Half of the Panthers new signees played high school football in Pennsylvania, and nine of those ten players were first-team all-state selections in 2008. The Panthers were expected to bring in players to add depth to the team – not necessarily an instant impact in 2009 – because the Panthers are no longer a struggling team in need of immediate performers. After signing day this class was not rated as a star-studded class that would be expected to provide an instant impact, but many of the players are viewed as players able to significantly contribute in the future. The players most expected to make an impact in the future are wide receiver Todd Thomas, tight end Brock DeCicco, running back Raymond Graham and linebackers Shane Gordon and Dan Mason. As of February 5, the 2009 recruiting class was ranked as the 47th best class nationally by Rivals.com – much lower than previous Wannstedt recruiting classes – and 28th best by Scout.com. Dave Wannstedt dismissed the criticism of his recruiting class as the low reviews of his class were a result of the low number of scholarships that the Panthers were able to offer due to the low number of graduating Pitt seniors in 2008 as well as a down year for high school seniors in western Pennsylvania.
