On the trail: Pitt men’s basketball recruiting update

It’s hard to believe at first, but head coach Jeff Capel is quietly having one of the better offseasons in college basketball, especially regarding the recruiting trail. While fans may have to wait another season or two to see this program’s full potential, things look bright in Oakland.

Leading up to the 2025-26 campaign, Capel and his staff have nabbed three four-star high school prospects in forwards — Anthony Felsi out of Utah and Chase Foster from Florida. They are paired with guard Jermal Jones, a teammate of Foster at IMG Academy in Bradenton. 

Currently, all three are top-100 recruits, and Foster is a top-40 recruit according to ESPN. According to Rivals, all three are among the 10 highest-rated recruits in Pitt basketball history, with Foster checking in at No. 4 all-time.

These decisions often puzzle those outside — and even inside — the program as to how the Panthers can nab these prized picks over legacy programs like Villanova and surging Arkansas, which is headed by John Calipari. Some of my closest friends are also perplexed as to how a rebuilding Pitt team can pull something like this. For that, you can thank Bub Carrington.

Like Carrington, Foster is also from Baltimore and played with Carrington in travel ball. Carrington’s turnaround from a relatively quiet four-star into a first-round draft pick is a huge recruiting boon for Capel’s program, and it seems to have attracted Foster and the rest of his soon-to-be teammates.

Capel seems to build his pitch around a developmental system, where mildly touted recruits can gain experience and develop themselves into highly sought-after NBA prospects. With former Panther Justin Champagnie still putting in solid minutes in Washington, it seems like Capel’s reach in the DMV should only grow going forward.

Foster led Edmondson-Westside High School to two Maryland Class 1A state titles and a Baltimore City Championship before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. He also competes for Team Melo in the Nike EYBL U16 Circuit, averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Since then, he has paired with Jones at IMG — a school famous for producing elite college and NBA talent such as Jonathan Isaac, Zach Edey and former Pitt forwards Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham.

Jones and Felsi fit in with the more athletic wings in recent years — such as Bub Carrington and Zach Austin — and seem to meld with Capel’s preferred system of athletes who can attack the basket or make plays from the perimeter. Jones is particularly adept from behind the three-point shot and on defense. Meanwhile, Foster fits more in line with Capel’s preferred stretch bigs like Cam Corhen, Papa Kante or the Diaz Graham twins. While his shooting skills still need some work, he has the athleticism and size to compete with bigs in the ACC.

As it currently stands, these three recruits are the magnum opus of Capel’s coaching career, both in terms of his ability to get top players and his preference in style of play and roster construction. While Pitt’s “Next Three” still need time to develop their games, they have the potential to meld well with the Panthers’ current young core and return the team to the top of the ACC.

Obviously, the Panthers have a whole season and offseason before these three arrive, so keeping them interested and keeping the current roster together is paramount for the program’s success. But if all the chips fall into place, there could be bright days ahead in Oakland.