Pat Signal: Will Gipson commits to Pitt

Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt coaching staff acquired the services of an immensely talented local recruit, as Aliquippa wide receiver Will Gipson, who was recently included in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Fab 22, announced his commitment to the program on Thursday night in a message posted on Twitter.

”Firstly, I would like to thank God and all the coaches for giving me the opportunity to play college football,” Gipson said. “Secondly, I would like to thank Evolve, WOLF, D. Moye and L.T. for improving my game and making me the player I am today. But after a lot of thinking with myself and my family, I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at the University of Pittsburgh.”

It was a quick turnaround for Narduzzi and his staff, as Pitt offered Gipson just three days before he committed. Prior to that, Gipson had committed to Ball State on June 23 but opted to back off his commitment on Nov. 19.

Rivals and 247Sports consider Gipson a three-star recruit, but ESPN has yet to assign him a rating. The receiver held a total of six offers during his recruitment, but the only other Power Five team to pursue him was Rutgers.

Despite the lack of attention from college football’s powerhouses, Gipson has been prolific at Aliquippa this season. It was his first time playing primarily as a receiver, and in 15 games, he amassed 1,494 yards and 18 touchdowns on 53 receptions.

”You don’t have to be around Will a long time to see that he’s special. If you see him run and he see him jump and see him catch, you can see that he’s got some ability,” Aliquippa receivers coach Derek Moye told Jeremy Tepper of the Beaver County Times.

”So anytime you get an athlete like Will who really pays attention and really works hard at trying to run routes, it can be dangerous.”

Gipson is the first recruit Pitt has brought in from the WPIAL in its 2019 class. He’s also just the fourth from Pennsylvania in a 19-man class with a significant amount of Florida talent.