The transfer portal re-opens at midnight, and with how lax the portal rules are, it’s not unfair to assume that the two-week window will be very active.
Pitt, as it stands on April 15, is eight scholarships over the limit.
With the spring finished up (and Pat Narduzzi pleased with how the spring went), Pitt is entering a summer in which the No. 1 goal is offensive development. But with 93 scholarship players currently on the roster, trimming the roster will be a very important task for the coaching staff.
There are position groups that could be upgraded still, looking at the defensive line and cornerbacks, but in the event of portal additions, even more players will have to hit the portal.
The spring allowed the coaching staff to get an early look at the 2024 roster, with position groups beginning to take shape, and for most position groups, the players should have a pretty good idea of where they stand.
There will be players who do not have a clear path at playing time looking at a new destination, there will be players that the coaching staff feels will be better off elsewhere, and with the unpredictability of college football, there will be players who make surprising decisions.
Whatever the case, Pitt must be at 85 scholarships by the fall.
Pitt was active in the portal over the winter, with 12 players arriving and 11 players leaving (and Nate Temple and Brandon George entering the portal and deciding to return). As Pitt sits eight scholarships over the limit, the spring is going to be nearly as active.
Arrivals (12)
R-Sr. CB Tamon Lynum — Nebraska
R-Jr. LS Nilay Upadhyayula — UConn
Jr. RB Desmond Reid — Western Carolina
Jr. WR C.J. Lee — Western Carolina
Sr. DE Nate Matlack — Kansas State
R-So. DT Nick James — Indiana
R-Sr. TE Jake Overman — Oregon State
R-Fr. DE David Ojiegbe — Clemson
R-Jr. OL Lyndon Cooper — North Carolina State
Sixth-Year LB Keye Thompson — Ohio
R-Jr. WR Raphael Williams — San Diego State
R-Fr. QB Eli Holstein — Alabama
Departures (11)
Super-Sr. S Buddy Mack — South Carolina
Redshirt-Sr. LB Aydin Henningham — Albany State
Super-Sr. LB Bangally Kamara — South Carolina
R-Jr. S Stephon Hall — Youngstown State
Sixth-Year DL Deandre Jules — South Carolina
R-Sr. LS Byron Floyd — Buffalo
R-Jr. OL Trey Andersen — Utah State
R-So. WR Addison Copeland III — undecided
R-So. DE Samuel Okunlola — Colorado
R-Fr. RB TJ Harvison — undecided
R-Sr. TE Karter Johnson — Florida A&M
Dayon thought cutting down the roster meant telling everyone on the team they couldn’t win.