Wannstedt harvests summer recruiting crop

With the football season about to begin, Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt really won’t have time… With the football season about to begin, Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt really won’t have time to focus on recruiting.

What’s good for the Panthers is that he did so during the summer.

During a four-month span, Wannstedt accumulated 11 verbal commitments from some of the finest high school players in the state of Pennsylvania and some from far away lands as well.

The cornerstone of this year’s recruiting class is quarterback Pat Bostick from Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, Pa. Bostick was the number-one priority for the Pitt staff and has a great knowledge for the game and potential to be a future Heisman Trophy candidate.

Bostick, who chose Pitt over the likes of Georgia, Tennessee and Louisville, is ranked as the third-best quarterback in the nation by Scout.com and as the best overall player in Pennsylvania by virtually every recruiting service.

However, Bostick wasn’t Pitt’s first priority. Offensive lineman Chris Jacobson from Keystone Oaks High School in Keystone Oaks, Pa., was. Jacobson is another highly ranked player who could be an anchor for Pitt in the near future.

So, as Pitt saw with freshmen Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham last year, when top players commit, the dominos tend to fall.

The dominos in this case came in the form of burly offensive linemen, as well as some versatile athletes on both offense and defense.

Dom DeCicco, 6-2, 205 pounds, committed to the Panthers to play at wide receiver, however the Thomas Jefferson High School standout could project to play nearly any skill position once he gets here.

A bigger athlete the Panthers nabbed a commitment from is Jacobson’s Keystone Oaks teammate Myles Caragein. Caragein is a quick defensive end prospect with the size and athleticism to move inside to defensive tackle.

Henry Hynoski is another tough player who committed to Pitt. The Catawissa, Pa., native has helped Southern Columbia High School win the single-A state title three years in a row. Hynoski is a fullback and will strike an astonishing resemblance to former Panther Lousaka Polite.

Further, the Panthers are continuing to work in strengthening the offensive line. Aside from Jacobson, Pitt has picked up three other offensive linemen – Dan Matha (Erie, Pa., 6-6, 310), Greg Gaskins (York, Pa., 6-4, 280) and John Fieger (Upper Perkiomen, Pa., 6-5, 280). Matha is undoubtedly the most talented, but both Gaskins and Fieger have a huge upside.

Pitt has also gone into Florida once again, picking up two commitments from the Sunshine State. Anthony “Buddy” Jackson is a super cornerback prospect with blazing speed, running a 4.31 second 40-yard dash. Tight end Nick Krupa is the other prospect. Krupa is a two-sport standout, playing football and baseball, with a huge frame and lots of athletic ability.