PITTSBURGH - Pitt's unexpectedly bad start under new coach Dave Wannstedt apparently isn't hurting the Panthers where it matters most.

Namely, their recruiting - the talent-gathering process that largely determines how well a team will do, not just for a season or two but for as long as four seasons.

Despite having not yet won a game when he made some high school recruiting visits Friday - the Panthers beat Youngstown State 41-0 a day later for their first win this season - Wannstedt said he heard nothing but positive comments.

"People were fired up," Wannstedt said Monday. "We had several recruits at our game, and they're fired up. It's going to be a Top 10, possibly better, class in the entire country. It's going to be one of the best classes that I believe, if everything stays on course, that we've had here in a long, long time."

If that comes true, it might ease some of the disappointment over Pitt's rapid fall from the Top 25 following consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Ohio U. and Nebraska. Pitt has yet to beat a Division I-A opponent under Wannstedt, but gets that chance Friday night at Rutgers (2-1).

To date, Pitt has 17 verbal commitments for its 2006 recruiting class, and there have been no reported defections. The class is currently rated by several recruiting services as being in the top 10, though the ratings fluctuate greatly from September until the national letter-of-intent signing date in February.

Of the 17 prospective recruits, five are rated as four-star players by the Rivals.com recruiting site: tight end Nate Byham of Franklin, running back Kevin Collier of Churchville, N.Y., running back-wide receiver Dorin Dickerson of West Allegheny High in suburban Pittsburgh, defensive tackle Jason Pinkston of Baldwin and multi-position player Aaron Smith of Gateway High.

"Recruiting is exciting right now," Wannstedt said. "I think we're close right now to adding a couple more players here in the near future to our outstanding class coming in already."

Of course, a poor season sometimes aids recruiting because players figure that, if a team is down, they'll get a chance to play sooner. While winning programs typically don't have much trouble recruiting, some players are attracted to schools where they believe they can play immediately.

Wannstedt also answered the question that nearly every Pitt player was asking after the Youngstown game - namely, would the Panthers again wear the light blue and gold, 1970s-era throwback uniforms they wore Saturday?

They don't have that option Friday, as the home team has its choice of uniforms. Pitt didn't make up a white-jersey road version of the throwback uniforms, and Wannstedt hinted it was a one-of-a-kind promotion that won't be repeated.

"I think it was just a throwback weekend. We're back to our originals. But it was neat that the guys did appreciate it," Wannstedt said.

The uniforms featured the script Pitt logo on the helmets and were the same as those worn by Wannstedt when he played under former coach Johnny Majors in the early 1970s.

"I didn't think it would really have much of an effect on me until I walked out on the field and saw the guys. You know when you hear an old song, it kind of takes you back to a certain time and moment?" Wannstedt said. "Well, that's kind of what the uniforms did. It was neat to do."

Pitt's next home game is Oct. 8 against Cincinnati in a non-televised game that starts at 2 p.m. That would be the next chance for the Panthers to wear the throwback uniforms, but only if the athletic department changes its mind about not wearing them again.