Inside The Panthers

Three 2026 Ohio Recruits Visit Pitt

The Pitt Panthers hosted a trio of underclassmen teammates.

Stephen Thompson

Three 2026 Ohio Recruits Visit Pitt
Three 2026 Ohio Recruits Visit Pitt /
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PITTSBURGH -- With their 2024 recruiting class all but filled out - save for some final announcements that have yet to be made - the Pitt Panthers have begun to turn an eye further down the line toward classes of underclassmen. 

This week, the Panthers hosted a trio of 2026 recruits - Payton Cook, Anthony McMullen and Elbert Hill, all teammates at Archbishop Hoban High School in Ohio - for visits on campus and at the practice facility in the South Side. 

Cook does not yet hold ratings from the major recruiting services but he does hold a strong list of early offers - Michigan, Pitt, Louisville, Miami and Kentucky. The 6'2 and 175-pound sophomore has taken visits to see the Cardinals, Wildcats and Ohio State recently. 

Hill is also unrated, but arguably the most sought-after of the bunch. The 5'10 and 161-pound defensive back and wide receiver took some snaps on varsity as a freshman last season and will soon see his recruitment really start to take off. Temple, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Central Michigan, San Jose State, UNLV, Akron and Miami all offered this year but Pitt was his first back in March. 

McMullen, a 5'9 and 195-pound running back, took his visit to Pitt after attending camp in Pittsburgh last weekend. He has yet to receive an offer and has also camped at Ohio State and Michigan. 

Hoban is the high school of former Pitt running back Todd Sibley, a four-star recruit who the Panthers pried away from Ohio State and some other high-powered programs early in Pat Narduzzi's tenure. 

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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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