One week before early signing day, Pitt lost one of its top targets in recruiting Wednesday when running back Henry Parrish said he is no longer committed to the Panthers.
Parrish, rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, rushed for 2,319 yards and 31 touchdowns this season for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. He was awarded the first Nat Moore Trophy on Tuesday, given to the top high school football player in Miami-Dade, Broward or Monroe counties.
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Rivals.com ranks Parrish as the No. 11 running back in the nation — No. 3 in Florida — and the 28th overall prospect in the state.
Parrish (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) has 22 scholarship offers, most from Power 5 schools, including Penn State, West Virginia, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Wake Forest, South Carolina and Utah.
He verbally committed to Pitt on June 19, but several schools kept in contact with him. He announced his decision to de-commit late Wednesday night on Twitter. He said Pitt remains an option for him, but he didn’t say if he will sign when the early period opens next Wednesday or wait until February.
Pitt has 15 verbal commitments in its class of 2020, including running back Israel Abanikanda of Brooklyn, N.Y. Abanikanda is a rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, but 247 Sports recently upgraded him to a four-star and ranks him as one of the top 15 backs in the U.S. and the No. 1 senior in the state of New York.
Two four-star prospects remain in Pitt’s class: Jahvante Royal, a defensive back from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Westinghouse defensive end Dayon Hayes, the only local player.
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