Darnell Dodson, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard from Greenbelt, Md., became the first Pitt basketball recruit for the class of 2007 when he gave coach Jamie Dixon a verbal commitment Friday.

Dodson will be a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in the fall and will be eligible to sign a binding letter of intent during the NCAA early signing period in November. Dodson comes from an established and successful program at Eleanor Roosevelt, whose coach Glen Farrello has produced more than 25 Division I basketball players over the years.

Dodson is not highly ranked by most national recruiting services, but Farrello said he is underrated like another of his former players.

"I tell every coach who comes through here," Farrello said. "I had a guy by the name of Delonte West who wasn't very highly rated when he came out of here. Delonte wasn't even in the top 200.

"Now, a few years later, he's in the NBA. I'm not saying he's going to be a Delonte West, but he is a guy who has a high ceiling like that. He is a tremendous shooter, with NBA range. But he has an overall game. The rest of his game is going to come along. He has a bright future, and I think he found the right fit with Pitt."

Steve Keller, a New Jersey-based recruiting analyst, agrees with Farrello about Dodson's potential. Dodson is not currently ranked among the top 150 prospects in his class, but Keller believes he will be one of the overlooked recruits who will shine in college.

"Darnell Dodson is just starting to scratch the surface of what he can be down the road," said Keller, who publishes Steve Keller's National Recruiting Report.

"He has grown in the last year and the expectations have grown. He could be a 6-6 or 6-7 two-guard. If that happens, the sky is the limit. Pittsburgh saw the upside that not a lot of other people saw. If the kid works, he can be a superstar."

According to rivals.com, Dodson had scholarship offers from Pitt, DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers, George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth. Boston College, Florida and Maryland had been showing interest. New Pitt assistant Mike Rice handled Dodson's recruitment.