Jahsear Whittington has done nothing but rack up accolades during his high school career at Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, and of course, he’s earned one more.
Whittington — a 6-foot-1, 275-pound four-star defensive tackle from the class of 2024 — has been named Mr. Pennsylvania Lineman of the Year by Mr. PA Football. He also earned first-team All-Pennsylvania honors on multiple occasions during his HS career, including as a senior, a season in which he led the Panthers to a state title.
The top-ranked defensive tackle from Pennsylvania, a Top-250 recruit according to Rivals, is coming off a stellar senior season. He racked up 62 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and two fumble recoveries in the process.
Whittington committed to Pitt way back when over offers from Boston College, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Penn State, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia, and he continued to receive interest from opposing programs hoping for a flip. But he stayed true to his commitment and signed on Signing Day in December.
“This is one of those guys that loves football as well,” Narduzzi said about Whittington on NSD. “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.”
Whittington is a big piece when it comes to the future of the Pitt defensive line and its resurgence. He’s an “undersized” defensive tackle who aspires to impact Pitt like Calijah Kancey and Aaron Donald before him, and by all accounts, he’s the type of player who could one day end up being voted a team captain.
Narduzzi was able to watch Whittington grow into the man he is today throughout his lengthy commitment, and it’s the way that he grew up that stood out.
“Jahsear just kind of grew up as far as just knowing what’s important, where I belong, what a commitment and loyalty really means,” Narduzzi said. “That’s what I see from him. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more improvement on the field. He obviously got stronger, he’s more physical when you talk about the athletic attributes.”
Former defensive line coach Charlie Partridge was a major reason why Whittington initially felt comfortable committing to Pitt so early, but he’s excited to begin building a relationship with new DL coach Tim Daoust, too.
“I can’t wait to meet him and build a good relationship with him and see what he expects and what type of coach he is,” Whittington told PSN after Partridge left.
Whittington won’t be arriving in Pittsburgh until the summer, but he’s the type of high-caliber recruit (at a position of need) who could come in and immediately compete for playing time. It’s untraditional for a true freshman — or underclassmen — to carve out any sort of serious playing time, but that’s the goal.
Whittington is one of five defensive line signees in the class, leading a group that includes four-star defensive tackle Francis Brewu, four-star defensive end Sincere Edwards, three-star defensive end Zachary Crothers and three-star defensive tackle Ty Yuhas.
It’s a class that lays the foundation for the revitalization of the defensive line room, joining talented young defenders in Jimmy Scott, Isaiah Neal and Antonio Camon.
Nice group — and says a lot that the coaches were able to hold on to all of them all after Partridge departed. Narduzzi is one of the top defensive coaches in the country hence why the higher end recruited talent has been weighted towards the D side of the ball. Hopefully, if Bell gets the offense showing consistent high performance, this weighting will balance out, making for a complete team.
I’m sure you will get some blowback about your comment, but I agree completely.
Well said. Complete agreement here.
Hurry Spring Game…..