Inside The Panthers

Local Three-Star S Cruce Brookins Commits, Signs with Pitt

One final commitment for the Pitt Panthers came in at the 11th hour.

Stephen Thompson

Local Three-Star S Cruce Brookins Commits, Signs with Pitt
Local Three-Star S Cruce Brookins Commits, Signs with Pitt /
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PITTSBURGH -- The final verbal commitment given to Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers in this recruiting cycle came as late as possible, with 2023 three-star safety Cruce Brookins announcing on Instagram that he will join the Pitt Panthers next season. 

Brookins, a 6'1, 180-pound defensive back, is from Homestead, Pennsylvania - about a 20-minute drive from Pitt's campus in Oakland - and attends Steel Valley High School. He chose the Panthers over Syracuse and Cincinnatti, the other two-thirds of the top three he announced after visiting Pitt last weekend. 

Pitt jumped on Brookins quickly after he decommitted from Kent State in early December. One day later, he had an offer from the Panthers and 10 days after that, he was on campus for an official visit. Brookins gave a verbal commitment that weekend but didn't make that decision public until Signing Day. 

Brookins was a desperately-needed addition to round out the 2023 class after three-star defensive back Brice Pollock abandoned a verbal pledge to the Panthers and joined Mississippi State's program. Brookins is rated the No. 10 player in Pennsylvania by 247Sports. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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