Pitt Football Recruiting: Pitt Closing In On Top 25 Class With Rushel Shell?

With the news last week that Rushel Shell committed to Pitt, where does the Panthers' 2012 recruiting class stand? Well, it's safe to say things are looking up in the rankings.

Pitt previously rated outside the top 25 on both of the major recruiting sites, Scout and Rivals. But with the Shell addition, Scout jumped Pitt's class all the way up to No. 18 as of last night. Rivals, on the other hand, has Pitt at No. 31 - still a major leap from where they were.

It's way too early to say where things will end up. There are still several big recruits out there that could sway things and force Pitt farther down. But the good news is that Pitt still has its eye on some that could bump the school up even higher.

All of Pitt's commitments at this point are obviously only verbals, but if things hold together, then Todd Graham could be looking at a top 25 class in his first season ... and that would be a major accomplishment.