Inside The Panthers

Pitt Continues Recruiting Early for Emerging QBs

The Panthers extended some offers and learned when they'll hear a final decision from a blue-chip prospect.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt Continues Recruiting Early for Emerging QBs
Pitt Continues Recruiting Early for Emerging QBs /
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PITTSBURGH -- With spring football in the rearview and fall camp far beyond the horizon, Pitt Panthers coaches have hit the recruiting trail. This week, they sent some early offers and learned when they can expect to hear from a coveted 2023 prospect. 

The Panthers are clearly trying to get in early on quarterbacks during this cycle, with two signal-callers from the class of 2025.

Davi Belfort picked up an offer from Pitt via assistant quarterbacks coach Jonathan DiBasio. Belfort is just finishing up his freshman year at Dillard High School in West Palm Beach, Florida and hasn't been rated by 247Sports yet, but already holds offers from 21 schools, including Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville, Miami, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, Tennessee and Texas A&M. 

DiBasio also offered Michael Tollefson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore out of San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano, California. Tollefson also holds offers from Arizona, Michigan State, Nevada, San Jose State and Florida State. 

Austin Simmons, another young quarterback rising up recruiting boards, picked up a Pitt offer on Monday too. Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge gave Simmons the offer. Simmons hails from Pahokee, a small town about an hour's drive west of West Plam Beach. Florida State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Purdue, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt have already offered Simmons.

Rodney Gallagher, a four-star athlete from Laurel Highlands High School in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. said that he'll announce his college decision on July 4. Gallagher told Pittsburgh Sports Now that he wanted to get his commitment out of the way early so that he can dedicate his focus to the coming season.

For a while, Gallagher entertained the idea of playing both football and basketball in college but is now focused solely on football. Scouts anticipate that he'll play slot receiver at the next level. As 247Sports' second-best player in Pennsylvania and no. 97 overall prospect in the class of 2022, Gallagher has attracted interest from all over the country. Gallagher released a list of his top eight schools on April 24 that included Pitt, alongside Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Oregon, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

Five-star 2024 wideout Ryan Wingo received an offer from tight end's coach Tim Salem and Pitton Monday too. Pitt is relatively late to the party and will have to contend with the other strong offers on Wingo's still-growing list that includes Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others.

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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