There is a lot of buzz that Dorin Dickerson will announce verbal commitment to either Pitt or Michigan tomorrow. The scuttlebut is that he is going to say “Pitt.” This is also what appears to be the feeling of Michigan partisans.

Dickerson goes to West Allegheny High. He’s considered one of the best players in the country. Rivals.com has him at #82 in their Rivals100. They also consider him one of the top “athletes” in the country. Dickerson, apparently had one of the best hits caught on tape this past spring.

I try not to get too caught up in recruiting stuff, especially this early. What can I say, I’m still very gun-shy from the summer of 2003 giddiness to the crushing reality of February 2004.

I know, different coach, different circumstances. Yada-yada-yada.

So why am I bringing this up, if I have all these hang-ups? Optimism and excitement.

If Pitt lands Dickerson, this is a big score for Coach Wannstedt and Pitt. It lets all the schools — Michigan, WVU, OSU and PSU — that recruit in Pitt’s backyard know that Pitt is not only serious about protecting the turf, but that things just got a bit more competitive.

There is also the domino effect. In recruiting, it always seems that once you start pulling in a top player or two, more seem to follow. In that respect, Pitt probably needs some early success to build buzz and momentum. Get the coaching staff’s foot in the door with more recruits for this year, and meet the high school coaches at other places for the future.

Of course, this is all contingent on Dickerson actually picking Pitt. Finishing 2nd in this instance does Pitt no good. Maybe some of the fans try to take the “moral” victory of being the final choice rather than Penn State or another school, but it means little beyond that.

Guess we’ll learn tomorrow.