Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt Football Commit Lands at Western Carolina

A former Pitt Panthers football commit landed at Western Carolina.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi observes warm ups before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi observes warm ups before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have a former football commit in the Class of 2025, who found his new school for next season.

Kha'leal Sterling, a wide receiver out of Miami Central High School in Miami, who decomitted from Pitt on Dec. 9, announced that he will play for FCS program Western Carolina next season.

He was not part of the Pitt Class of 2025 recruits who signed their National Letter of Intent on Early Signing Day on Dec. 4. This decommitment marked that he wouldn't sign at a later time and instead, looked elsewhere for opportunities.

Sterling received his offer from Pitt on Christmas Eve last December, with former wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood and offensive coordinator Kade Bell leading the way on the recruitment. 

He placed Pitt in his top three schools back in March, alongside rival West Virginia and Arizona State. He cut the list down from other schools like Arkansas, Bowling Green, FIU, FAU, Indiana, Liberty, Oregon, SMU, Temple, Tulane, UAB.

Sterling would commit to Pitt on June 22, after going on his official visit the previous weekend.

247Sports ranks him as the No. 204 wide receiver and No. 191 recruit in Florida in the Class of 2025, respectively, while On3 rates him at No. 251 at his position and No. 164 in his state in his Class, respectively. Rivals ranks him as a three-star and gave him a 5.6 rating.

Bell's father, Kerwin Bell, is the head coach of Western Carolina and now will have one of son's former commits on his team.

Pitt added a three-star wide receiver on Signing Day in Cameron Sapp, who plays for Miami Palmetto High School in Miami, Fla. Sapp flipped his commitment from Florida Atlantic on Signing Day and will take Sterling's spot.

Sapp is one of three wide receivers who signed with Pitt in the Class of 2025, including Tony Kinsler out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Fla. and Bryce Yates from Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, Va.

Along with Kinsler, he joins other Florida recruits that signed for Pitt in the Class of 2025. This includes running back Jaylin Brown out of Cardinal Newman in West Palm Peach, safety Joshua Guerrier from Ocoee High School in Ocoee, Fla., defensive end Trevor Sommers for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.

Sterling was one of just two recruits who didn't sign with Pitt on Dec. 4, along with Henry Searcy, a long snapper who plays for Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Fla.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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