Brockton High's Cam Monteiro reveals where he will play D-1 college football

BROCKTON – Gathered together at a podium inside the gymnasium at Brockton High on Wednesday evening, Cam Monteiro and his family were set to reveal a burning secret they had been keeping all week.

The 6-foot-3, three-star wide receiver decided which Division 1 college football offer to accept. His top three options were the University of Kentucky, the University of Virginia and the University of Pittsburgh.

Monteiro, who will be a senior at BHS in the fall, after making his opening remarks, reached for the grey briefcase in front of him and pulled out a royal blue baseball cap and unzipped his sweatshirt to uncover a white 'PITT' T-shirt. His family all did the same.

Monteiro announced his verbal commitment to the University of Pittsburgh six days after his official visit to the school.

“All the schools were great," Monteiro's father, José, said. "But when we went to Pitt, at 6 p.m. on Friday, I asked him ‘What do you think?’ And he goes, ‘You know what, Dad? This feels like home.’ When your kid tells you that, I said make the decision tomorrow when we’re with the coach and let’s move forward."

"Now, the pressure is off," José Monteiro said. "Now, we can breathe and just relax.”

Monteiro had 15 Division 1 offers to sift through. His other options included Boston College, UMass, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Buffalo, Vanderbilt, UConn, Temple, Akron and Old Dominion. 247sports.com tabbed Monteiro as the 98th-ranked wide receiver in the nation, and the third-best in Massachusetts.

Monteiro spent last fall as an impromptu quarterback/running back for the Boxers after preseason starter Joe Cappiello suffered an injury. Monteiro, an Enterprise All-Scholastic, rushed 103 times for 1,064 yards and 15 touchdowns in the backfield, and made seven receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns at receiver as the Boxers finished 9-2 his junior season, the team's best record since 2012. At quarterback, he completed 20-of-32 passing attempts for 337 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the position changes, he will suit up at receiver in college.

“It made me way more versatile," Monteiro said of last year's quarterback experiment. "It made me understand the game more. Coaches liked how I could go anywhere on the field and succeed at it. It showed my football IQ, and that I really know what’s going on, on the field.”

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“What you see on tape is a kid that can do multiple things with the football in his hands: his ability to make people miss, his ability to change direction," first-year coach Jermaine Wiggins said. "Those are all things that, when you look at a player, if they have those traits, it’s easy to teach them how to run routes. It’s easy to teach them how to get open. But when you get the ball in his hands, that’s when you need to have a gift. Those are the gifts he has. … He’s a playmaker. That’s what coaches look at.”

Monteiro said the decision came down to a couple of things. One was being close with NFL players while sharing home field advantage at Acrisure Stadium (formerly known as Heinz Field) with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I can learn so much from them," Monteiro said. "They’re pro guys. After practice, I can go watch them. Go watch some of the best receivers in the game play and practice. That’s really what got me.”

He also said the connection he has with childhood friend Samuel Okunlola – a 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive lineman from Brockton who was a redshirt freshman for the Panthers this past season -- played a main factor. Okunlola committed to Pittsburgh in December of 2021 after a standout career at Thayer Academy in Braintree.

“Cam couldn’t have made a wrong decision with the schools he narrowed it down to. I’m happy for him. He visited and felt very comfortable,” said former head coach Peter Colombo, who retired at last season's end. “I’m dying to go down there to watch a game.”

“Pittsburgh is getting a real leader who has a great work ethic, and is a fantastic young man on and off the court," said Brockton High boys basketball coach Manny DeBarros, who coached Monteiro for three seasons. "He hasn’t even reached his potential yet. That’s the thing about him that I don’t think people realize. He can continue to grow. He’s been amazing for us on the basketball court, but seeing him on the football pitch, he’s lightning in a bottle. He has tremendous talent."

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Monteiro rushed 17 times for 155 yards and 1 touchdown in a 31-20 win over rival Bridgewater-Raynham at Fenway Park on Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving, to cap his junior season.

Monteiro made Wednesday's verbal announcement early, ahead of the Early Signing Period in December, "so I can focus on getting better, working out and stuff like that," he said. "Honestly, the recruiting journey has been a little bit stressful, but I tried not to let it get to me."

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed from Cam is that he’s way mature past his age,” Wiggins said. “He’s dedicated. He’s willing to sacrifice. He’s wise beyond his years. Those are the kids that you know are coachable, that are going to listen and are going to do anything in their power to make sure they’re successful, and the team is successful.”

“It’s extremely rare," for a student-athlete Monteiro's age, added Wiggins. "That tells me he comes from a good background, and a good family. ... I’m just fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to coach him, as well as the rest of the kids on the team. Especially for him and his moment, I’m proud of him. Even though I hadn’t really coached him (yet), just seeing where he’s headed and to be part of his journey, it’s pretty exciting."

The Pittsburgh Panthers are coming off a 9-4 season this past fall, and according to 247sports, have had the 51st-best recruiting class in the country in 2023. Monteiro now adds to a 2024 class in the works.

“I tell him all the time. This is just the beginning of your journey," Wiggins said. "The fun is still to come.”