Elliot Donald’s recruitment turned out to be just as high profile as everybody thought it would but the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic star defensive lineman didn’t buy into the hype. The shadow of “Uncle Aaron” loomed large over his recruitment but that didn’t keep teams from all over the country from pursuing him. Donald is, of course, the nephew of NFL All-Pro Aaron Donald but he made it known early in his recruitment that it wasn’t a guarantee that he’d follow in his uncle’s footsteps to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
As it turns out, that’s exactly what Donald is doing. With his announcement today, Pat Narduzzi and his staff will once again have a member of the Donald family suiting up for the Panthers.
WHAT THE PANTHERS ARE GETTING:
Donald is a high motor player with a great technical foundation. He already plays much stronger than he looks and knows how to use his leverage to his advantage. The best part of Donald’s game is his burst at the snap and overall explosiveness. He does a great job getting into the backfield and makes it very hard for offensive linemen to get a clean block on him. Even though Donald isn’t a huge defensive lineman right now, he generates a great push by firing off the ball and getting into the chest of the offensive lineman. Donald has been spending his time during the pandemic adding lots of strength and trying to add more mass but the Pittsburgh strength and conditioning staff will have a lot to work with once they get their hands on him.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR PITTSBURGH:
Landing a commitment from Donald was a “can’t miss” for Pat Narduzzi and his staff. Panther fans couldn’t bear to think about the possibility of Donald suiting up for any other team and the coaching staff worked hard to make sure they reeled him in. With Donald now in the fold, the Panthers will sign at least two of the top ten players in the state and it will mark the second year in a row the Panthers get a commitment from the top player in the city. The defensive line is Pittsburgh’s strongest position group and they’ve secured the future of their defensive front with Donald’s commitment.
