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Central Catholic's Bradley Gompers, left, and Xxavier Thomas were two of only eight players from the WPIAL class of 2025 who signed with power conference colleges. Gompers signed with Duke and Thomas with Penn State.
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Football recruiting: WPIAL, City League had only 18 FBS signings

Justin Guido/for the Post-Gazette

Football recruiting: WPIAL, City League had only 18 FBS signings

Only 8 players signed with power conference colleges, and 5 of them chose Penn State

The number of major-college football recruits in the WPIAL and City League has gone down considerably over the past decade or so, and the class of 2025 is another example.

The early signing day for NCAA football was Wednesday, and 18 players from the district (WPIAL or City League) signed with FBS colleges. Another player or two from the WPIAL or City League could sign with a college in the February signing period, but it’s likely that the number could stay at 18.

That would mean the WPIAL-City League class of 2025 produced the third-lowest number of FBS recruits ever. The only years with fewer than 18 were 13 in 2022 and 15 in 2020. Last year, the WPIAL had 23 FBS recruits and 20 in 2023.

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Just for comparison's sake, consider that the WPIAL and City League had 25 or more FBS recruits 12 times from 2000 to 2014, including 34 in 2004, 30 in 2005, 32 in 2006, 46 in 2007 and 38 in 2008. The class of 2014 had 33 FBS recruits.

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Go back to the years of 1986-91, and the WPIAL-City League had 40 or more power conference recruits in five of those six years.

The WPIAL-City League class of 2025 has eight recruits going to power conference schools, and five of them signed with Penn State. They are Aliquippa running back Tikey Hayes, Central Catholic defensive back Xxavier Thomas, Latrobe linebacker Alex Tatsch, Imani Christian linebacker Dayshaun Burnett and North Catholic tight end-defensive end Brady O’Hara.

Pitt signed one recruit from the WPIAL — Thomas Jefferson offensive lineman Shep Turk. This is the fourth time in seven classes that Pitt has signed only one district recruit.

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The only other two power conference recruits from the WPIAL class of 2025 are Central Catholic linebacker Bradley Gompers (Duke) and Peters Township linebacker Mickey Vaccarello (Stanford).

This is the fifth time in seven classes that the district has produced fewer than 10 power conference recruits. The first time ever was 2019. For comparison's sake, the district had 30 power conference recruits in 1986, 31 in 1987, and 31 in 1989.

Mickey VaccarelloPeters Township's Mickey Vaccarello signed with Stanford and is one of only eight WPIAL seniors who signed with power conference colleges. (Justin Guido/For the Post-Gazette)

FBS recruits

Here are the 18 players from the WPIAL-City League who signed with FBS colleges:

AIR FORCE – Henry Barbisch, Bishop Canevin (TE-DE, 6-5, 242).

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AKRON – Jaiden Brown-Demery, West Mifflin (OL, 6-4, 315); Vann Kavals, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (DE, 6-6, 240).

BUFFALO – Chris Climes, Elizabeth Forward (DL, 6-2, 285); George Hill, Woodland Hills (LB, 6-2, 225); Xair Stevenson, University Prep (WR-DB, 6-2, 175);

DUKE – Bradley Gompers, Central Catholic (LB-WR, 6-5, 215).

JAMES MADISON – Parker Cunningham, South Park (OL, 6-4, 270).

MARSHALL – John Wetzel, Latrobe (DB, 6-0, 195).

NAVY – Matt McMahon, Canon-McMillan (OL-DL, 6-2, 270).

PENN STATE –Dayshaun Burnett, Imani Christian (LB, 6-3, 215); Tikey Hayes, Aliquippa (RB, 6-0, 200); Brady O’Hara, North Catholic (TE-DE, 6-6, 250); Alex Tatsch, Latrobe (LB, 6-3, 215); Xxavier Thomas, Central Catholic (DB, 5-10, 160).

PITT – Shep Turk, Thomas Jefferson (OL, 6-5, 270).

STANFORD – Mickey Vaccarello, Peters Township (LB, 6-3, 210).

TOLEDO – Jayden Price, Seneca Valley (DB, 6-3, 190).


Fabulous 22 destinations

The Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 all-star team included 15 seniors this year. Here are college destinations for those players (positions are projected for college).

Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley (RB): Youngstown State

Dayshaun Burnett, Imani Christian (LB): Penn State

Brock Cornell, West Allegheny (DB): Pennsylvania

Parker Cunningham, South Park (OL): James Madison

Bradley Gompers, Central Catholic (LB): Duke

Tikey Hayes, Aliquippa (RB): Penn State

Naytel Mitchell, Penn Hills (LB): Undecided

JaVaughn Moore, Bethel Park (RB): Undecided

Lloyd Penn, Westinghouse (WR-DB): Undecided

Xxavier Thomas, Central Catholic (DB): Penn State

Nate Stohl, Upper St. Clair (DL): Princeton

Shep Turk, Thomas Jefferson (OL): Pitt

Mickey Vaccarello, Peters Township (LB): Stanford

John Wetzel, Latrobe (DB): Marshall

Brayden White, Thomas Jefferson (WR-DB): Undecided

First Published: December 5, 2024, 3:36 p.m.
Updated: December 6, 2024, 2:49 a.m.

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Central Catholic's Bradley Gompers, left, and Xxavier Thomas were two of only eight players from the WPIAL class of 2025 who signed with power conference colleges. Gompers signed with Duke and Thomas with Penn State.  (Justin Guido/for the Post-Gazette)
Justin Guido/for the Post-Gazette
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