Inside The Panthers

Pitt Panthers WR Recruit Sets Commitment Date

One of the receivers on the Pitt Panthers official visitors list in June has announced a commitment date.
Kevin Sinclair|
Winslow's Nyqir Helton returns an interception for a touchdown during the State Group 4 football final between Winslow and Phillipsburg played at SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Winslow defeated Phillipsburg, 35-0.
Winslow's Nyqir Helton returns an interception for a touchdown during the State Group 4 football final between Winslow and Phillipsburg played at SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Winslow defeated Phillipsburg, 35-0. | CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

The Pitt Panthers have a shot at landing one of the top receivers in the state of New Jersey.

On Sunday, Nyqir Helton out of Atco (NJ) Winslow Township High School announced plans to make a commitment to one of the five contenders on June 27.

It's a date that follows the three official visit the 6-foot, 170-pound pass-catcher has booked, a college tour set to begin at Syracuse on May 30, followed by Boston College on June 6, and wrapping up his college search with a stay in Pittsburgh from June 12 through June 14.

Per his announcement that he'd narrowed his recruitment to a handful of options back on January 13, Illinois and Rutgers are the additional contenders. Just four days prior to that announcement on X, Pitt Panthers tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Jacob Bronowski — viewed by many as a particularly impactful recruit — was in New Jersey to check on the 2026 pass-catcher.

As a junior receiver prospect who played both ways in 2024, Helton recorded 47 catches for 857 yards (averaging 18.2 yards per catch and 18.9 yards after the catch) and 13 touchdowns. Out of the defensive backfield, he logged 20 tackles, four interceptions (converting one of those takeaways into a touchdown), a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

A week prior to Helton's official visit, the Pitt Panthers will host additional receivers on official visits, including Blake Hamilton out of Texas, Florida products Demetrice McCray and Larry Miles, and current Panthers receiver commit Dylan Wester who also resides in the Sunshine State.

Current Pitt 2026 Verbal Commitments

Current Pitt 2027 Verbal Commitments

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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