The Pitt football program has won four consecutive games, is ranked No. 23 in the latest Associated Press poll and looks to have rebounded from a season-opening loss against Bowling Green -- all that came into play for Thomas Jefferson High School tight end Brock DeCicco, who made a verbal commitment to the Panthers yesterday.

"Pitt is moving forward and I want to be a part of it all," said DeCicco, who is 6 feet 5, 225 pounds. "It is as simple as that."

DeCicco chose Pitt after narrowing his list of college suitors to the Panthers, Iowa and Wisconsin. He will play at Pitt with his brother, Dom, a sophomore safety.

"Dom was excited when I told him [about committing]," Brock said.

"He never pressured me throughout the recruiting process, but when I told him I decided on Pitt, he was definitely happy about it."