At the moment, there are 17 players who have given verbals for the 2014 class. The most recent is obviously Qadree Ollison, a 3* RB from the Buffalo area. However, this class is far from done. We could possibly see a 25 or 26 man class when it’s all said and done. It could be 26 because Rori Blair is likely to enroll in January, which would make him part of the 2013 class technically. With 8 or 9 spots still available, who could belong to the final group?

The current class consists of 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2 OL, 1 WR, 1 TE, 2 DE, 2 DT, 1 LB, 2 DBs, and 2 athletes who could be on either side of the ball. 8 offense, 7 defense, 2 either/or. The targets who remain are mostly the higher quality targets. I hate to use phrases like “make or break,” but in terms of the overall perception of this class, who finishes up the class will have a large impact.

QB is done. They wanted 2, they got 2. Unless Keller Chryst reconsiders (not happening) we probably won’t see any movement at QB. It is possible they’ll look at a JUCO or senior transfer, but I have seen no evidence of that. It looks like next year’s depth chart will be Voytik, Trey, and 2 freshmen. To say I’m nervous is an understatement.

RB is definitely not done. The staff is still highly interested in Shai McKenzie, Chris James, and CJ Leggett. They are still openly pursuing all 3 and I’ve read they would openly take 2 more without batting an eye because the other RB verbal, Dennis Briggs, could switch to defense. There are rumors Robert Martin, a current Rutgers verbal, could be flipped. Whether it’s any of the 4 above, the staff has every intention of bringing in at least 1 more RB. Who their top guy is will forever remain a secret, though. Shai does appear to be the most talented, but I wouldn’t sleep on James.

TE/H-Back is probably done. There are no players with publicized offers that the staff has a chance at obtaining. Given that the 2013 class had 5 of them, there’s not much of a need for more than 1.

WR is still a priority, but not a high one. With Elijah Zeise on board and 3 guys from the 2013 class, the staff doesn’t need to add another, but it would be immensely helpful. At the moment, those 2 options are Jamil Kamara and Juwan Winfree, both of whom are 4 star players. Kamara appears to be a Virginia lean but he’s still very interested in Pitt. I don’t know if Winfree appears to have a favorite at the moment. Both are strongly considering Pitt and would be excellent additions.

OL is pretty much down to one guy: Alex Bookser of Mt. Lebanon. With 5 guys from the 2013 class and 2 from the 2014 class, 7 bodies is plenty. The only reason to add another guy is if he’s a top talent, which Bookser is. He’s only a 3 star guy on Rivals, but he has offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Alabama. Pitt is the favorite at the moment for the local lineman.

DE is definitely a position in need of talent, given how ineffective the pass rush appeared against FSU. The two players that could still end up at Pitt (other than Blair) are Darius Slade and Julien Kafo. Pitt is not at the top for either player and has some ground to make up. Slade will most likely take an official visit while Kafo is considering one.

DT appears to be done at 2 guys. There’s a chance Aliquippa DT Jaleel Fields could end up at Pitt, but his offer is apparently not a committable one.

LB may only have 1 verbal and no noticeable possibilities in the current offers, but I expect the staff to add at least 1 more. Who that guy will be I have no idea and I’m stating this pretty much as opinion, not anything I’ve read. In a dream world they flip Michigan verbal Chase Winovich, but don’t count on it. I just don’t believe they’ll only take 1 LB in this class.

DB is the position we will see the most movement. At CB, Temple verbal and Gateway student Anthony Davis will possibly switch to Pitt. Davis would be a huge addition. He has offers from Texas Tech, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and numerous others. Davis initially ended up at Temple due to his former high school coach’s position there.

At Safety, there are 2 huge WPIAL recruits and an underrated athlete from the eastern part of the state. Montae Nicholson and Dravon Henry are the 2 WPIAL stars and probably the 2 biggest targets of any position. Henry is a Pitt-WVU battle at the moment. Nicholson just visited Michigan State but Pitt is one of his favorites at the moment. PSU is also hot on the trail. Rasaan Stewart is also in the mix and was in town for the FSU game. Stewart has a long offer list and I haven’t seen anyone listed as a favorite yet.

If I were to handpick 9 guys to add to this class, they would be RB Shai McKenzie, WR Jamil Kamara, WR Juwan Winfree, OL Alex Bookser, DE Darius Slade, LB Chase Winovich, CB Anthony Davis, and both Montae Nicholson and Dravon Henry. If I go optimistic, we get 1 of the available RBs, Bookser, Anthony Davis, either Nicholson or Henry, 1 of the 2 WRs, and a LB who doesn’t currently have an offer. Pessimistic? It’s discoverd Paul Chryst is actually a lizard-person hellbent on destroying the world and the whole class goes to WVU and leads them to 5 straight national championships.

Whether or not Chryst is a lizard-person has yet to be determined, but I recommend yinz wear a tinfoil hat just to be safe.