Pitt FB Recruiting
2025 Central Catholic ATH Bradley Gompers Reflects Upon Offer From Hometown Pitt
Pitt assistant director of player personnel, Karlo Zovko, stopped Bradley Gompers as he was walking off the outdoor field at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after a camp last weekend.
He whisked Gompers away for a personal tour of the Pitt facilities, inside and out, before leading him up to Pat Narduzzi’s office. And Narduzzi was waiting with some good news. Gompers had picked up an offer from his hometown Pitt Panthers.
“I mean, (it felt) great, definitely,” Gompers told Pittsburgh Sports Now . “Happened last Sunday, I think. It was a very exciting moment for me at that camp. I think I did pretty well. And just getting that call into (Narduzzi’s) office was great.
“I know they’ve been recruiting me for a while. My teammate Ty Yuhas committed there and since his commitment, I can remember him and the coaches talking about me. And I know they’ve been following me for a while. But I’m excited to say that they finally pulled the trigger.”
After a great conversation with @CoachDuzzPittFB I’m blessed to receive an offer from @Pitt_FB.@Coach_Manalac @CoachPartridge @Kzovko @CoachLehmeier @PCC_FOOTBALL @Evolve2tenths @210ths @wpialsportsnews @RivalsFriedman @CoachJayBell @CoachReitz pic.twitter.com/uefStfROF9
— Bradley Gompers (@GompersBradley) June 18, 2023
Gompers — a 6-foot-5, 200-pound athlete from Central Catholic High in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — was in attendance at Pitt’s camp on Father’s Day, making it out to Pitt’s South Side facilities, which is also where he trains with Evolve 210ths, but it was different this time around.
This time he was clearly a highly valued recruit in the eyes of the Pitt coaching staff.
He spoke with Zovko and Narduzzi during his camp visit, of course, but he’s spoken with Frank Cignetti Jr., Charlie Partridge and Ryan Manalac throughout the early portion of his recruiting chase.
Pitt’s staff currently sees him as an outside linebacker, which could evolve into an edge rusher role or a jumbo linebacker over time, but Narduzzi said that Pitt could come to see him as either a wide receiver or tight end as he continues to develop and makes further appearances at Pitt. Gompers feels like the positional fit will become clearer as the process moves along.
And while it wasn’t even an unofficial visit, it sort of turned into one with Zovko leading a tour and Narduzzi extending an offer. Gompers has been able to get a good feel for the program.
“The culture’s great,” Gompers said. “The players down there are all super energetic. They’re really nice guys. The coaches, every single one of them that I’ve talked to, knows a lot about football. I mean, they really know what they’re doing and at camp, those coaches really showed me what Pitt culture is like, which is a family, an energetic family. They’re family.”
It doesn’t hurt that as a hometown kid, Gompers grew up watching Pitt as a fan. He was a big James Conner fan growing up, admiring both Conner’s perseverance and ability on the football, and now he has an offer from Conner’s college team — his hometown team.
“I’ve always watched them on TV,” Gompers said. “I mean, they’ve been one of my favorite teams to watch in both football, basketball and other sports. I’ve followed Pitt athletics since I was a little kid. So, getting that offer was definitely really special to me.”
And while he hasn’t met Conner himself, he has met another Pitt great in Kenny Pickett, and last weekend’s camp appearance was a chance to meet a lot of Pitt’s current players. For reference, Pitt currently rosters Central Catholic alumni in David Green, Elliot Donald, Matt Metrosky, Matt Altsman and Josh Altsman — and Yuhas down the line.
Gompers, like other former Central Catholic stars, is a recruit who could find his way forward offensively or defensively. Pitt — and WVU — may see him as an outside linebacker right now, but he could grow into a number of positions.
As a sophomore at Central Catholic, Gompers hauled in 20 receptions for 294 yards (14.7 yards per reception) and a touchdown, and he was a versatile linebacker and defensive back for the Vikings across the defensive — leading to All-Conference honors.
The major recruiting services haven’t rated Gompers yet, but as he continues his rise in the recruiting landscape, he will undoubtedly emerge as one of the top WPIAL recruits in the class of 2025.
With offers from Boston College, Pitt and West Virginia, all over the last two weeks, it’s just the beginning for Gompers. He said while he’s likely done with camps this summer, he’s ready for a couple of visits — including Boston College.
And while he’s just a recruit in the class of 2025, more than a year to go until his class is in the spotlight, Pitt is the hometown school that has already caught his attention as one of the schools he’s always wanted to go to. It comes down now to just the kind of relationship that can be fostered over the next year plus.
Pitt hasn’t yet landed a commitment in the class of 2025, but it could come at any day — and it will likely come at some point in the not-so-distant future.
