Pitt head football coach Dave Wannstedt really didn’t prove much on the field last season…. Pitt head football coach Dave Wannstedt really didn’t prove much on the field last season.

However, he did earn tons of respect off it.

The second-year head coach didn’t let Pitt’s disappointing 5-6 season take away from the progress he made on the recruiting trail, hauling in the nation’s 11th-ranked class as rated by Scout.com.

Wannstedt was able to pull in talent such as U.S. Army All-Americans wide receiver Dorin Dickerson from nearby West Allegheny High School and tight end Nate Byham from Franklin High School in Polk, Pa.

Because of the lack of success the Panthers had last season, many thought recruiting would slow down this year. Although it’s still early, Wannstedt has been on the same quick pace, bringing in top-flight recruits in just a few months.

The first verbal commitment that Wannstedt and the Panthers received was from offensive lineman Chris Jacobson out of nearby Keystone Oaks High School. Jacobson is ranked as high as the top lineman in Pennsylvania by some recruiting services and is among the Rivals250, which names the top 250 players in the country according to Rivals.com.

Jacobson’s biggest attraction is his tenacity on the field. Known as a mean player, the 290 pounder embodies the grit and hard work ethic of Western Pennsylvania football which Wannstedt is trying to restore at Pitt.

The second and more anticipated verbal commitment the Panthers received was from Manheim Township quarterback Pat Bostick. Scout.com and Rivals.com ranked the All-Pennsylvania signal caller as the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as one of the nation’s top five quarterbacks.

The third and most recent commitment to the Panthers came from Thomas Jefferson’s Dom Decicco. Decicco is a versatile athlete who has the speed to play a slot receiver position, but the size and athleticism to turn into an outside linebacker or strong safety later on.

Pitt also had one other verbal commitment from Perry Tradition Academy defensive back Jared Williams. Pitt was the only school to offer Williams a scholarship, but the defensive back reneged on his commitment just a short while after he made it, saying he wanted to keep his options open. Pitt has since removed Williams’ scholarship offer.