Pitt FB Recruiting
Symonds Anticipates Pitt Visit
Pat Narduzzi and staff will soon have a significant number of talented prospects visiting during spring practice. One of the first will be 6-foot-4 inch, 257 pound Cambridge (Mass) Buckingham, Browne and Nichols tight end / H-back Jay Symonds. Symonds will visit Pitt this Thursday (March 16th). Despite the record amount of snow projected for the east coast, Symonds stated he could be on a plane to Pittsburgh early Thursday.
Symonds is an old school, physical tight end with surprisingly soft hands. Pitt tight ends coach Tim Salem has been his primarily point of contact.
“I started talking with Pitt about early February. I sent them film around that time. We started contact over e-mail, then text, then Twitter,” said Symonds.
He was asked about his strengths at the tight end position and stated, “My strengths are toughness and versatility. I play everywhere and I would do anything for my team. I can play everywhere.” Symonds had previously told Pittsburgh Sports Now, “I’m willing to do whatever the coaches want me to do on the field. I can catch anything and everything. I’m also willing to get in on the line and get down and dirty with the lineman and block.”
Courtesy of Jay Symonds
Pitt needed secondary help and unearthed a hidden gem in class of 2017 cornerback Jason Pinnock from Windsor, CT. Pinnock was virtually a hidden commodity until late the in recruiting process when interest for his services exploded. Symonds was asked if he felt that football prospects from the New England area were a bit over looked. He stated, “I think so. New England, overall, gets overlooked. There’s a lot of good football through New England. Especially in our league, the ISL (Independent School League), we have some of the top players in New England.”
Symonds has received scholarship offers from Pitt, Temple, Brown, Dartmouth and Massachusetts. Boston College, Northwestern, Duke, Illinois and Wisconsin have expressed strong interest in his services.
“I’m super excited to down to Pitt. I love the football program. I really love how the coaching staff has kept in constant contact with me,” he said. “I want to get there, talk with the staff and talk with them about how I fit in with their offense. I’m really excited to see what Pitt has to offer.”
“Coach Salem has told me he really wants me at Pitt and I would have chance at early playing time.”
Symonds was asked if he would consider verbally committing to the Panthers on his trip. He stated, “I think absolutely there is. If not that day, I would come back home and discuss it with my family and it could happen shortly after.”
Harry G. Psaros can be found on Twitter at @PittGuru
