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Recruit Report: Buckeyes are poaching on Pitt's turf
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If the Pitt football program is to land a few of the top players in the WPIAL this season, it looks like its top competition might come from Ohio State.
Ohio State has signed nine players from the WPIAL since 2004, and recent recruiting news shows the Buckeyes again are in the hunt for a few top players in the district.
Central Valley's Robert Foster, ranked among the top receivers in the country, has narrowed his list of colleges to three -- Pitt, Ohio State and Alabama.
Belle Vernon offensive lineman Dorian Johnson had said before the season that Pitt and Ohio State were his top choices, but now he is considering Virginia Tech, too. Johnson committed to Penn State earlier this summer but changed his mind after the school was hit with NCAA sanctions.
Ohio State already has commitments from 17 players and reportedly will be able to take only 20 to 22. Will they have scholarships left for Johnson and Foster if the two wait months to make a decision?
Ohio State also has showed interest in Clairton receiver Tyler Boyd, but the Buckeyes have not offered him a scholarship. Pitt is one of Boyd's top schools. He made an unofficial visit to West Virginia this past weekend with Monessen quarterback Chavas Rawlins, who already has committed to the Mountaineers.
University of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller has put together some of the top recruiting classes in the country the past two years, and next season Miller will have two former Pennsylvania players on his team.
Former Chartiers Valley star T.J. McConnell transferred from Duquesne University this summer.
Earlier this month, Miller, a former Pitt player, landed the top high school senior in Pennsylvania when Chester's Rondae Jefferson made a verbal commitment to the Wildcats. Jefferson is a 6-foot-7 forward who is ranked the No. 14 player in the country by ESPN and No. 16 by Rivals.com.
Jefferson averaged 12.1 points and 9.2 rebounds last season for an undefeated Chester team that won its second consecutive PIAA Class AAAA championship.
Notre Dame's football recruiting class now has two players with famous fathers who made their marks in other sports.
Torii Hunter Jr., the son of the well-known Los Angeles Angels outfielder, made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame this past weekend. He is a receiver from Prosper High School in Texas.
The Fighting Irish also have a commitment from Corey Robinson, a receiver from San Antonio who is the son of former NBA star David Robinson.
First Published September 28, 2012 12:00 am
