OK, Pitt fans, go ahead and take a sigh of relief. Then go celebrate.
There's a good chance the coaching staff just did the same.
Highly coveted recruit Elliot Donald, a four-star defensive tackle from Central Catholic with bloodlines to one of the Panthers' all-time greats, announced his commitment Friday afternoon to Pitt and head coach Pat Narduzzi via social media.
In Due Time 🙏🏾 | DIRECTED BY @prospectmedia_ 🎥 pic.twitter.com/9xOPMVNACM
— Elliot Donald (@ElliotDonald3) July 24, 2020
It's a massive get for Pitt's recruiting class, which was ranked 35th nationally before Donald's commitment. Following his commitment, Pitt jumped 10 spots to No. 25.
"It was really down to two schools. This was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make," Donald said in his announcement video. "Everybody expects me to follow my family's legacy, but I'm trying to create my own."
While most recruiting experts agreed Pitt was the favorite throughout Donald's recruiting process, several high-level programs were in pursuit, which never makes things easy. But, whether or not Pitt was favored to land Donald, when the likes of LSU, Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas A&M and West Virginia also are calling, there were some uneasy moments leading into the decision.
But, as it turns out, Donald told Pitt coaches about his commitment long before this announcement. We're talking before Thanksgiving.
This was the night when @ElliotDonald3 called karlo to commit. I heard the call and Karlo started running up and down the street screaming at the top of his lungs 😂😂 https://t.co/2Zrh0qCK7h
— Jake Zovko (@Jzovko412) July 24, 2020
Still, this goes down as one of the bigger recruiting wins of the Narduzzi era, right up there with Paris Ford. Donald is the nation's No. 82 recruit and the fifth-best player in Pennsylvania according to Rivals. That instantly makes him the highest-rated player in Pitt's 18-player class for 2021.
Donald also is the third player from the WPIAL to commit to Pitt. West Mifflin defensive end Nahki Johnson, who makes a cameo appearance in Donald's announcement video, was the first commit for 2021 and the only other four-star player among the group. Johnson is ranked No. 183 nationally and seventh in the state by Rivals. Central Valley safety Stephon Hall, a three-star prospect, committed to Pitt in June.
Until Donald's commitment, things had stayed relatively quiet for Pitt. The most recent recruiting news came eight days earlier, and it wasn't good. Trevion Stevenson, a linebacker from Virginia, reopened his recruitment and committed to ACC Coastal Division foe North Carolina two days later.
Pitt went almost a month without landing a commitment. The last came June 30 when Trey Andersen, a tight end from Utah, announced his intentions to play for the Panthers.
Donald is the nephew of Aaron Donald, a defensive tackle for the Rams who won a slew of national awards in 2013 while playing at Pitt. Aaron Donald keeps an offseason home in Pittsburgh and regularly works out in a performance center that bears his name on the Panthers' side of UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after making a seven-figure donation to the program.
"You just want him to keep working. Don't settle," Aaron Donald said in his nephew's announcement video. "I've always told him don't be satisfied."
Elliott Donald has gained nearly 50 pounds since his freshman year at Central Catholic, partly attributable to training in "The Dungeon," the basement of his grandfather's Pittsburgh home where his uncle also worked out in his youth.
Donald could be in line for early playing time as Pitt is likely to lose all four starters -- Rashad Weaver, Jaylen Twyman, Keyshon Camp and Patrick Jones II -- on its defensive line before the 2021 season. He also is friends with Gateway outside linebacker Derrick Davis, another highly regarded Pitt target who listed the Panthers as one of his finalists along with Southern California, Clemson, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State and Georgia.
Pitt is considered a longshot in landing Davis, but the coaching staff also is pursuing three-star defensive lineman Dorien Ford (Baldwin) and three-star tight end Khalil Dinkins (North Allegheny).
PITT'S 2021 COMMITMENTS
(Rankings by Rivals, listed in order of most recent)
• DT Elliot Donald, Pittsburgh, (6-3, 255) 4 stars
• TE Trey Andersen, Lehi, Utah, (6-6, 250), 2 stars
• LB Derrveron Maxwell-Black, St. Petersburg, Fla., (6-0, 210), 3 stars
• DB Khalil Anderson, Atlanta, (5-11, 175), 3 stars
• DB Stephon Hall, Central Valley High School, Monaca, (6-2, 165), 2 stars
• DB Noah Biglow, Seffner, Fla., (6-0 170), 3 stars
• RB Malik Newton, Norfolk, Va., (5-11, 215), 3 stars
• LB Preston Lavant, Cordele, Ga., (6-2, 200), 3 stars
• OL Brandon Honorable, Detroit, (6-6, 270), 3 stars
• OL Terrence Enos, Detroit, (6-5, 314), 3 stars
• OL Marco Fugar, Fort Lauderdale, Fla, (6-3, 275), 2 stars
• QB Nate Yarnell, Austin, Texas, (6-6, 200), 3 stars
• WR Myles Alston, Virginia Beach, Va., (6-2, 175) 3 stars
• WR Jaden Bradley, Hyattsville, Md., (6-4, 190), 3 stars
• OL Terrence Rankl, Massillon, Ohio, (6-5, 275), 3 stars
• DB Javon McIntyre, Philadelphia, (6-1, 181), 3 stars
• RB Rodney Hammond, Norfolk, Va., (5-10, 185), 3 stars
• DE Nahki Johnson, West Mifflin, (6-3, 210) 4 stars
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