Pitt football team receives 18th verbal commitment to 2017 class

The Pitt football team received another new commitment just one day after adding graduate transfer quarterback Max Browne and three-star offensive lineman Jerry Drake Jr. to next year’s team.

Defensive end Deslin Alexandre withdrew his commitment to North Carolina State and verbally committed to join the Panthers next season. Alexandre, who plans to enroll at Pitt in January, announced his intentions Friday night via Twitter.

The Panthers now have 18 prospects in Pat Narduzzi’s second full recruiting class as head coach, but Alexandre gives them their first commitment from a defensive end. He committed to N.C. State in June, but changed his mind after taking an official visit to Pitt last week.

Alexandre, a 6-foot-3, 229-pound defensive end from Deerfield Beach, Florida, is a three-star prospect according to Rivals. He is Pitt’s fourth recruit from Florida in the 2017 class, along with Drake, three-star wide receiver Dontavius Butler and three-star defensive back Albert Tucker.

Although prospects are free to make verbal commitments now, they still have about a month and a half to change their minds. Recruits in the class of 2017 can officially sign National Letters of Intent Feb. 1.