4-Star Pitt Football Commit Jahsear Whittington Sets the Tone

It doesn’t take much to motivate 2024 four-star Pitt football commit Jahsear Whittington. A simple observation becomes a burning desire to compete, to establish himself as the very best. 

An imposing prospect who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 275 pounds, Whittington looks the part of a Power 5 defensive lineman. It’s his effort off the field, though, that really separates him from the rest of the pack. Whittington described how his desire to excel developed over time, mentioning a moment as a sophomore when he realized that he had the physical ability to stand out amongst a talented roster.

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“I was one of the stronger sophomores. They totaled everybody’s max weights up, and I remember that somebody had the record,” Whittington said. “I saw it and I said, ‘you know what, I could break that,’ and I just pushed myself to never miss a day. Every day I was there, going hard, never taking a day off, just like never taking a play off.”

Whittington didn’t mince words when describing how his intense training regimen pays off on the field, the impact he can have with Pitt football.

“To everybody in Western Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh area, you’re getting a dawg,” Whittington said. “You’re getting somebody who has a motor, every play.”

Jahsear Whittington, Workout Warrior 

Whittington’s desire to excel in the weight room as a catalyst for his on-field performance reached new heights following the 2022 5A PIAA State Championship game, when the Pine-Richland Rams ran the ball at will through Imhotep’s front seven. Whittington described the intense offseason regimen that he and his teammates went through, including two-a-day practices. 

“I knew we were destined for something last year when after that loss, I said I was going for the weight room record. I was going for everything in the weight room just to become stronger. We got outpowered last year,” Whittington said. “We worked our behinds off all offseason, starting back in February: we worked, we grinded, we ran, we lifted multiple times. Sundays, all throughout the week. Early mornings—dark mornings—late nights, everything. It added up.”

Breadman🍞🍞 #lastride #breadmanszn pic.twitter.com/NsDGN4v1mi

— 4⭐️ Jahsear “Breadman” whittington (@jahwhitt) August 28, 2023

Perhaps even more important, Whittington said that he and his teammates honed their minds, using neuroscience-based mental skills training with the help of 2020 Philadelphia Eagles’ All-Pro Teacher of the Year honoree Shirley Posey-Jackson, a biology teacher and Director of STEM at Imhotep.

“We also added ‘brain training’ into our season, shoutout to Shirley Posey. That helped us a lot. It gives you a visualization of all the things you’re going to do, all the great teams you’re going to beat, everything that’s going to happen and how to react to it,” Whittington said. “A lot of people thought we were just gonna bow down, and just be regular old Imhotep: not really care if we win or lose. This year, Coach Dev [Devon Johnson] said ‘all chips to the table’ and we went all in on this season.” 

The Mind: Man’s Greatest Weapon

Posey said that many of Imhotep’s student athletes were slow to adopt her brain training program: not only was it new to them, but it provided a challenge that took them time to warm up to. Whittington, however, jumped at the new way to improve his skill set, and helped his teammates get on board.

“He definitely was an early adopter and also a leader. I push them. I really simulate, do a good job—and I say this in a humble way—of really simulating the game, physically and mentally,” Posey said. 

“So, when his teammates were on the [verge] of breaking up or when it was really intense, he was one of the biggest ones pushing them like ‘no, keep going, you’ve got it, don’t stop,’ just encouraging them. Then also, if anyone got distracted, he was like ‘no, stay on the task, [focus] on the task at hand.’”

Whittington made sure to give Posey due recognition for her role in training him, in helping make him a champion.

“I can’t thank her enough,” Whittington said. “And I can’t be more happy to be a part of this group.”

Photo courtesy of Jahsear Whittington.

Panthers’ Newest Trendsetter

Whittington’s desire for greatness helps set the tone for the rest of his teammates—a prospect that should excite Pitt Football fans as he prepares to join the team in 2024.

“My teammates will move off my energy, and they’ll try to go break my record,” Whittington said. “That’s just building a program up over the years.” 

Whittington doesn’t just lead through example, though. He’s made a name for himself as a vocal recruiter for the Panthers even before he’s set foot on campus as a student, pulling out all the stops to bring other top players to Pittsburgh. The standout lineman described how he grew into that role as a recruiter. 

“I see a lot of guys say, ‘let’s build the best class ever, why not?’ And I was just thinking, it’s a lot of guys where I could see them at Pitt,” Whittington said. “It started off as D-linemen, but then I actually started seeing guys pop up more, and actually seeing like ‘oh this guy, he could help us. We get him here; we could be another ACC championship team.’”

Preparing For Pitt Football

Whittington’s role on Twitter took a backseat as he focused on his senior season at Imhotep, wanting to complete unfinished business with a state championship after falling short in the title game the previous two years. With that job completed, though, he said he’s ready to get back into the mix and help draw more top recruits to Pittsburgh.

“I haven’t really been as heavy on Twitter this year because I’ve been locked in here [at Imhotep],” Whittington said. “Now that this is over, I feel like I can look more towards Pitt and see what players I can get.”

Even after the grind of a 15-0 season, Whittington said he feels like he doesn’t want to take much time to rest and recover. With an open competition in Pitt’s defensive line room, he has his eyes on playing time as a true freshman. Despite Pitt Football’s struggles in 2023, Whittington said he feels like the team’s youth—and a largely intact coaching staff from the 2021 ACC Championship team—mean exciting days ahead for Panthers fans. 

“I know the D-line room has opened up, so now my mindset is ‘hey, maybe two weeks I might sit down [following Imhotep’s championship], but I’m right back to work to get ready to make a first-year impact there for Coach Partridge,” Whitington said. 

“My job is to go there with the guys that I’m going with, and I’m going to make a positive impact. I’m just gonna do my job. It will all fall in line. The dominos will all fall in place. That’s how I feel. I’m excited for what this class has to show…All I know is, a lot of guys have to step up. We’re young, we were young, we’re gonna be young still.”