentucky and Akron and was previously committed to Ohio State before the Buckeyes asked him to grayshirt and sit out a year.

Instead, Sibley –– the No. 20 running back recruit in the 2017 class according to Rivals.com –– reassessed his options and announced his commitment to Pitt on Twitter.

“I’m far in my recruitment where I wanna know where I stand on your depth chart,” Sibley wrote on Twitter. “What are the academics like, because I do want to graduate. The trophies and the rings are nice, everyone wants to go to a winning program, but for me now it’s what’s real. What are your true intentions with me?”

Drexel, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive lineman from Montclair, New Jersey, chose the Panthers over offers from Rutgers, Air Force, Florida Atlantic and Lafayette.

“After discussing it with my family and coaches, I’ve decided to commit to the University of Pittsburgh,” Drexel wrote on Twitter.

Loe, a 6-foot, 171-pound cornerback from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was Pitt’s first commit for the 2017 class all the way back in August 2015. On Monday, Loe announced his change of plans on Twitter.

“After talking with my family and close friends I have decided to rescind my verbal commitment to Pitt. I think I made a decision too early in my recruiting process, so as of right now I’m opening up my recruiting completely,” Loe wrote.

Sibley and Drexel join four-star safety Paris Ford, three-star safety Kyle Nunn, three-star quarterback Kenny Pickett, three-star linebacker Cameron Bright and three-star wide receiver Darian Street in the 2017 recruiting class.

Pitt now has seven pledges in the 2017 class, but the recruits still have more than seven months to change their minds. 2017 recruits can sign their National Letters of Intent Feb. 1.

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