Q&A with 2018 Panther Commit Wendell Davis

On June 2nd, Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt football program got a pair of commitments from Virginia linebacker Wendell Davis and Maryland cornerback Judson Tallandier. Those two kicked off a whirlwind month that has seen the Panthers land 5 commits thus far, increasing their 2018 recruiting class to 9 commits in total. Yesterday I talked with the 6 ft 2 in, 215 lb Davis, who is rated as a 3 star recruit by most sites. He talks about his excitement to get to Pittsburgh and that he thinks the program is trending up.

EJ: What made you choose Pitt?

WD: They have a lot of different majors to choose from and playing wise, I fit well into the defensive scheme. And then you see our class too and right now they have a pretty good team and I want to be part of it, you know, win some ACC championships down the line.

EJ: What was the recruiting process like for you?

WD: At first it was kind of slow, you know. Charlotte was my first offer a while back and then I had Old Dominion. After I got Duke then it started picking up. It was pretty fun. I visited around a lot of schools to weigh my options.

EJ: Do you have any plans to take any more visits?

WD: No.

EJ: So it’s Pitt all the way?

WD: Yes, sir.

EJ: Do you play a role in trying to recruit other guys to join you at Pitt?

WD: If I see a guy who is really interested in Pitt I try to tell him why I went there, but I’m not going to try to force it on him or anything.

EJ: Have you gotten in touch with other guys in your recruiting class?

WD: Yeah we are all in a little group chat so we are all talking and building a relationship together so that when we go to college we already have something established. Pitt is doing great things and other guys started seeing that and wanted to be a part of it.

EJ: Are there any players at Pitt who you already knew, or got to know during the recruiting process that helped sell Pitt to you?

WD: I don’t really know any players right now but I’m going to visit again and try to get to know some of the linebackers that I’ll be playing with.

EJ: What’s your relationship with Coach Harley like?

WD: We started talking in February and we developed a relationship. He’s a really good guy. My favorite part about him is he is straight up. He doesn’t tell me one thing then have another thing happen, what he tells me happens and everything is real.

EJ: Your dad played in the NFL. What kind of an impact has he had on you?

WD: Ya he played a season with the chargers. He’s been a really big influence. He’s been through the process when he was in high school. He has given me advice on what I should and shouldn’t do and he helped me advance this far, you know, learning different things and learning different drills. He’s been a real big part of my success.

EJ: What are your goals for your senior season in high school?

WD: I want to win the state championship and make first team all region.

EJ: What are your goals for when you get to Pittsburgh?

WD: Make an impact on the team. Whatever role they give me, do it to the best of my ability and fit in as best as I can and help them win somehow.