Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt Begins Relationship With 2025 3-Star Georgia Edge Rusher
Cole Funderburk didn’t have much of a relationship with Pitt entering the week, but that’s quickly changed over the last couple of days.
Funderburk — a 6-foot-3, 230-pound three-star edge rusher from North Gwinnett in Suwanee, Ga. — received an in-school visit from Ryan Manalac Tuesday, and the time together resulted in an official offer.
“It felt amazing picking up that offer,” Funderburk told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “Pitt being the first school to offer in the year really made a statement on them, and I appreciate them and how they believe in me.”
Extremely blessed to receive an offer University of Pittsburgh… #h2p🟦🟨@Coach_Manalac pic.twitter.com/dsH1UuAGCG
— Cole Funderburk 2025 (@colefunderburk8) January 16, 2024
Pitt is a little late to jump into the fray, considering Funderburk recently narrowed his list of 10 offers to Appalachian State, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, but it’s not as though the Panthers were too late.
“The talks with coach Manalac were good,” Funderburk said. “We talked about the facilities, the team, the history and a lot more ball. He told me wished they didn’t get on me so late, but he wanted to offer me at the time. We talked about how successful Pitt had been with this staff years prior to the year last year.”
It was a successful visit, one that moved communications from Twitter to in-person, but there isn’t currently any set plans for Funderburk to make it to Pittsburgh for an unofficial visit — but a Junior Day visit has been discussed.
Funderburk said that he would love to make a trip up to Pittsburgh before he eventually makes his college decision to meet the coaching staff outside of Manalac and get a feeling for a place he’s never been before.
Funderburk is a big body, listed at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and he’s an excellent athlete at that size. He should be able to grow into a true edge rushing defensive end but also maintain his current weight as a jumbo linebacker. And with Manalac the current point of contact, it’s clear the Panthers can see him as either spot.
He was wildly productive as a junior at North Gwinnett, racking up 65 tackles (51 solo), 35 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception — two of the fumbles were returned for touchdowns.
247Sports rates Funderburk as the 69th-ranked edge rusher and 72nd-ranked recruit from Georgia. Neither Rivals nor On3 have rated him yet, but as his recruiting process picks up over the spring, that is certainly going to change.
Funderburk recently set that top five, which obviously didn’t include Pitt, but if Pitt had extended an offer before he set that list of finalists on Jan. 9, the Panthers would’ve made the cut. It will be about building that relationship over the next couple of months now.
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.), three-star running back Jeffrey Overton Jr. (Woodbridge, Va.) and three-star edge rusher Sharlandiin Strange (Wyncote, Pa).
