Pitt Extends First Power Four Offer to Underrated Florida DB

Jonathan Rousseau had met Charlie Partridge a couple of times before Friday, but the most recent meeting was certainly the most inclusive.

As Partridge made it out to Cardinal Gibbons High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to check in on top recruits from the area, he made sure to spend some time with Rousseau this time — continuing a relationship that has dates back to last year.

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That time together, following a good talk during the in-school visit, resulted in an official offer to Pitt.

“It makes me feel good,” Rousseau told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “I’m excited for a relationship to develop, to keep talking to coach Partridge and meet the DBs coach at some eventually. Hopefully go up there for a visit. I’m just excited to see where it goes.”

Extremely blessed to receive an offer from the university of Pittsburgh#H2P@Redskins32 @5manfree @ConroyWhyte @CoachPartridge @Pitt_FB @GabyUrrutia247 @DavidLake3 @coachmarroquin @TheCribSouthFLA @TheUCReport @RivalsWoody @rivals @247Sports @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/mH8EgT6HYS

— Jonathan Rousseau (@Jr2greedyy) January 17, 2024

Rousseau, who also holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky, picked up his very first offer from Partridge and Pitt. And that’s something that means a lot to Rousseau.

Partridge heard a lot about Rousseau from his coaches at Cardinal Gibbons, and when he checked out Rousseau’s film himself, he liked what he saw. And he told Rousseau as much.

“He’s a very personable guy,” Rousseau said. “He made a few jokes and stuff like that. So, I think he’s a very personable gut and he’s really outgoing and funny. I like him as a coach because he’s got energy and he’s not very boring. He said I have good size; he loves my film and he wanted to give me an offer.”

The talks with Partridge weren’t so much about football as they were about life. It was a unique dynamic for Rousseau, considering the way he usually interacts with college coaches. He’s looking forward to talking more with Partridge.

There isn’t an official visit date lined up yet, but Partridge told Rousseau he’d like to get him up to Pittsburgh soon.

Rousseau isn’t too familiar with the city of Pittsburgh at this point, but through watching older brother Greg (who played at Miami before being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft), he came to admire the way the Panthers played.

“I like watching ACC football because it’s on the east coast, so I feel like it’s more relevant to me,” Rousseau said. “So, I know a lot of the players on the team from there, Kenny Pickett, Dane Jackson, Paris Ford, so Pittsburgh is a great school. And my teammate goes there, Jesse Anderson.”

Greg’s advice has been to keep praying, keep working hard and don’t get complacent in his work to get to the next level. And Rousseau is excited to put that advice to use this spring and throughout his senior season at Cardinal Gibbons.

The national recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals or On3) have not rated Rousseau at this point, but that should change as he competes at camps this spring and hits the field for his senior season.

He only holds offers from Pitt and Eastern Kentucky at this point in his recruiting process, but he’s receiving interest from Appalachian State, Miami and Georgia State. He’s looking for a school that will give him the opportunity to reach his NFL dreams.

“A school that shows they want me and actually value me as a player and have a plan for me. And they’ve gotta put DBs out every few years so I can see myself making it to the NFL one day. That’s my dream. Putting DBs out is very important and that’s something Pittsburgh does.

“They stand out 100% because they were the first school to offer me, so it means a lot to me. They were the first school to believe in me, so they’ll always be at the top of the list.”

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).