Pittsburgh’s 2022 recruiting class will need a strong finish over the coming months.

While the Panthers look capable of winning a division title this season, Pat Narduzzi has struggled a bit on the recruiting trail. This is Year 7 for Narduzzi and he’s yet to finish a season with more than eight wins or ranked in the AP Top 25.

Perhaps that string of results is keeping Narduzzi’s staff from elite talent in this cycle. It’s also possible that Pittsburgh will close on a number of key prospects in the coming months.

Pitt is coming off a top-30 recruiting class in 2021, so this program — and staff — is capable of much better than the No. 62 ranking the 2022 class owns as of mid-October.

Here’s a breakdown of where Pitt’s class stands at the moment:

Class ranking: No. 62 nationally, No. 12 ACC

Total commits: 11

Blue-chip commits (4-and-5-star prospects): 1

Highest-rated offensive recruit: 4-star OT Ryan Baer | No. 345 overall | No. 35 OT | Eastlake, Ohio

Highest-rated defensive recruit: 3-star DL Jimmy Scott | No. 580 overall | No. 87 DL | Hamburg, New York

Final thoughts: Pittsburgh’s play on the field for the rest of 2021 could have an impact on this class. The Panthers have a legitimate shot at winning the Coastal and QB Kenny Pickett could end up as Heisman finalist. But Pickett will be gone next season, and the Panthers need to start re-loading their roster if they intend to sustain this level of success.