Pitt makes final 14 of elite safety Rahmir Stewart

Rahmir Stewart, the No. 1 safety in the 2023 class, eliminated more than half the programs from his offer sheet on Friday and released his final 14, including Pitt as one of his finalists. Pitt is the only ACC program in the running for the prospect out of Philadelphia but it has several heavyweights to contend with.

Joining Pitt on Stewart’s list of top schools are Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Iowa State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC and West Virginia. The 14-team list was derived from an offer sheet with 31 programs represented, and the cuts included Arkansas, Baylor, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Texas, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

The 6’0”, 195-pound defensive back holds a four-star rating from 247Sports but has not been rated by Rivals. In addition to being the No. 1 safety in the country, Stewart is also the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania in the 2023 class. However, that does not necessarily bode well for Pitt, as the No. 1 recruit in the Keystone State has left the state for college in four of the last five years. And the closest Pitt has coming to landing a recruit of his caliber under Pat Narduzzi was signing Paris Ford in 2016.

With that said, Pitt should have a solid pitch for Stewart, as the team has regularly fielded elite defenses over the last couple of years and is now sending players of his ilk to the NFL. In fact, two Pitt safeties are expected to go in the upcoming draft, as Paris Ford is one of the top prospects and Damar Hamlin put on an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl.

Stewart last took the field at Imhotep Charter Institute High School in 2019 and helped the Panthers to an 8-5 record. And in that season, he accrued 31 tackles, including one for a loss, and three picks. He also earned a reputation for his physicality, aggressiveness and ball skills and is seen as a recruit who could contribute early at the college level.

As for next steps, Stewart discussed his future plans with Brian Dohn of 247Sports.

“I’m looking for a place that can develop me on the field and help me get a great education,” Stewart told Dohn in an interview on Friday. “So right now we having a spring season. Once the season is over, I plan on getting out to see a few schools with my teammate, Enai White.”

Based on Stewart’s plans to take visits in the coming months and the fact that he is a member of the 2023 class, a decision is likely in the distant future. However, given that 14 schools remain in the running, additional cuts should be coming in the next few months, but it is unknown when those cuts might occur.