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Travious Lathan, a coveted linebacker and wide receiver out of Gulliver Prep in Pinecrest, Florida, just outside of Miami, trimmed his list of potential landing spots down to eight on Friday afternoon, and Pitt made the cut.
I promise it’s only up from here .Top 8
— treyjetski ² (@treylathan5) January 15, 2021
Thank you to all the coaches and programs that got to know my family and I. I will now be focusing on these schools. pic.twitter.com/bjX7SG9RKL
Joining Pitt in Lathan’s top eight were Arizona State, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee. Lathan’s list was derived from an offer sheet with 19 programs represented, including 15 from the Power Five.
Three of the recruit’s most notable cuts were in-state programs Florida State, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. He also axed top-15 programs Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina in addition to Pitt’s ACC rivals Louisville, Syracuse and Virginia and recent underachievers Michigan State, Nebraska and West Virginia.
Lathan holds four-star ratings from ESPN and 247Sports, both of which have evaluated him as a defensive prospect. Meanwhile, Rivals, which has focused on his promise as a wide receiver, considers him a three-star recruit. ESPN ranks him 22nd at his position and 277th in the 2022 class, while 247Sports ranks him 18th at outside linebacker and 207th overall.
Pitt offered the 6’2”, 188-pound recruit on April 21, 2020, after a sophomore season in which he accrued 43 tackles, including four tackles for losses, and an interception as a linebacker and 317 receiving yards and three touchdowns as a receiver on a 10-1 Gulliver team. In 2020, Lathan followed that up with 20 tackles on defense and 239 receiving yards and two scores on offense as Gulliver went 5-1.
Prior to the release of Lathan’s top eight, 247Sports believed Florida State to be his front-runner, but the prospect has spoken highly of Florida consistently, giving the impression that the in-state program may be his true favorite. With that said, Lathan plays two positions where Pitt has been lacking in recent years, and the program has recruited well in Florida. And with no decision date set, there’s room for optimism with plenty of time likely left before Lathan commits.