For now, it's just talk. But if the rumors are true then Pitt might be getting a double dose of good news.
If Pitt coaches can convince Allderdice's sensational Jackson twins, James and Timothy, to attend prep school for a year and then enroll, it would be a recruiting coup for the Panthers.
Whether it was on the football field or basketball court, they proved to be two of the best athletes not only in the City League but Western Pennsylvania, if not the state.
Central Catholic defensive lineman Rashad Wheeler, a Pitt football recruit who grew up with the Jacksons in Wilkinsburg, tweeted as much Sunday: “Pitt just got two of the best athletes in PA #H2P.”
As usual, the Jacksons aren't talking. But they might have tipped their hands this past weekend by changing their Twitter profile pictures. Tim's has a script “Pitt,” James' says “is it.”
Their recruitment has been something of a mystery. James committed to Toledo football last summer but never signed with the Rockets. The twins told me last month they were planning to play both sports at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college but never signed.
After leading 'Dice to the PIAA basketball final for the first time, James was named the Trib's player of the year and first-team all-state while Tim was a third-team pick.
Yet they might be better prospects in football. James was a 1,000-yard passer as a sophomore and junior; Tim had more than 2,000 receiving yards. Both can play defensive back.
In recruiting, it's imperative that you don't allow athletes like the Jacksons to escape your backyard — even if you have to wait a year for their arrival.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
