Star’s hoops success lifts football prospects

Panthers packing plenty of punch
Although recruiting successes from other programs like Texas, Florida and Alabama have dominated the headlines, Pittsburgh’s run the past two weeks is also something worth mentioning.

The Panthers have landed 10 commitments since June 25, a run that was capped off Monday with a commitment from Pittsburgh Woodland Hills defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith.

The biggest commitment during the string of pledges came from North Olmsted (Ohio) four-star guard Matt Rotheram. Rotheram, who is 6-6 and 310 pounds, had numerous offers. He could have chosen schools like LSU, South Carolina, Wisconsin or Boston College, but in the end he felt Pitt was the right fit.

“I think Pitt’s a great fit because they run the football a lot, unlike some teams, and that’s important for me because I want to be as successful as possible, and Pitt is a good place to do that,” he said. “I really thought Pitt was the best place for me.”

Crunch time in Lakewood
Monday, it was Lakewood (Calif.) defensive lineman Justin Utupo’s time to shine as he announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Now, all the attention at Lakewood turns to blue-chip quarterback Jesse Scroggins and four-star safety Dion Bailey.

Lakewood coach Thadd MacNeal said Monday it’s “getting (to be) crunch time for both Jesse and Dion.” Scroggins said he will announce his decision near the end of the month at the EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterback Camp, and Bailey could also announce in that same time frame.

Where Scroggins ends up is anybody’s guess.

He’s narrowed his focus on three schools: USC, Florida and Tennessee. Scroggins knows the attention from three of the nation’s top programs is only going to build the anticipation, but he said he’s not going to be rushed into a quick decision.

“The rumors are like critics,” Scroggins said. “They are never going to go away and everyone is going to continue to speculate. My goal is to take the next couple of weeks and work towards deciding what is the best school for me.”

Bailey’s attention has narrowed to three schools also, two of which are in common with Scroggins. Bailey said he’s looking mostly at USC, Tennessee and Notre Dame. He, too, would like to commit around the same time as Scroggins, but Bailey also wants to see Notre Dame and Tennessee before making a final decision.

Never too early
More and more young players are earning scholarship offers. Two weeks ago, news surfaced that Tennessee had received a commitment from Evan Berry, the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry, even though he is just 13 years old. That was followed this week by BYU offering a scholarship to Greer (S.C.) 2012 linebacker Adam Ah Ching.

Ah Ching, who is just 15, earned his offer after impressing at the All-Poly Camp in Bountiful, Utah. Word is that other schools like USF, UCLA and possibly South Carolina might not be too far off from offering either. Ah Ching was named his team’s freshman impact player of year in 2008 and also qualified for state wrestling as a freshman after never participating in the sport before.

What impressed coaches the most at the All-Poly Camp was Ah Ching’s athletic ability. He’s 6-0 and 205 pounds, and he has been clocked at 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has a 300-pound bench-press max and a 500-pound squat max.

“It’s a big honor to be recognized this early,” Ah Ching said. “It’s something I’m going to use as a motivator. I don’t want to get a big head and let it be my focus. My focus is still on being the best player I can. I’m real aggressive, and I love to hit. I’m a true middle linebacker.”

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