Pitt Makes Top Five for Elite 2025 In-State Pass Rusher

Pitt has earned a spot in the final five for one of the top Pennsylvania recruits in the class of 2025.

Sharlandiin Strange — a 6-foot-4, 240-pound four-star defensive end from Cheltenham in Wyncote, Pa. — has cut his list of finalists to just five programs: Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse and USC.

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He also held offers from Akron, Boston College, Buffalo, Charlotte, Colorado, UConn, Illinois, James Madison, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Toledo, Virginia Tech and West Virginia before narrowing his list of finalists.

Strange will be announcing his decision on Jan. 27, wrapping up his recruiting process well before the summer.

Where’s Home??? 🦁,🪓,🍊,✌️,🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/X5hanZBh5H

— Sharlandiin “zaqq” Strange (@zaqq4x) January 11, 2024

Pitt jumped into the fray for Strange back in April, with Charlie Partridge officially extending an offer, but the relationship has not progressed to any sort of visits over the last few months.

If Pitt is to make a splash before his Jan. 27 commitment date, the coaching staff will have to work quickly.

Rivals has Strange as a Syracuse lean at this point in his recruiting process.

It’s not a surprise that Strange has racked up a ton of offers over the last year either, as he recorded 42 tackles (28 solo), 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, a forced fumble, three recoveries and three passes defended in seven games — according to MaxPreps.

247Sports rates Strange as the 261st-ranked recruit in the class (22nd-ranked edge rusher and ninth-ranked recruit from Pennslyvania) while On3 rates him as the 225th-ranked recruit in the class (18th-ranked edge rusher and eighth-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania).

Rivals rates Strange as the 20th-ranked strongside defensive end and ninth-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania — holding a 5.8 Rivals Rating.

Strange would be an excellent start to the Pitt class of 2025, but it appears that the Syracuse Orange are the team to beat over the next couple of weeks.

Pitt has not yet landed a commitment in the class of 2025, but the recruits in the class are beginning to come to the forefront. The Panthers are in the mix for four-star linebacker Dayshaun Burnett (Pittsburgh, Pa.), three-star athlete Emmanuel Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.), three-star offensive lineman Raphael Greene (Cincinnati, Ohio), four-star wide receiver Jadyn Robinson (San Juan Capistrano, Cal.) and three-star running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. (Woodbridge, Va.).