Defensive end Noah Palmer grew up rooting for the Pitt football team. In early May he was surprised when he received a scholarship offer from the Panthers. By the end of the month, the 6-foot-5 inch, 230 pound Palmer was over the shock and excited about the opportunity. A few weeks after the offer was made, he officially joined the Panthers’ 2018 recruiting class.
Palmer was a two-way standout for Thomas Jefferson High School. He was named an All-Big Nine Conference selection at defensive end and tight end, amassing 37 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery on defense. Palmer recently participated in the Blue-Gray All American Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Shortly after finishing the game, he was named MVP on defense.
Palmer completed his official visit to Pitt last weekend. He was joined by fellow 2018 classmates Devin Danielson (Thomas Jefferson) and David Green (Central Catholic). Despite spending a considerable amount of time around the program in the last year, he was surprised at how much he learned from the visit.
‘’The whole weekend just made me want to be there even more than I do now. I want to get there as fast as I can. They made a great atmosphere down there. It was a great experience for me and my parents,” said Palmer. “My host for the weekend was Tyler Sear. It was awesome meeting a lot of my future teammates. They are a lot of fun to be around. I asked them a lot of questions and they taught me a lot about the program.”
Official visit weekends can often be a lot fun and games. Palmer divulged that his future coach, Pitt defense line coach Charlie Partridge, decided to start the learning process. “Myself, Devin and David sat down and had an install with Coach (Charlie) Partridge. We started reviewing the defense. I can’t wait to learn from Coach Partridge. He has a great football IQ and I have a lot to learn from him. I want to get in (at Pitt) and make a difference,” he said.
There was a new face on the South Side, defensive coordinator Randy Bates. Bates made sure to speak with his new pupils. “Coach Bates pulled the three commits in a room and discussed his goals, his coaching style and a talked a little about himself. I can’t wait to learn from him as well. He’s going to bring a new mix into the defense. He’s bringing a lot of enthusiasm with him. He adds to a coaching staff that’s already pretty enthusiastic.”
Palmer is currently on a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet and diligently training to add size and speed. Although he’s projected to play defensive end, he will see time on special teams and possibly tight end.
Pitt has two additional defensive ends committed to their 2018 recruiting class, Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha HS John Morgan (6-foot-3 inches, 235 pounds) and Long Branch (NJ) Kaymar Mimes (6-foot-5 inches, 225 pounds). Clearwater (FL) Clearwater Academy International defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado (6-foot-5 inches, 230 pounds) will visit the Panthers this weekend.
Harry Psaros can be found on Twitter at @PittGuru
