The University of Pittsburgh football program continues to build quality depth on both side of the line. Head coach Paul Chryst and staff didn’t have to venture far to fill their quota of defensive tackles. A talented duo from the Buckeye State, Pickerington (OH) central defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (6-foot-3 inches, 288 pounds) and Kettering (OH) Archbishop Alter defensive tackle Kraig Howe (6-foot-3 inches, 265 pounds) recently committed to Pitt.
To gain better perspective on DaVon Hamilton, DreamBackfield.com spoke with Pickerington Central Head Football Coach Jay Sharrett.
“The University of Pittsburgh added one heck of a football player in DaVon,” emphatically stated Coach Sharrett. “It’s 5PM right now and I had to chase him out of the weight room. DaVon is the first one in the weight room in the morning and the last one out. That’s the type of young man he is.”
“We just ran agility drills. Usually the linemen run them then I left them rest while the skill players run their drills. DaVon finished up with the linemen then rushed over to run drills with the skill players. He was named team captain for a reason and he’s taking it very seriously. That’s the type of work ethic he brings to the table.”
Hamilton originally committed to the Ohio University Bobcats. He decided to flip once he received an offer from the Panthers. He has been a two-year starter on both sides of the ball. At a well-muscled 288 pounds, he possesses impressive strength. He’s capable of bench pressing 380 pounds and squatting nearly 600 pounds.
“DaVon primarily played right tackle for us at the beginning of the season last year. He eventually played both ways mid-season and on,” he said. “It’s simply too hot in the beginning of the season to ask him to go both ways. You have to worry about dehydration. DaVon was outstanding on both sides of the line. He could play either one for Pitt. The coaching staff there likes him more on the defensive side.”
“DaVon probably gave us 80 plays a game as a junior. I would say he play one hundred percent of the time on offense and forty percent of the time on defense. I can guarantee you he will give us at least 100 plays a game this season. You don’t see too many big time college players.”
When asked to discuss DaVon’s off the field attributes, Coach Sharrett was quick to respond, “DaVon is the total package. He has great grades, he has a great home life and he’s a bright, respectful young man. DaVon takes great pride in his work ethic. He was chosen captain of our football team for a reason. There’s no risk of failure with this young man. Trust me on that.”
“Davon is a thin 290 pounds. He’s a big and powerful young man that’s very quick off the ball. He’s the type of player you want on defense. DaVon is very competitive.”
“Let me he say this; by mid-season there’s going to be a lot of schools deeply regretting not offering DaVon. He’s going to blow up this year and really help Pitt’s recruiting rankings. I know many of them were looking over their shoulder after Pitt came in and landed him. I won’t name names of school, but there will be a tremendous amount of regret there.”
Coach Sharrett had an abundance of great things to say about the Pitt football coaching staff, in particular offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph and defensive coordinator Matt House. He indicated that the Pitt staff was much more thorough than others when it came to the entire recruiting process.
“You know when you have a staff that does their homework. The Pitt staff was impressive. They did their homework on DaVon,” he said. “Coach Rudolph came here to see him. He brought Coach House back to see him after that. Unlike some schools, they got to see him twice and go through agility drills. By the time he camped at Pitt, it just confirmed what they already knew. I really tip my hat to Pittsburgh. When you bring two BCS coaches to see a player and spend that much time, you’re doing a thorough job.”
“I can promise you this. There’s going to be a handful of coaches scratching their head as DaVon progresses further into the season. There will be regrets about not offering him an early scholarship. He’s not going to break his commitment to Pitt. I fully expect him to have a long and successful career there.”
DaVon Hamilton can be found on Twitter at @dmhamilton52
DreamBackfield.com’s Harry G. Psaros can be found on Twitter at @PittGuru