Inside The Panthers

EXCLUSIVE: Pitt Makes First Mark on Texas DB Blake Hamilton

The Pitt Panthers marked the first opportunity for Blake Hamilton.

Kevin Sinclair

IG: b_ham.2
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We can be sure that most former scholarship college football players vividly and fondly remember receiving their first offer as high school prospects. For Blake Hamilton, a budding 2026 receiver/cornerback/return specialist, the Pitt Panthers represent that first opportunity. 

The Panthers extended the scholarship last month (Jan. 16). The Sugar Land (Tx.) Fort Bend Christian Academy star reciprocated that interest when he announced official visit plans earlier this month, set to see Pitt in June. 

As a junior through the fall, Hamilton put together impressive three-phase statistics. He logged 1,136 all-purpose yards including 47 receptions for 687 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, he recorded 375 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 returns. 

From the cornerback position, Hamilton put together 31 total tackles, eight interceptions, and two pass breakups. He’s equipped with big-time speed, boasting a 10.75 in the 100 meters and a sizzling 200-meter time of 21.20.

You can take a look at his highlights from 2024 below. 

Although he went public with his plans on February 8, Hamilton recently explained to On SI that the official visit won’t be his first recruiting trip to Pittsburgh. 

The details are laid out below in our recent Q&A with Hamilton. 

Tell me more about your background.

Hamilton: I grew up in Katy. I live in Katy right now. I've been playing since I was about three or four. Started off with flag football, and then got into tackle at around second grade, and I've been playing tackle football ever since. I always loved the game. 

I grew up around the game. My dad played in the NFL and the CFL for about a...combined 11 years. My little brother, he plays football, too. We're just a really big sports family. My mom also ran track collegiately in Louisiana. So, we're a really big sports family around here.

Is your dad your inspiration football-wise?

Hamilton: Oh, absolutely. I've always wanted to follow his footsteps, especially going the pro route. That's a really big dream and aspiration for me

With your recruitment beginning, what’s it like to finally begin to hear from college coaches and land scholarship offers? 

Hamilton: Yes, it's amazing. It's actually a true dream for me. I've always been wanting to play football as long as I possibly can. Getting the chance to get to play on the next level, it's amazing. 

Just being able to even talk to college coaches is just a true blessing for me because it's like I worked so hard my whole life just for this one moment, and it's actually starting to pay off now. 

Your speed really jumps out on film. In your season highlights, you were a blur across the screen on the opening play, the punt return touchdown, and then you undercut a route for an interception, showing really good speed. 

Do you run track? Has speed always come naturally to you?

Hamilton: Yes, sir, I run track. I'm a really big track runner. I run the 100 and 200. I was always fast, but I also had to really work with it. I worked with my dad and we did a lot of speed training when I was younger and up to this point. 

He helped me a lot with my form, and it's really helped me out a lot. Also, I ran the US-14, fastest 200-meter time this year at indoor a couple weeks ago. And last year, I was the fifth-fastest sophomore in the state in the 200.

Pitt recruited Texas heavily last year, signed several players from your state in the 2025 class. What are your thoughts on Pitt? Tell me about Pitt showing an interest in you as a prospect?

Hamilton: Pitt, I'm so grateful to them. It's just them being my first offer, being the first school to come to me and show interest in me, and believe in me and give me a chance to be able to play on the next level. It just means a whole lot to me. 

I have a whole lot of respect to them and their entire staff, all the coaches. Coach (JJ) Laster, Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, all of them. Just being able to talk to them in real life, it was a true blessing. Just them giving me a chance meant a whole lot to me.

That first big offer, a Power Four offer, is a big deal to recruits. Pitt was that offer in your recruitment. What was it like to land that scholarship offer, and what was it like to be able to turn around and tell your friends and family about it?

Hamilton: It was actually a huge shock because I met Coach (Randy) Bates about a couple days before that happened. I was thinking that it was great meeting, and I was really wondering what was going to come next.

I think it was a couple days later...Coach Laster, we started talking for a little bit, and I was in class, actually. I took my phone and he had texted me that I had received my first offer. 

It was just amazing. I got a whole wave of excitement in class. I went straight to texting my dad and my parents and all them, and it was just an overall great experience. It was a whole sigh of relief because...my dream is starting to come true, me being able to get to play on the next level. And it was just amazing.

You recently announced plans to take an official visit to Pitt in June. Will that be your first time in Pittsburgh and in that area? 

Hamilton: I haven't been to Pitt yet, but I'm planning on going to the spring game in April, and then two months after that, I'll be on June 11 to the 13th.

That’ll be my first time being anywhere in that area.

What are some things you’re hoping to see or do when you get up to Pitt?

Hamilton: I'm really excited to meet the players, and I'm excited to see the facilities, talk to the coaches and see the city, too. I'm also really interested in the city. 

I've heard a lot of good things about the city of Pittsburgh and how beautiful it is at night, and I'm really ready to just see the whole Pittsburgh atmosphere. You know, I feel that's going to be a really great experience for me, getting able to explore a little bit, just meet new people, learn some new things, and just see what Pitt has to offer for me.

You can play cornerback and likely throughout the defensive backfield. You’re certainly equipped to be a returner at the next level. And you’re a very skilled receiver. Has the Pitt staff discussed which role they see you playing? 

Hamilton: I think they've made it more straightforward that I'm going to be focused on receiver, the offensive side, and return man because that's what (coaches) I talked to the most. But I've also talked to Coach Bates a little bit about the defensive side a little bit.

I think I'll be more focused, oriented on the offensive side and being a return specialist. But I'm really willing to play whatever they tell me whether it's offense or defense. I'm willing to do it.

I see you got an offer from Georgetown. You must be a good student as well, huh? 

Hamilton: Yes, sir. I do my best in the classroom. 

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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