Pitt received a verbal commitment from one of the top defensive linemen in the country Monday night when Marquise Wright told the Pitt coaches he wanted to become a Panther.

Wright, a 6-foot-3, 270 pound defensive tackle from Paramus Catholic in New Jersey, had several other offers, most notably from from Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Maryland and Penn State. His final decision came down to Pitt, Maryland and Penn State.

According to Rivals.com, Wright is the No. 61 overall prospect for the 2011 recruiting class and the No. 4-rated tackle in the nation.

Check out Ray Fittipaldo's Pitt B-Ball blog and Paul Zeise's Pitt Stop videos about football exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.