Recruiting Rumor Mill: Latest buzz coming out of Pittsburgh
National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman spent Friday in Pittsburgh visiting some of the area's top prospects. Here is the latest recruiting buzz coming out of the Steel City and some information on up-and-coming Power Five prospects.
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The first stop on Friday was Aliquippa High School to check in with four-star Pittsburgh linebacker commit Cameron Lindsey and 2025 four-star Penn State running back commit Tiqwai Hayes. Both prospects are solidly committed to each program and aren't entertaining any overtures from other programs.
Lindsey is close with the other Pittsburgh commits and likes the opportunity at the local program. Hayes emphasized his relationships with Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and defensive backs coach Terry Smith, his area recruiter, as the main reasons for his commitment. The Nittany Lions' change at offensive coordinator won't impact his decision.
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The next two stops of the day were less than three miles from each other: Westinghouse High School and Imani Christian Academy. The headliners at each school are all underclassmen but the highest-ranked one at this point is 2025 four-star linebacker Dayshaun Burnett. He is visiting Wisconsin this weekend and is in close contact with coaches at Rutgers, Penn State and Pittsburgh.
In the 2026 class, Kyshawn Robinson at Westinghouse has been picking up a lot of offers lately. Maryland, Florida State and Colorado are just some of the most recent programs to add their names to his offer list. Robinson wants to visit Ohio State and Michigan State soon. Penn State and Pittsburgh have already made an impression on him. Robinson's teammate, 2026 defensive end Josiah Collins, is starting to generate interest as well.
Gabe Jenkins is a name to remember in the 2027 class. The outside linebacker at Imani Christian Academy is a versatile defender who already holds offers from Pittsburgh, Penn State and Akron has an impressive physical makeup at this early stage and he'll only continue to grow.
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Khalil Taylor, a 2027 defensive back out of Seton Lasalle, is another freshman making waves in the Pittsburgh area. Penn State, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Akron and UNLV have already offered him and many more are poised to join the race in the next few months.
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Central Catholic is one of the most talented teams in all of Pennsylvania. The Vikings play in the WPIAL 6A Championship on Saturday and we'll post more on their impressive roster of Power Five prospects in the coming days. However, a stop at the school on Friday yielded some enlightening comments from Michigan linebacker commit Cole Sullivan.
Sullivan, a stock up candidate in the upcoming rankings refresh, has been committed to Michigan since mid-May and his primary recruiter and position coach was Chris Partridge, who was fired on Friday in connection with the Connor Stalions sign-stealing investigation being conducted by the NCAA.
Sullivan's immediate reaction to the news of Partridge's firing was "complete shock." Partridge and Sullivan grew very close throughout the recruiting process and he "was one of the biggest reasons" for Sullivan's commitment to Michigan.
At the time of the interview, Sullivan had yet to discuss these new developments with his parents, coaches and the Michigan coaching staff. He was also trying to put his recruitment on the back-burner to focus on Saturday's championship game. Sullivan did mention his top five from prior to his commitment had started to recruit him once again since the Stalions story came to light. Along with Michigan, Sullivan's top five included Notre Dame, Stanford, Duke and Wisconsin.
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One of the fastest-rising prospects in the East region this last month has been Greater Latrobe's Alex Tatsch. The 2025 four-star linebacker recently added offers from USC and Stanford to his growing list of suitors and he's hoping to visit them all this spring. He wants to take a trip through the Carolinas to visit each of those prospects along with Wisconsin. A recent visit to Penn State has generated rumors of a potential early commitment but Tatsch was quick to shut that down, saying he is looking at the "late spring or early summer" for a potential commitment. Keep an eye on Tatsch's teammate John Wetzel, a 2025 safety who is starting to generate interest from teams like West Virginia, Virginia Tech and a few others.
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Penn State running back commit Quinton Martin led his Belle Vernon squad to a win over East Allegheny in the WPIAL 3A semifinals on Friday night. He ran for 152 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown and hauled in a 15 yard touchdown catch as well. Martin had 111 of his 152 rushing yards in the first quarter and more than 70 on the first drive of the game.
Martin's recruitment is drama-free. He is solidly committed to the Nittany Lions and remains in constant communication with the coaches and other commits. The change at offensive coordinator won't change his commitment status and he remains confident in the coaching staff.