Pitt has a rich history of pulling talented defensive lineman from Florida and another name could soon be added to that list.
Tyrique Owens is a 2021 3-star defensive end that will be attending St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this upcoming season after attending Miami Carol City High School in 2019. Over the last year, Owens (6’1″, 240) has received verbal offers from programs such as Georgia, Maryland, LSU, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Pitt.
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Over the weekend, Owens’ verbal offer from the Panthers staff became official when he got written confirmation from the Pitt that he has a scholarship available for him if he chooses to accept it.
Pitt’s Class of 2021 includes commitments from two defensive lineman (4-star DT Elliot Donald and 4-star DE Nahki Johnson) but with as many as seven scholarships left to offer, Pitt will likely add at least two more d-lineman.
Dorien Ford (Baldwin, Pennsylvania), Anthony Hundley (Miami, Florida), Zyin Thomas (Delray Beach, Florida), George Rooks (Jersey City, New Jersey), Robert Jackson (Warminster, Pennsylvania), Ja’Corey Hammett (Miami, Florida) are other players that Pitt is recruiting but is sure sounds like Owens is a real possibility to be a future Pitt Panther.
Pittsburgh Sports Now caught up with Owens on Monday morning and found out that his interest in Pitt is real and has a lot to do with the strong relationship that he’s created over the last year with defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.
“I first started hearing from the Pitt program when I was attending Carol City High School at the start of our season,” Owens told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “I really started hearing from them when I was a junior on the date that they were officially permitted to start getting in touch with me. Coach Partridge and I traded numbers and have remained in contact ever since. Right now, we probably talk three, four, maybe even five times a week.”
“Coach Partridge is just a real genuine guy. I can tell that he’s not one of those guys that try and sell you false dreams. Aside from a great football coach, I feel that he’s also a great person. He has real interest in me and picks my brain about stuff other than football because he knows that I have more to me and have interests other than football because life is more than just about football.”
During their extensive conversations, Owens says he’s been impressed with the team and family values he’s hearing about from the Pitt staff.
“Coach has really been telling me about the values and the family values they have at Pitt and about how ‘No man if left behind at Pitt’,” said Owens. “Everyone from the players to the coaches are one and are a family and they’re one team. He’s really preached that a lot.”
“As far as my on field abilities, Coach Partridge believes that I’m very versatile and believes that I can play anywhere on the defensive line, which I can. I can play the 3 tech, the 5, the 7, if doesn’t really matter because I can do it all and I’m not really picky about where I play. I can play outside or inside if they want me to, it doesn’t really matter, I just want to get the job done for my team.”
The most interesting answer I got from Owens is when I asked him to update me on where his recruitment stands with Pitt and other programs that are recruiting him.
“I’m going to be honest with you. Pitt is at the top of my list because Pitt has been consistent about showing me the most love. Coach Partridge and Coach Narduzzi they’re good people and they’ve been very consistent with me and haven’t been wishy washy and haven’t popped in every now and then. We’ve really talked every day or every other day. I feel like they’re family and have shown something that no other college has so that’s why I feel that way about Pitt. That’s why they’re at the top of my list and why most likely I’ll be signing there come February.”
“I will be making my final decision very soon, probably in the next month or two.”
Good news! Now if they can close him and Ford, that would be on helluva d-line class. Probably the best since Wanny’s class with AD, T.J. Clemmings, and a couple other good gets.
Check back when he gets other written, official offers. If they are his top school and an official offer why not commit? He’s leveraging for a bigger offer.