As close to reality as the information from Rivals.com is on who has signed their NLI and such, it really doesn’t become official until Pitt can mention the recruits by name. So, that first press release announcing the signed class matters.

Boasting a recruiting class considered one of the finest in the country and the best in the Big East, Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt announced today the signing of 19 prospects to National Letters of Intent.

Wannstedt made the announcement from the Panthers’ locker room at Heinz Field, which was adorned with the jerseys of members of Pitt’s recent recruiting classes, including All-America linebacker Scott McKillop and tailback LeSean McCoy, this past season’s Big East Rookie of the Year.

“We felt it was appropriate to introduce our 2008 recruiting class in the place where they will spend their Saturdays over the next four years,” Wannstedt said. “Looking at the jerseys in these lockers, we have been fortunate to recruit some outstanding young men to the University of Pittsburgh. We believe this year’s class fits that same exceptional mold.

“We recruited with specific positional needs in mind and I’m very pleased with the end result. This was a total team effort by our coaching staff, players and campus community. They all do a great job when it comes to recruiting student-athletes to Pitt and our 2008 class is a prime example.”

The press release has nuggets on each of the recruits for perusal.