Pitt Acquiring Speedy RBs Through Classes

A unique and substantial commonality should be highlighted while the Pitt Panthers wrap up an eventful and productive month of March.

A pair of sophomore playmakers from Florida committing to Pitt early this month created a spark. It wasn't long before a third Sunshine State blazer pledged to Pitt’s 2026 class. All the while, blistering track times were surfacing as soon-to-be Pitt freshmen wrap up their varsity track careers.

Some of those 100-meter times rival or exceed all high schoolers in the city, county or state they call home. For some, it's a level of speed that some entire Division-I rosters can’t match.

The stopwatch and laser-generated scores confirm that multiple home run hitters will join the roster in June, again next January, and every June and January down the road, so long as Kade Bell is leading the Panthers offensively, it seems.

Speed, speed, and more speed.

Cole Woodson had plenty when the June-entry freshman churned out his junior season highlights reel on Hudl early last summer, an impressive 10.73 100-meter time on display before his top plays roll out.

If you found that impressive, and you should have, what Woodson accomplished on Saturday in a Virginia track meet will catch your attention.

Per his social media announcement on March 29, and a subsequent video to prove it, the former three-star recruit recorded his personal best of 10.44.

New PR in the 100m
10.44‼️@ 6’1 205 lbs (Lane 5) pic.twitter.com/iKBfU0u0wb
— Cole Woodson (@ColeWoodson2) March 29, 2025

It was a remarkable feat, a trend for Coach Bell and his staff that continues to land explosive talent. That includes the cited 2027 pledges, both Jacob Thomas and Tyler Reid having 10.6 times in the books.

Enrolling back in January was running back Ja’Kyrian Turner who dipped below 4.4 at a camp held by the Miami Hurricanes. He’ll connect with two incoming rookies at his position in June, starting with Jaylin Brown from West Palm Beach where it seems like football players with elite speed grow in fields along the city limits.

Brown has verified 10.8 speed along with clocking a 4.49-sec. 40-yard dash, contributing to the theme rooted in pass-catchers, ball-carriers, return specialists, and defensive backs who can outrun most, even at the Power Four level.

Alongside Turner and Brown is the third 2025 backfield bullet in Synkwan Smith, a versatile, all-purpose weapon out of an outstanding Georgia varsity program in Roswell High School.

Smith’s personal best 100-meter time is 10.56.

"We play 6A ball here in Georgia, and (Smith) handled it really well, especially when everybody was kind of like, 'Oh, he's undersized,'" Roswell O-Line coach and former Georgia and NFL offensive lineman Vince Vance tols On SI. "But he runs like he's 5-11, 210, you know what I'm saying?

I'm thankful to be able to run a 10.56 this early in the season I'm ONLY A Junior !!!!🔥🔥 @roswellrecruits @RoswellHornetFB @caprewett @CarlisleFunk @RonnieJankovich @VinceVance6 @Mr_203 pic.twitter.com/M2mzSkhtvx
— Synkwan Smith 3⭐️ (@bopcity21) March 16, 2024

With the way Coach Vance described the incoming freshman running back on Sunday night, and given the ways Kade Bell weaponized Desmond Reid last year, it would seem the Peach State lightning bolt has a chance to make tangible impact this year in more ways than one.

"We ran jet sweeps with him. We ran tosses with him. We handed him the ball. We threw him the ball out of the slot. We would line him up at the X (receiver) because of his speed, he's so fast,” Coach Vance said. “He's a track kid. Because he's so fast, defenses had to back up and they had to pay attention to him. "

"It gave us the underneath, and then we would switch it and put him in the slot. And then (the opponent) lines up a decent nickel against him, but a decent nickel is not athletic enough to hang with him. So, literally, you line him up wherever you need, get him the ball, and just watch him go."

"He's going to make people miss, and he's going to be dynamic as he does it."

Currently listed 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds in his X profile, Smith was included in far more statistical categories than most of his peers.

In 2024, that included 20 carries for 265 yards, 31 receptions for 398 yards, 747 return yards, adding up to more than 1,400 all-purpose yards with 17 touchdowns on the year.

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