Ranking the Contenders: Elliot Donald
Elliot Donald is the nephew of NFL All-Pro and former Pittsburgh Panther defensive lineman Aaron Donald, so the hometown team is one of the top contenders here. The Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic defensive lineman also has a lot of connections to Penn State, and West Virginia has entered the picture in a much bigger way in the past few months.
Donald has frequently made the short trips to Pitt and Penn State, but hasn't taken too many visits outside the state during the recruiting process. There is no set decision date at this point, but it is safe to assume Donald will take his official visits before ending his recruitment.
Here's how we rank the contenders for his commitment.
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1. PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh has a major leg up with Donald because of his relationship with his uncle, but also because his high school is essentially on the campus at the University of Pittsburgh. Donald has a number of friends that are considering Pitt and a few former teammates that play for the Panthers right now. Donald has grown close with the coaching staff and there is no doubting the comfort level he has with Pat Narduzzi's squad.
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2. PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions would love to add Donald to their defensive line and they usually have success signing prospects from Pittsburgh, but prying Donald away from the Panthers could prove to be difficult. James Franklin and his staff have hosted Donald a few times and he’s enjoyed his time at Penn State, but there is still work to be done. Keep an eye out to see if and when Donald returns to Penn State for a visit this fall.
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3. WEST VIRGINIA
Neal Brown and his coaching staff are doing a really good job building relationships in the Pittsburgh area and Donald has taken notice. Donald would have a great opportunity to play early at West Virginia and the coaches know that is something that intrigues him. Expect him to make it on campus for a visit at some point after the recruiting dead period. LSU is another school Donald has said he wants to visit, so that is a possibility down the road.