Until Dorin Dickerson makes it as official as a non-binding verbal commit can be.

Pitt showed how far coach Dave Wannstedt’s recruiting reach extends by beating Michigan to the punch for one of the WPIAL’s most heavily recruited players.

West Allegheny star Dorin Dickerson, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver, will announce today at a 5 p.m. news conference his oral commitment to Pitt.

Dickerson’s decision became obvious when he spent Tuesday taking a boxing class at Pitt with a pair of West Allegheny graduates: Panthers quarterback Tyler Palko and incoming offensive lineman C.J. Davis.

The article picks up on the hope of a domino effect I mentioned yesterday (I’m not taking credit for that hardly original thought, though).

The Panthers are hoping that Dickerson’s commitment has a domino effect on other WPIAL recruits. They also are in hot pursuit of Baldwin defensive linemen Jason Pinkston and Justin Hargrove, Gateway receiver Aaron Smith, Woodland Hills cornerback Darrin Walls and linebacker Greg Webster and Seneca Valley quarterback Kevan Smith, who was offered a scholarship yesterday.

“Dorin has that personality,” Lichtenfels said. “Kids actively recruit each other. It’s going to have the same kind of effect that Justin King and Derrick Williams had for Penn State. Plus, it’s a moral victory for Pittsburgh. Think of how many battles they’ve won with Ohio State and Michigan.

“This is only Wannstedt’s first year recruiting. If that’s the start, it’s going to be something special.”

Heck, the hope is that the domino effect for a top national player should be beyond just Western PA. Pitt has a lot of offers out to kids down in Florida and across Pennsylvania.