Pitt Recruit Remains True Despite Big Ten Visit

The top Pitt Panthers football recruit in the Class of 2025 remains true following a visit to Michigan.

The Pitt Panthers are hosting Class of 2025 commitment in four-star defensive back Elijah Dotson on an official visit / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers saw their top football recruit in the Class of 2025 make a visit to another school, which may send caution to those worried he may chose to decommit.

Elijah Dotson, who plays for Belleville High School, a suburb of Detroit, made an official visit to Michigan this weekend and attended their game vs. No. 4 Texas in Ann Arbor. He chose to commit to Pitt over hometown schools in Michigan and Michigan State, plus rival Penn State back in May.

Allen Trieu of 247Sports spoke to Dotson after he visit and he remains with the Panthers going forward.

"I'm fully committed," Dotson said to Trieu on staying with Pitt.

Dotson made two visits to Pitt, which features the Spring Game in 2023 and a spring practice back in March.

247Sports and ESPN have him as a four-star. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 7 recruit in Michigan and No. 45 at the safety position, while ESPN rated him the No. 20 athlete, No. 5 in his state and No. 30 in the midwest region.

On3 and Rivals rank him as a three-star. Rivals has him at No. 10 in Michigan and No. 98 at wide receiver, while On3 has him No. 8 in the state and the No. 15 athlete, both for the Class of 2025, respectively.

With Collins recruiting Dotson, he will play at defensive back for the Panthers, most likely at safety. With starters in senior Donovan McMillon and Phillip O'Brien Jr. graduating, expect Dotson to get a chance to start as a true freshman in 2025.

Dotson is an incredible athlete, starring at both wide receiver and as a defensive back. He made 43 catches, while also accruing 1,653 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns on offense, as well as making 66 tackles, three interceptions and breaking up 11 passes on defense as a junior in 2022.

The Panthers have 23 commitments in the Class of 2025, along with Dotson, as the program hopes to see their future players succeed in their senior season. 

Five of the commitments made their decision following the first weekend of official visits June 6-8, including tight end Max Hunt from Tampa, Fla. athlete Ja'Kyrian "Boosie" Turner from Wildwood, Fla., linebacker Justin Thompson and wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes from Olney, Md. and defensive end Julian "Juju" Anderson from Blairstown, N.J. 

Five more recruits committed after they made their official visit the second weekend, June 13-15. This includes three-stars in defensive backs Joshua Guerrier from Ocoee, Fla., Cole Woodson from Haymarket, Va. and Shawn Lee Jr. from Harrisburg, PA, plus offensive tackles Akram Elnagmi from the NFL Academy in Loughbrough, United Kingdom and Jordan Fields from Houston. 

The last weekend of official visits, June 20-22, brought in six commitments, including athletes Synkwan Smith from Roswell, Ga. Emmanuel Taylor from Virginia Beach, Va., offensive lineman Torian Chester from Albany, Ga., wide receiver Kha'leal Sterling from Miami, four-star defensive back Mason Alexander from Fishers, Ind. and linebacker Denim Cook from Columbus, Ohio. 

The rest of the Class of 2025 includes long snapper Henry Searcy from Tallahassee, Fla., offensive lineman Shep Turk from nearby Jefferson Hills, Pa. quarterback Mason Heintschel from Clay, Ohio, wide receiver Tony Kinsler from Port Arthur, Fla., athlete Bryce Yates from Matoaca, Va. and defensive lineman Trevor Sommers from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

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

• Former Pitt WR Jordan Addison Suffers Ankle Injury
• Pitt Kicker Plays Hero in Home State
• Pitt Makes Biggest Comeback in 50 Years
• Eli Holstein Quickly Becoming Pitt Hero
• Pitt Men's Soccer Defeats SMU in ACC Opener

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt