Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Hosts 2025 Five-Star DE

Pitt Panthers football hosted a 2025 five-star defensive end.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Football Hosts Class of 2025 Five-Star defensive end Javion Hilson
Pitt Football Hosts Class of 2025 Five-Star defensive end Javion Hilson / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are still working to build their Class of 2025, as they recently hosted one of the top recruits in the nation this past weekend.

Pitt brought in five-star defensive end Javion Hilson from Cocoa High School in Cocoa, Fla., for an official visit last weekend, where he got to see them face off against then ranked No. 20 Clemson, ending in a 24-20 defeat.

The Panthers offered Hilson back in January 2023, with former defensive line coach Charlie Partidge, who mainly operated in Florida, the main one recruiting him. He also went on an unofficial visit at the same time.

There is a Pitt connection for Hilson, as his position coach at Cocoa, James Folston Jr., was a defensive lineman for Pitt from 2014-18.

Hilson originally committed to Alabama on Dec. 16, 2023, but would decommit on Jan. 16, flipping to Florida State. He would stay committed for almost eight months, before decommitting from Florida State on Sept. 8.

Pitt is one of the main schools going after Hilson, who will announce his commitment on Dec. 4. He also took visits to Syracuse on Nov. 2, Texas on Oct. 19 and will make a visit to Texas A&M on Nov. 30.

He has also received offers from Michigan and Missouri this past week, as other schools make look to make a late run to secure his services.

Hilson holds a five-star rating from Rivals, who rank him the top defensive end in the country, the second best player out of Florida and the No. 16 recruit in the Class of 2025.

247Sports, On3 and ESPN all rate Hilson as a four-star. 247Sports ranks him the No. 6 edge rusher, No. 10 in the state and No. 69 in the country, On3 has him at No. 8 at his positon, No. 12 in Florida and No. 76 in his class, while ESPN ranks him as the No. 11 defensive end, No. 12 in his state and No. 77 in the nation.

Hilson finished with 59 tackles (36 solo), 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, 39 hurries, one fumble recovery and one pass defended in his senior season.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Hilson would serve as one of, if not the, best recruits to ever commit to Pitt.

Pitt has three four-star commitments in the Class of 2025, including defensive backs in safety Cole Woodson and cornerback Mason Alexander, plus wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes.

They also have two defensive line commitments in this recruiting class in three-stars, Trevor Sommers from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale Fla. and Julian Anderson from Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.

Along with Sommers, Pitt has seven commitments in the Class of 2025 from Florida, including tight end Max Hunt from Plant High School in Tampa, long snapper Henry Searcy from Tallahassee, athlete Ja'Kyrian Turner from South Sumtner High School in Bushnell, wide receiver Tony Kinsler from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, athlete Joshua Guerrier from Ocoee High School in Ocoee and wide receiver Kha'leal Sterling from Miami Central High School in Miami.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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