Pitt FB Recruiting
Pat Narduzzi Breaks Down Pitt Class of 2024 – Defense Edition
It was an inspired effort by Pat Narduzzi, Charlie Partridge and the Pitt coaching staff to keep its entire recruiting class together on National Signing Day, and there’s a lot of defensive talent coming in.
Pitt managed to stave off flip attempts for a couple of top recruits in the class, and it’s led to a class that features four four-star defenders. There are five defensive linemen, three of which are four-stars, three linebackers and three defensive backs in the class. Four recruits are from Florida, three are from Pennsylvania, two are from Ohio and there’s one each from New Jersey and Tennessee.
Narduzzi is proud of the intangibles of the Pitt signees, too, not just the football prowess.
“Of the 19, 14 were team captains, which I expect them to be in our Eagles, you know, just kind of build that and we’ll find out who they are there,” Narduzzi said Wednesday. “And overall, 3.0 in core GPA, which, you know, with the NCAA, you know, we averaged a 3.0, which I think is pretty strong.”
He offered his thoughts on the Pitt class of 2024 Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
National Signing Day ✅
Thrilled to add 19 new Pitt Panthers today from the Class of 2024 👏#H2P ✍️ #TheHunt24 pic.twitter.com/J575nwc2tu
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) December 20, 2023
Jahsear Whittington — DL, 6-foot, 275 pounds, Philadelphia, PA/Imhotep Charter
“First one is a guy that’s been committed to us. He was te very first commitment, Jahsear Whittington from Imhotep Charter High School there in downtown Philly. This is one of those guys that loves football as well. Always got a smile on his face. He’s tough, he’s physical. He led his team to a state championship We wish he was mid-year. Every time I see him, I’m like, ‘Are you sure you’re not mid-year?’ I wish he was mid-year. And just one of those guys that led his team to a championship. He’s explosive, he causes havoc inside against whoever he plays against. I know coach Partridge can’t wait to get his hands on all these guys.”
Ty Yuhas — DL, 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Munhall, PA/Pittsburgh Central Catholic
“Ty Yuhas, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, local boy. Family’s all Pitt. One thing I’ll tell you about Ty is when he first got his offer coming out of camp, it was like, ‘Coach, I’m committed.’ Like, you know, some guys are gonna go home take 24 hours, when it’s real early. But there was no question right now, this guy’s a Pitt guy. He wants to be at Pitt. And to me, that’s important. There was no hesitation at all for a local guy. He’s seen Pitt enough. He’s been to every home game this season. I told him when he committed, I said, ‘You know you got season tickets,’ it’s like I gave him some. Every prospect gets three tickets for every home game. So, he used those season tickets to his fullest. And I think he was in the locker room after every ball game, win or lose. Ty is with us, and we’re excited about having him.”
Francis Brewu — DL, 6-foot, 275 pounds, Westerville, OH/Thomas Worthington
“Next one is Francis Brewu from Thomas Worthington High School over in the Columbus area, Westerville, Ohio area. A mid-year defensive tackle. This is one of those guys in the last 48 hours, maybe 72 hours, I don’t know how long it’s been — I think it’s publicized out there on Twitter that he was visiting Michigan State. But this is a guy that went down to the wire. We didn’t know until sitting in the lobby here as a staff that he was with us. You know, we had some ideas. But you talk about hour and 40 minute conversations with me. Then he’d go hour 50 with coach Partridge. And then it was, you know, 65 minutes with coach Manalac. But the three of us really tag-teamed him for the last three days and secured his committed, and I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have him. The mid-year is the key. We’ve got three mid-year D-linemen coming in. But with some of the voids we have in there being able to come in mid-year is critical. So, we’re excited to have him. He’s strong. He sent me about a week ago him benching 415 pounds in high school. I mean, you’re gonna need that coming in here. Appreciate his loyalty and staying with us with all the temptations. As we know, there’s a ton of temptations out there. He ignored all that noise and did it the right way and stayed with Pitt.”
Sincere Edwards — DL, 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, Apopka, FL/Wekiva
The next guy, Sincere Edwards, Wekiva High School, home of Brandon Hill. An outstanding athlete. You know, for some of our coaches, it was the first time they had pineapple and chicken pizza. I’m not sure why, but that’s his favorite pizza. If you guys are trying to get him to do an extra interview, you might have to ask him about it, you might have to give him a pizza. But Sincere is a — it says 265 pounds, he’s actually 240 pounds. He’s a guy that can maybe play a little bit — he played some linebacker in high school. I would imagine at 240 you know what he looks like. But he’ll be here, and he does an outstanding job. And we’re excited about where Sincere will be in this program.”
Zach Crothers — DL, 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Weston, FL/Chaminade-Madonna Prep
And then last but not least on the D-line, a state champion, mid-year defensive end — Zach Crothers from Chaminade-Madonna High School, prep school down in Florida. Just an outstanding football player, defensive end, can do it all. And probably the best compliment you can get, and I told them so on the phone today, I saved it for today, is, you know, I’m at Burton Catholic High School, who they beat early in the year. And I’d imagine Chaminade has maybe ten guys sign today, and the coach is like, ‘Coach, that guy you got out of there is the best football player on the team and the best player we saw all year.’ So again, getting a compliment like that from another staff, another team that you played is critical. So, not only did they win a state championship, they finished number two in the country. I guess in the USA Today as far as just top teams in the country.”
Cameron Lindsey — LB, 6-foot, 200 pounds, Aliquippa, PA/Aliquippa
“Linebackers, start off right at home here. Aliquippa linebacker Cam Lindsey. A really athletic guy who plays in all three phases for them. When you watch the game, I had the opportunity to watch one live game, I believe this year, I think it’s the only game I had the chance to go to at new Heinz Field, not actually Heinz Field, it’s their Heinz Field, but, you know, football player, athlete. I think he can play all three positions. I think he’s kind of like a SirVocea Dennis. I think he’s one of those guys that you can put at the Star, you can put at Money, you can put at Mike. I think he can do it all. And he runs down on kickoffs and knocks people’s heads off, you’re gonna watch him do that for four years. He plays downhill and aggressive like we need our guys to play here.”
Davin Brewton — LB, 6-foot, 240 pounds, Neptune, NJ/Red Bank Catholic
“The next guy, again, a guy that loves football from Red Bank Catholic High School down in south Jersey, Davin Brewton. A 235-pound guy, I don’t know, but just a big, physical — loves the game. Loves the game of football. Parents own a restaurant. If you’re ever in that neck of the woods, that Kenny Pickett neck of the woods over in — he called it Central Jersey, when I recruited there for years, there was never a central Jersey. It’s either north or south, but I guess they created something in the last few years. But a central Jersey type guy. But they got a soul food restaurant, outstanding, highly recommend. The catfish, when you go, get the fried catfish, and for the first time ever, I had fried lobster at their restaurant. So, that is a first, and again, I had some unbelievable meals throughout the deal, but that was incredible, cooked by his dad as well, so. But loves the game of football and can’t wait to get him in there. I think he can be a Mike, you know, probably until we get him here, I think he can play them all as well. But he’s a bigger guy that’s going to maybe be the Mike or the Money position and sic him to the quarterback.”
Jeremiah Marcelin — LB, 6-foot, 225 pounds, Opa-Locka, FL/Miami Norland Senior
“The last guy, a mid-year guy from Miami Norland, Jeremiah Marcelin. A big, physical guy. He was one game, maybe a couple plays away, from winning the state championship. Everybody in the state thought they were going to win it, they didn’t get it done, and I know he was crushed. He played the entire season with a broken pinky. Had surgery after the year. So, he’s in a finger cast now or whatever, had some pins put in there, but you talk about tough. He is a tough, physical guy that I can’t wait to watch come in here and practice this spring and see what he’s all got. He’s a detailed guy. Like I said, he’s got great size, he’s got instincts and he’s got toughness.”
Allen Bryant — DB, 6-foot, 170 pounds, Oakland Park, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas
“We’ve got one safety in Allen Bryant. I think I was saying about Allen Bryant from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Again, when you look at some of these high schools, you’re talking DeMatha, you’re talking Red Bank Catholic, Miami Norland, St. Thomas Aquinas, these are some of the top high schools in the country that we’re pulling guys out of, that love the game of football and they coach well. But Allen Bryant, big, ol’ safety, he’s detailed, and he’s laser-focused on what he’s doing. He’s really smart. He’s going to be one of those guys back there for a few years here that we expect to make a lot of plays. He had three interceptions this season. And, again, a state champion as well for his high school. So, that’s our safety signing for the year.”
Nigel Maynard — DB, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Murfreesboro, TN/Stewarts Creek
“Nigel Maynard, came from Stewart’s Creek High School in Tennessee. You sit there and say, ‘What are we doing down in Tennessee?’ I think it’s our first player that we have from Tennessee. We almost had a quarterback a couple of years ago. But Nigel’s a really good player. He’s got family in Youngstown. Long story short, his mother and my little sister, okay, she’s got a twin, were in elementary school together. So, it goes way back. That’s not why we got him, but, you know, you find these connections as you’re talking. … So, he’s got connections in Youngstown and the connection was he came down to camp this summer. ‘Hey, let’s go to Pittsburgh’s camp, just out of the blue.’ He came to Pitt’s camp. We loved him, we offered him, and we’ve kind of stayed on him since then. And now he’s a Pitt Panther as of 7:22 this morning. So, we’re excited to have him.”
Davion Pritchard — DB, 6-foot, 170 pounds, Youngstown, OH/Austintown Fitch
“The last guy on defense is Davion Pritchard, another Youngstown, Ohio native. Austintown Fitch. Another guy that was here in 7-on-7. He was already committed to us by the time he came to 7-on-7, but again, it impressed us even after being committed. Athletic guy who brings some of that Youngstown toughness down into Pittsburgh with the Pitt toughness. A guy that will excel at the corner position like so many have here at Pitt.”
