Latest Pitt recruit, Dion Lewis, plays at a New Jersey prep school, but is from Albany, NY. He went to the NJY prep school to get more notice for a possible football scholarship. Good plan. The local paper there reports on his commit to Pitt.

“I just felt comfortable with the coaches and facilities there,” said Lewis, who played at Albany High before transferring to Albany Academy in 2006.

Other schools interested in Lewis included Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Tulane, Miami of Ohio and Temple.

Lewis, who visited the Pittsburgh campus last week, said it did not take him long to make his decision.

Cory King, the other Pitt recruit to date won a local lineman challenge.

King — a 6-foot-5, 310-pound soon-to-be-senior at Lakeview — locked out 24 reps on the 200-pound bar, winning the event by six presses. It was one of two events won by King and four that he placed in.

King went on to win the individual title at the Lineman Challenge, which went down Saturday at Cochranton High School.

“I did pretty well here last year,” said King, who has recently made a verbal commitment to play football at Pitt. “I think I got third in the bench and a second in a couple other ones.

“I couldn’t wait (to come back this year).”

King also won the Iron Cross competition, holding two 20-pound dumbbells in outstretched arms for 87.81 seconds, more than 11 seconds longer than the second-place finisher.

King was also second in the Keg Load event, and third in the Heavy Stone Throw. He had 3,300 points total.

Now, I am a bit disappointed that a future Pitt offensive lineman couldn’t win the keg load. You need to be prepared for college.

Another player Pitt is pursuing, Abdul Smith, a 3-star safety, has Maryland as the leader right now. Mainly because geographically it is roughly in-between where his parents each live and the prospect of early playing time. Still, Pitt is up there.

Smith says he plans to start narrowing his final list soon. “I’d like to narrow it down to a final six or seven this summer and then make some more cuts early in the fall. I plan to take all five of my visits and really get a good look at all the schools.”

Besides Maryland, the only other two schools he’s already visited are Pittsburgh and Penn State. “I’m going back to visit Pittsburgh this weekend (June 14),” he said. “I like the talent they have and they are only going to be getting better. Coach Dave Wannstedt is a great coach and Pittsburgh is a great sports town.”

Colorado, Auburn, Virginia and BC are among other schools that have offered him a scholarship.