Pitt Football: 3 Recruits the Panthers Must Get

For Paul Chryst to take the Panthers to the next level he will need to recruit well, especially with the Panthers moving to the more competitive ACC in the near future. That means that there are a few players out there that are really important for Chryst to land in his first full recruiting class with the team.

This article takes a look at the three players that Chryst needs most to turn the Panthers around. To be considered, a player must not already be committed to a school.

Robert Foster, WR

The single-most important recruit in the Class of 2013 is Robert Foster. Foster, a receiver from Monaca's Central Valley High School, is such an electric playmaker at multiple positions that he was ranked as a top five national recruits by both Rivals and ESPN's recruiting services.

Foster was on the radar for a long time, but he really blew up last year, It was actually a nationally televised game against Rushel Shell's school that brought Foster to national attention. Foster had an absolute monster game as a receiver, running back, return man and defensive back.

At 6'2", 180 lbs with 4.4 speed, Foster is just explosive. His ability could make him a threat down the field in the passing game as well as in the return game. With a few talented quarterbacks like Chad Voytik, Tom Savage and Tra'Von Chapman in the fold, Foster could become a real star. In fact, he has a chance to potentially contend for the Heisman.

To get him Pitt will need to beat out all of the national powerhouse programs like Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and also local Penn State.

Tyler Boyd, WR/S

Another key player for Pitt is Tyler Boyd, the star of a Clairton team that has won 47 consecutive games including three state titles. Boyd, who is 6'1", 175 lbs, had been a talented prospect for a while, but when he had a monster game in the Pennsylvania State Title Game in December his stock really went up.

Boyd is another "jack of all trades" type of player in high school, just like Robert Foster. Like Foster he may play receiver in college, but there is also a good chance he gets moved to safety. Pitt just needs to get him in the fold and then decide where to put him later.

Getting Boyd won't be easy with schools like Penn State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin after him (via Rivals.com). The one thing that may really help Pitt out is that the Panthers took Boyd's high school teammate, Titus Howard, already.

Dorian Miller, OL

One of the areas that needs improvement on the current Pitt roster is the offensive line. Since Paul Chryst has a history of churning out talented linemen, it isn't a big worry that the line will be solid soon. However, to get the line there the staff needs to bring in more talent to work with.

That makes New Jersey lineman Dorian Miller one of the most important recruits for the Panthers. Miller, from Metuchen High School, is 6'3", 285 lbs right now and is projected to play on the interior in college, at guard. Miller is the type of 4-star prospect the Panthers really need.

To get Miller the Panthers will need to beat out in-state Rutgers as well as Tennessee and Virginia among others (via Rivals.com).