Kwantel Raines has Pitt in top 7

Pitt is off to a solid start in recruiting, but as always there is work to do up until signing day in February. After an action-packed month full of commitments in June, things have died down a bit in the recruiting news department here in July, until today. Aliquippa (PA.) four-star safety, Kwantel Raines, included Pitt in his top seven this afternoon via Twitter, along with Penn State, West Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Maryland.

If you follow recruiting for Pitt football, this should come as no surprise. Kwantel Raines is one of the top football prospects in the state of Pennsylvania, and one the Pitt coaching staff has long coveted. Raines is a 6’3” 200 pound safety from prominent Pitt pipeline, Aliquippa High School.

To revisit Pitt’s connection with the storied high school program in Beaver County, the likes of Mike Ditka, Darrelle Revis, Sean Gilbert, Jonathan Baldwin, and current Panther Kaezon Pugh are started off at Aliquippa before starring at Pitt. Pat Narduzzi and his staff hope to make Raines the next ‘Quip to follow in their footsteps.

Kwantel Raines is rated as a four-star prospect by all four recruiting websites. Scout lists him as the 129th best prospect nationally, while 247sports calls him the 6th best prospect in the Keystone State. Here is a better look at his ability on the football field.

To some, Pitt is considered the favorite in his recruitment. The 247sports “Crystal Ball Preditions”, have 50% of the predictions going in Pitt’s favor. Not an overwhelming majority, but the highest of any school. Raines seemingly has a strong relationship with head coach, Pat Narduzzi. He sent out this tweet just days ago, which is obviously ambiguous to the fans, but means something between the two of them.

There is little doubt Raines is at the top of Pitt’s priority list. This is a recruitment Pitt fans will be watching closely, and it’s one Raines hopes to wrap up sometime in October. Pitt has been able to land some top defensive backs from the WPIAL in recent seasons starting with Jordan Whitehead, and onto Damar Hamlin and Paris Ford. Adding Raines to the mix would be a big boost for Pitt’s defense in the future.