Head Coach Shares Details on New Pitt Football Commit

When it comes to the type of player the Pitt Panthers landed in Dylan Wester, he’s an ideal candidate for the Kade Bell offense.

If you play his highlight reel, you’ll see the 2026 all-purpose weapon take handoffs out of the backfield, line up out wide and beat press coverage vertically, turn various screen passes into big-chunk plays, and more.

To learn more about this unique prospect, Inside the Panthers connected with Wester’s head coach at Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, Scottie Littles.

Tell me a little bit of the background, when you first came across him, what you saw in him. What jumped out at you right away?

“Dylan is an explosive player. Quick twitch. He can impact the game in all aspects from the wide receiver to punt return to kick return to corner. I mean he does it all for us.

“I know Coach Bell, the OC, loves his versatility in the offense. And like I said, it's just quick-twitch, ball-in-hand, make you miss in space, can accelerate.

“His greatest attribute is that he's an elite human being. So, not only is Pitt getting a kid that's going to help on Saturday afternoon, he's going to be an ambassador for the school and the program throughout the years he's there.”

He does a lot for you from playing in the slot, lining up out wide where you run him vertically. Screens, pop passes, playing out of the backfield, playing some corner, returning kicks. Can you talk about his ability that way?

“Yeah, he's a very versatile player. We use them in all aspects. I mean, we line him up in the slot, line him up at running back, throw him the ball. We lined him up out wide as the number one receiver. He plays wildcat quarterback.

“I mean, he does it all and it's only going to help his game and get him on the field and hopefully give him an opportunity to get on the field early in his career, but it's just a great, versatile player. There's nothing on the football field that he can't do.

“We’ve got one more year with him. We're going to enjoy that year and do what we do, and then he's going to go off and have a great career at the University of Pittsburgh.”

I’d read a camp report where Wester was mentioned as being the most difficult to cover, that his twitchy, suddenness in his routes created great difficulty for the defensive backs. Is that his special skill?

“Oh, for sure. He’s a great route runner, understands leverage and like I said, he's quick-twitch. It’s hard to get your hands on him. He definitely can run the whole route tree.

“He can do it all, man. He can play out wide, he can play in the slot, play in the backfield. So, definitely a very versatile player. It’s like he's one person that can do three or four things. So, you’ve got a very versatile player in Dylan Wester.”

What do you know about Dylan’s background?

“He comes from a two-parent home. His mom and dad do a great job with him. He’s a good kid. He's a high-academic kid. He’s got a great family. The Wester name with (Colorado receiver) LaJohntay (Wester) in the NFL Draft now, that's his cousin, so that Wester name has made some noise and it's his turn to carry on their legacy.”

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