Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt Lands Commitment from Former 4-Star Indiana DL Nick James
It’s all about Charlie Partridge when it comes to Pitt and its defensive line dominance over the last half-decade.
Nick James found that out for himself this weekend, and that’s why the former Indiana defensive tackle and top-ranked recruit in the country is the latest Pitt Panther.
James — a 6-foot-3, 285-pound redshirt freshman defensive tackle from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. — officially committed to Pitt Saturday afternoon following an official visit to Pittsburgh over the weekend.
Courtesy Nick James
“Coach Partridge, he’s the guy,” James told Pittsburgh Sports Now Saturday. “He’s the best in the business.”
James is the second defensive lineman to commit to Pitt coming off the official visit window this weekend, joining former Kansas State defensive end Nate Matlack in adding to Partridge’s unit.
James was originally a consensus four-star recruit out of IMG Academy in 2022, holding offers from the likes of Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and he was a prized commit in former IU coach Tom Allen’s class of 2022.
He didn’t see the field a whole lot during his two seasons at Indiana, playing just 192 defensive snaps over the last two seasons, but he’s shown flashes during that time.
In 140 snaps in 2023, he racked up four tackles (two solo), a sack and a pass breakup. According to PFF, he recorded three pressures, two hurries and batted a pass at the line of scrimmage. He also recorded six tackles against the run, with two run stuffs — not missing any of his tackle attempts.
Pitt, Partridge, in particular, sees James as a defensive tackle in Pitt’s scheme — which is exactly where the Panthers need help going into the 2024 season.
“He just liked my skillset, and me being able to get upfield and twitchiness and stuff like that,” James said.
James entered the transfer portal on Nov. 27, keeping a pretty low profile since entering, and he arrived in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The official visit really picked up on Saturday, getting a tour of the Oakland campus and the facilities before meeting with Partridge, Pat Narduzzi and Randy Bates.
“They’re great people, and I’d just love to be around them every day,” James said.
It was a busy transfer visit weekend for the Panthers, hosting several former top recruits and impact transfers, and James said that there’s definitely more to come.
As it currently stands, Elliot Donald and Sean FitzSimmons are slated to step into the Pitt starting lineup next season, with Isaiah Neal set to headline a group of freshmen that includes four-star recruits Jahsear Whittington, Sincere Edwards and Francis Brewu.
James is a huge addition to the defensive line room, when it comes to the present and future of the defensive line room, and he’s just focused on coming in and winning now.
“Win the ACC first,” James said. “I’m not really worried about the individual, I’m worried about the team. I’m just trying to be the best team man I can be right now, getting to know my guys when I get in.”
He will arrive as a mid-year transfer in January, and upon arrival, he will immediately begin to compete for playing time on the defensive line — providing both an experienced presence and a ton of untapped potential.
“Hail to Pitt, that’s it,” James said. “Hail to Pitt.”
