Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt is ‘At the Top’ for Rising 2025 TE After Unofficial Visit
Pitt extended an offer to Charlie Wingfield just about two months ago, back when Tim Salem served as the tight ends coach, but when Jacob Bronowski was hired earlier this month, he made Wingfield a priority.
Wingfield — a 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end from Ramapo High in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey — holds offers from Army, Boston College, Duke, JMU, Penn, Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia, and he made his first two visits over the weekend.
He arrived in Pittsburgh Saturday night, checked out West Virginia Sunday and spent Sunday afternoon on the South Side.
“It was great,” Wingfield told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “Sunday was the first day I was visiting colleges, I went to West Virginia a few hours before, so I made the two-in-one trip, and it was amazing. The coaches were incredible, and the coaches were just great. I was really just impressed with everything.”
Had an amazing time today at Pitt! Thank you @coachjbronowski for everything! Cant wait to get back to campus! pic.twitter.com/1XDshMPMl9
— Charlie Wingfield (@charliewing111) January 29, 2024
Wingfield spent his entire visit on the South Side, hanging out with Bronowski and checking out the facilities, and he was impressed by the new Pitt tight ends coach and special teams coordinator.
“He had this whole presentation set up for me about who he is, but then one of the slides was my strengths and weaknesses,” Wingfield said. “So, I could see that he really studied me as a player, which I really loved. And it was a lot of points that he gave me that I can use in the future to better myself.”
Salem offered Wingfield back in November, but once Bronowski arrived, it only took a couple of days for the communication to resume — and pick up. The pair talked on the phone, Bronowski re-offered him, and it’s been consistent communication since.
Wingfield is building a relationship with Bronowski, and the rest of the coaching staff after the visit, and he’s learned a bit about the program since initially picking up the offer.
“I know it’s a great city school in the ACC, always been a competitive program with some great players in the pros like Aaron Donald and James Conner,” Wingfield said. “I just know it’s a great, historic program.
“I think the overall vibe is great. The facilities were amazing, the coaches were incredible. They just showed a lot of love, and the people knew who I was. I also love how the Pitt shares everything with the Steelers, so that was a great plus.”
Wingfield was a two-way threat for Ramapo as a junior, starring as a tight end and defensive end. He hauled in 33 receptions for 393 yards (11.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns and added 48 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
Wingfield hasn’t been rated by the major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals and On3) yet, but that will change as he hits the recruiting trails and makes unofficial visits this spring.
He’s planning to take visits to Boston College and Duke, looking at Rice and Wake Forest and plans to just let the recruiting process unfold at its own pace. There’s no rush. It will be a busy offseason before his senior season at Ramapo kicks off, so he’s just taking it one day at a time at this point. But he knows what he wants from his future home.
“It has to have great academics for me,” Wingfield said. “Academics are No. 1 on my board, and I want to go to a place where I have a great relationship with the players and coaches. And they have a great winning culture. And a place I can go to develop into the best version of myself.”
He loved the experience at Pitt, and he’s looking forward to heading back. The Panthers have emerged as an early contender in his recruiting process.
“It’s at the top,” Wingfield said. “The coaches are incredible, and it’s the second place that I’ve gone to, so it’s definitely at the top for sure. Great academics, beautiful campus, great people. My cousin went to Pitt, and now he’s a physical therapist, so he’s always said great things about it. 100% towards the top.”
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.), three-star athlete Jaiden Brown-Demery (Mest Mifflin, Pa.) and three-star edge rusher Sharlandiin Strange (Wyncote, Pa).
