M.J. Devonshire Looks to Join List of Pitt Football Defensive Backs in the NFL

M.J. Devonshire announced his decision to enter the 2024 NFL Draft on Monday, leaving behind a storied career at Pitt.

The Aliquippa alum originally started college at Kentucky for the 2019 and 2020 seasons but transferred to Pitt ahead of the 2021 season. Devonshire finished his three seasons at Pitt with 83 tackles (51 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) and 21 pass breakups, while earning All-ACC punt returner honors in 2022.

He also earned Second Team All-ACC honors this past season at cornerback. Devonshire finished for first in the conference with 14 passes defended and second with 1.17 passes defended per game. He was also second-best in the ACC with four interceptions, including an 86-yard pick-six against then-ranked No. 14 Louisville, that helped set up the 38-21 upset on Oct. 14.

Most fans will always remember Devonshire for his pick-six against West Virginia in the 2022 Backyard Brawl, the first edition of the rivalry in 11 years. He caught the pass off a deflection from WVU wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton and ran 56 yards back for the go-ahead score in the 38-31 win to open the season in front of a national audience.

By forgoing his sixth season that he had due to the COVID-19 year, Devonshire will try and impress scouts at the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, competing against other seniors across the country.

He will also try to become the next Pitt defensive back to earn an NFL Draft selection under head coach Pat Narduzzi and Pitt secondary coach Archie Collins.

Pitt Defensive Backs Taken in NFL Draft under HC Pat Narduzzi

2018: Jordan Whitehead-Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Fourth Round, 17th pick, No. 117 overall
Avonte Maddox-Philadelphia Eagles-Fourth Round, 25th pick, No. 125 overall

2020: Dane Jackson-Buffalo Bills-Seventh Round, 25th pick, No. 239 overall

2021: Jason Pinnock-New York Jets-Fifth Round, 31st pick, No. 175 overall
Damar Hamlin-Buffalo Bills-Sixth Round, 28th pick, No. 212 overall

2022: Damarri Mathis-Denver Broncos-Fourth Round, 10th pick, No. 115 overall

2023: Erick Hallett-Jacksonville Jaguars-Sixth Round, 31st pick, No. 208 overall
Brandon Hill-Houston Texans-Seventh Round, 31st pick, No. 248 overall

The tandem of Collins and Narduzzi have had success with Pitt defensive backs getting guys to the NFL with their coaching and scheme, which forces players to take on a large responsibility in coverage, preparing them better for the professional level.

Whitehead joined the first recruiting class under Narduzzi in 2015, as a four-star commit out of nearby Central Valley.

He starred for Pitt in his three seasons of collegiate ball from 2015-17. He played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2015, leading the team with 110 tackles, 75 solo, also defending seven passes, forcing a fumble, making 7.0 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks. He also rushed 12 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns, earning him ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Whitehead had another stellar season as a sophomore in 2016, making 65 tackles, 46 solo, 1.5 tacks for loss, one interception, two passes defended and one forced fumble to earn Second Team All-ACC honors.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Whitehead in the Fourth Round of the 2017 NFL Draft and he played there for five seasons from 2017-21. He played in 69 games, starting 65 of them, making 292 total tackles, 222 solo, 22 tackles for loss, 25 passes defended, five interceptions, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries with the team, while also winning Super Bowl LV in 2021.

Whitehead signed a $14.5 million contract ahead of the 2022 season with the New York Jets. He has played in all 31 games over the past two seasons, with six interceptions, 17 passes defended, 173 tackles, 115 solo and seven tackles for loss.

Maddox played four seasons for the Panthers from 2014-17, totaling 183 tackles, 136 solo, 13.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, eight interceptions, 42 passes defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also earned Third Team All-ACC honors as a senior in 2017, as he had a team-high 11 passes defended and three forced fumbles, second best in the ACC.

He has played in 62 games and started 37 in six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Maddox has struggled with injuries, some of them quite serious and playing more than 10 games in just his first four seasons in the league, including just 11 in the past two seasons.

Jackson, a Cornell alum who played football for Quaker Valley, spent five seasons with Pitt from 2015-19, redshirting his first season.

He started all 38 games his final three years with the Panthers from 2017-19 and earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2019. He had 148 tackles, 113 solo, nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions, 43 passes defended, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his time with the Panthers.

The Buffalo Bills took Jackson in the Seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has played in 49 games, with 28 starts in his four seasons with the Bills, making 149 tackles, 126 solo, three interceptions, 27 passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two tackles for loss.

Pinnock played in 42 games for Pitt from 2017-20, making 54 tackles, 46 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions and 25 passes defended.

The New York Jets drafted him in 2021 but waived him ahead of the 2022 season. The New York Giants picked him up and he has had a great 2023, with 77 tackles, 54 solo, two interceptions, one for a touchdown, six passes defended, one forced fumble, six tackles for loss, two sacks and four quarterback hits in 14 starts.

Hamlin joined Pitt as a Pittsburgh Central Catholic alum in 2016. In five seasons at Pitt, he recorded 275 tackles (185 solo), 10 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 21 pass breakups and a fumble recovery. He earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2020 as a redshirt senior, as he made 66 tackles, 38 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defended and two interceptions.

He stepped up in 2022 for the Bills, with safety Micah Hyde out for most of the season. He recorded 91 tackles (63 solo), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 15 games last — starting every game in the Bills’ secondary from Week 3 onward.

In a Week 17 Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, Hamlin collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest. He has made a comeback from an almost near death experience on the field just seven months ago to now coming back and being a part of the team. 

Hamlin has played in four games this season, but hasn’t seen the field much, making just two tackles.

Mathis played four years with the Panthers from 2017-21, missing the 2020 season due to injury. He made 88 tackles, 66 solo, 4.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 24 passes defended in 48 games, which included the ACC Title and an Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2021.

He played in 16 games and started 11 with the Denver Broncos as a rookie in 2022, making 65 tackles, 54 solo, one tackle for loss and seven passes defended. He started the first six games of this season, but hasn’t since the middle of October and has only featured sparingly at cornerback.

Hallett featured a playmaker in the Pitt defense in 2022, recording a team-high six turnovers. He made three interceptions and three fumble recoveries, that led the ACC, along with 54 tackles (41 solo), three tackles for loss, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and two forced fumbles and three recoveries. He has not made an appearance for the Jacksonville Jaguars, after they made him their first draft pick ever from Pitt. 

Hill racked up 172 tackles (91 solo), three tackles for loss, three interceptions, 12 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two recoveries and two defensive touchdowns in four seasons with the Panthers. He broke out as a star safety in 2021, earning All-ACC second-team honors for his efforts, racking up 71 tackles (38 solo), a tackle for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and a recovery.

Hill has made two appearances for the Houston Texans this season, recording no stats.