Pitt, in collaboration with Alliance 412, has done a good job this offseason of securing its homegrown talent, and Jordan Bass is just the latest to confirm he’s not testing the transfer portal.
Bass — a 6-foot-4, 215-pound sophomore from Hampton, Va. — announced via Alliance 412 that he will be returning to Pittsburgh for another season. It’s an expected but major “addition” to the linebacking corps.
Bass was one of a handful of true freshmen to make a start last season, with many more expected on the horizon, and he’s one of a handful of key returners.
Gavin Bartholomew, Rodney Hamond Jr., Dayon Hayes, Branson Taylor, Ryan Baer, Solomon DeShields and Kenny Johnson have also announced that they will be returning to Pitt for another season.
Bass was the top-ranked recruit in Pitt’s class of 2023, arriving as a consensus four-star recruit out of Phoebus High in Virginia, and there was an expectation that — despite a late arrival — he’d be able to make an immediate impact. And he did.
In 10 games, making his first career start against Wake Forest, he recorded 11 tackles (six solo) and two tackles for loss. He took 116 defensive snaps in 2023, largely during the late season stretch against Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
While he certainly made a few rookie mistakes last season, the experience — and the undeniable talent — will help immensely in 2024.
DeShields is the lone Day 1 starter set to return to Pitt next season, but there are a lot of young, talented linebackers who saw the field last season in the form of Bass, Braylan Lovelace, Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles. And a talented crop of linebackers is set to sign with Pitt in just under a month.
Brandon George announced his return to Pittsburgh over the weekend, deciding to exit the transfer portal and return to the Panthers, but there’s still a lack of depth at Mike linebacker.
The Pitt coaching staff has offered a handful of transfer portal linebackers, including Ohio transfer Keye Thompson Tuesday, and there could be an addition or two.
these are freshman so what.
I agree, since when are these first year guys established enough to warrant a “I’m returning for another year” statement. Sadly it seems college football players are on 1 year contracts these days.