Inside The Panthers

Pitt Panthers Commit Targeted by Several Schools

Since committing to the Pitt Panthers, one speedy receiver continues to rake in scholarship offers

Kevin Sinclair

IG: imjt7
In this story:

When Jacob Thomas became the first 2027 commitment for the Pitt Panthers, Akron, Bowling Green, and Georgia Southern were his only additional options.

It made sense the speedy receiver out of Hollywood (Fla.) Charles W. Flanagan High School chose the lone Power Four school in his list, even if he'd yet to visit Pittsburgh and the pledge came particularly early in his recruiting process.

Just under four weeks later, Pitt is far from his lone scholarship opportunity among the Power Four Conferences.

Auburn extended an offer within hours of his pledge announcement on March 1. An offer from Purdue came later that day.

On March 5, Central Florida and Kentucky extended offers, too. Next, it was Boston College became Power Four offer No. 5 on March 19. The Miami Hurricanes followed three days later (March 22) followed by his most recent offer from Marshall on Monday, March 24.

To date, Thomas remains committed to the Panthers, but it'll be interesting to see which additional programs will be added to his expanding list of college options, and whether a coaching staff will be able to become a contender to replace Pitt.

There's a long way to go between now and National Signing Day of 2027.

In the meantime, Thomas expressed significant interest in Pitt where he's built strong bonds with the coaching staff.

“What led me to commit there is I keep in contact almost every day with them," Thomas told On SI on March 1. "We talk about how I can fit in that system, but not only just football, becoming a young man and growing up in life, that they really love me for me and that stands out to me. So, I feel like that’s a place I could call home.”

“Those are some great guys, man," Thomas added that day. "I feel like they love me and I could fit in their system very well. He was telling me how he runs his plays and stuff and how my speed is very rare to find, and they always keep in touch with me." 

“I love that about them and they tell me how, if I come, I'll be challenged week in and week out in practice and stuff like that. So, I just feel like it was a great fit for me.”

Last season, a rising junior with sub-10.7 speed, Thomas recorded 27 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns. He also logged 12 returns for 315 yards and one touchdown.

Less than a week after Thomas kicked off Pitt's 2027 class, he was joined by Tyler Reid, a 2027 all-purpose back, the younger brother of star Panthers running back Desmond Reid.

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

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

Published
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.

Home/Recruiting