Some 2016 WPIAL recruits may have more stars, get more attention but their might not be a better athlete than Aliquippa’s Kaezon Pugh.
This morning DreamBackfield.com talked with the 3-star linebacker and he had plenty of interesting things to say.
“I plan on making my college decision on October 19th”, said Pugh. “That’s my moms birthday.” Pugh went on to say that he’s going to make his announcement live on KDKA-TV.
Quietly, Pugh (6-1, 206) has been one of the WPIAL’s most highly recruited players. Right now, Pugh has over 28 offers including ones from schools like Miami, Fla, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri and Mississippi State.
“I’m down to three schools though: Pitt, West Virginia and Maryland”, said Pugh. So, why did those 3 make the cut?
Pitt: “it’s my home and where I’m from. If I make it big, I would have done it in my hometown.”
Maryland: “I have a lot of family in the area and there’s a chance for me to play right away.”
West Virginia: “Really like the coaching staff and the bond between the players.”
While Pugh repeatedly said it’s a 3-team race, I got the sense that it’s going to come down to Pitt and West Virginia. Interestingly, the two biggest influences on him are not only family but also 2 people that played for Pitt and West Virginia.
“The two people that have the biggest influence on me are Darrelle Revis (step brother) and Dravon Henry (cousin).” Pugh says he talks with both of them but “they tell me to do what’s best for yourself and just ball out.”
Pugh tells me that despite being recruited to play linebacker, he still patterns his style of play after Revis (cornerback) and Henry (free safety). He says he always watches their highlights on video, particularly the feet work.
Keep in mind, Henry ended up picking West Virginia over Pitt when making his final decision.
The Aliquippa linebacker tells me that on September 5th he plans on attending the home openers for both Pitt and West Virginia. He’s going to go to the Pitt game at 1 PM and then make the trip to Morgantown for WVU’s 7:30 PM kickoff. He wants to see the game atmosphere at both schools.
The other interesting thing that came out of my talk with Pugh is that he and his cousin Zack Gilbert could be a package deal. Gilbert, is the son of former Aliquippa and Pitt great Sean Gilbert. Zack is a 3-star DE from Charlotte, NC, who has a final 3 of Pitt, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Pugh told me that he and Gilbert have always talked of playing together and it would be cool. When I pressed him about them definitely being a “package deal” , Pugh said, “More than likely but anything can happen.”
Aside from his bond with Revis and Henry the other big thing I took from the interview was how important his hometown meant to him.
“Pitt will always be home for me. My family can always come see me play”
The question now is whether that will be enough for Pugh to pick Pitt. We’ll find out the answer on October 19th.