Pitt Offensive Tackle Matt Goncalves Declares for 2024 NFL Draft

Pitt football redshirt senior offensive lineman Matt Goncalves announced his decision to declare for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, posting his decision on Twitter.

Thank you Pittsburgh 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/vAssfmxm03

— Matthew Goncalves (@MattGoncalves77) December 6, 2023

Goncalves played in 39 games over his five seasons with the Panthers, starting 26 of those games, alternating between left and right tackle. He played in all 14 games during the 2021 season, which saw the Panthers win their first ACC Title, and started every game in 2022, earning All-ACC Third Team honors. 

He started the first three games of 2023, before suffering a season ending injury against rival West Virginia on Sept. 16. He would have had the opportunity to apply for a medical redshirt, which could have kept him with the program for the next two seasons, as he also had a COVID-19 year to use as well.

Goncalves is the second offensive lineman for the Panthers to announce their departure from the program, with rising redshirt junior Trey Andersen entering the transfer portal last Saturday. He is also the second Panther to leave early for the NFL Draft, with wide receiver Bub Means doing so last Saturday.

Rising redshirt senior Branson Taylor and rising redshirt sophomore Ryan Baer both chose to stay with the program for 2024 and will most likely start at both tackle positions, with Taylor at left tackle and Baer at right tackle.

Goncalves entering into the NFL Draft is not surprising news, with a report in November that signaled he would likely do so following the end of 2023. 

Pitt football has had a few players under head coach Pat Narduzzi to earn a draft selection in recent years. This includes Carter Warren (fourth round, 2023), Jimmy Morrissey (seventh round, 2021), Brian O’Neill (second round, 2018), Dorian Johnson (fourth round, 2017) and Adam Bisnowaty (sixth round, 2017).

Pitt Football Scholarship Offensive Linemen Heading into 2024

Redshirt seniors: Jason Collier (One Year), Ryan Jacoby* (One Year, medical redshirt pending), rising redshirt senior Branson Taylor (Two Years),

Rising redshirt juniors:  Dorien Ford, Terrence Moore and Terrence Enos Jr. (Two Years)

Rising redshirt sophomores: Ryan Baer, Isaiah Montgomery and Jackson Brown (Three Years)

Rising Sophomore: BJ Williams (Three Years)

Rising Redshirt Freshmen: Ryan Caretta and Tai Ray (Four Years)

Incoming Freshmen: Caleb Holmes, Jiavanni Cooley, Adham Abouraya, Mason Lindsay and Moritz Schmoranzer (Four Years)