If this commit puts in half the collegiate career Aaron Donald did, Pitt would be ecstatic. To say the least.
A senior at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Elliot Donald is a four-star 2021 prospect. Late this past week, the defensive lineman opted to stay close to home as Donald announced on Twitter that he has committed to the Pitt Panthers.
And, yes, Donald is related to Aaron Donald. Specifically, the former Pitt All-American is the recruit’s uncle.
In Due Time 🙏🏾 | DIRECTED BY @prospectmedia_ 🎥 pic.twitter.com/9xOPMVNACM
— Elliot Donald (@ElliotDonald3) July 24, 2020
The younger Donald is rated as the No. 9 defensive tackle in the country. He’s also the No. 6 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania regardless of position. Of the 17 that currently make up Pitt’s class, Donald is the highest-rated 2021 commit for the Panthers thus far.
Donald opted for Pitt from a Top Eight that included LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
As for Donald’s uncle? I think people tend to forget just how dominating Donald was at the collegiate level. In his last three seasons, Donald was credited with 63 tackles for loss (63!!!). A two-time unanimous All-American, Donald won Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski Awards in the same season. Last year, he was a unanimous selection on CFT‘s All-Decade team.
At the NFL level, Donald has been just as dominant. In six seasons with the Los Angeles (nee St. Louis) Rams, Donald has been named first-team All-Pro the past five years. In 2017 and 2018, he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.