Brock DeCicco has long been thought to be Pitt’s recruit to lose. The Tight End is the brother of Pitt safety Dom DeCicco. Pitt has been recruiting him for some time. He has been a regular visitor to the Pitt facilities and practices. He decided during Pitt’s bye weekend to make it known.

“Pitt is moving forward and I want to be a part of it all,” said DeCicco, who is 6 feet 5, 225 pounds. “It is as simple as that.”

It apparently caught Coach Wannstedt by surprise.

“When I told Coach Wannstedt,” DeCicco said, “he said, ‘You caught me off guard. I didn’t see that coming at all.'”

Really? You’ve been recruiting his family for three years, essentially. Pitt is coming off a major win. The major competition was Wisconsin, who has now lost 3 straight including being absolutely blown out at home. And he didn’t see it coming?

The only thing less believable than that will be if Brock says something to the effect of, “The coaches indicated I’ll have an excellent shot at playing as a freshman.” With Dickerson and Byham both being seniors next year, DeCicco is the closest thing to a lock to redshirt among the recruits.

DeCicco is a 3- to 4-star recruit. The redshirt year will probably be a necessity according to the ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. evaluation.

Should develop into a strong blocker with additional bulk. DeCicco needs to hit a college weight program, but he’s a good player who should become a well-rounded college tight end.

Being able to block, of course, is the first thing Wannstedt and Cavanaugh look for.