Commitment breakdown: Henningham chooses Pitt
Aydin Henningham committed to Pitt and decided to share his pledge with the world on Sunday night, adding his name to the list of South Florida players that have decided to head north to play for the Panthers in recent years. Henningham held a number of other major offers, but chose Pat Narduzzi's program for a number of different reasons, which he describes in his own words below.
IN HIS WORDS
ON WHY HE CHOSE PITT:
"I've been looking at Pitt since my sophomore year, knowing it was a great school. What made me look at it is the way they used V'Lique [Carter] on the field and how they moved him around as a weapon."
ON HOW THE PANTHERS PLAN TO USE HIM:
"Coming in as an athlete, coach Narduzzi looks at me as a corner, but he likes me on offense too. Coach [Chris] Beatty said I’ll be make an impact on the team coming up."ON
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PITT COACHES:
"I’m tight with Coach Beatty, Narduzzi and [Charlie] Partridge. We talk almost every day catching up on things. That’s why we’re so tight."
RIVALS' REACTION
Henningham is as physical a two-way athlete as there is in the class. And while he lacks truly elite speed he’s solidly explosive and is certainly fast enough to get the job down on either side of the ball. The four-star prospect's exposure took a hit a year ago when he played at an off-the-beaten path high school, but he’s since transferred to South Florida powerhouse Deerfield Beach High and could he in for a massive senior season now that he surrounded by a number of other college-level players.
Henningham brings a versatile skill set to the table but his strong upper body and get-off are his calling cards. As a defensive back, he’s has the power to jam up smaller wideout and the agility to run with bigger ones. He’ll arrive at Pitt with a college-ready body and could compete for playing time from the jump if he uses his senior year to specialize and become more polished at either receiver or corner.