Vukovcan: Pitt Football Knows How to Evaluate Talent

The Pitt football program’s ability to get its players to the NFL has been well chronicled. In fact, it was something that I wrote about following their come-from-behind win over West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl.

Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt currently has over 25 players playing in the NFL and many of these players are starters.

Yes, other schools such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and other major Power Four programs can make the same claim, but what Pitt is doing is very different.

When looking at things from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, etc. perspective, most if not all of the players that they’re putting in the NFL are four- and five-star recruits. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

What Pitt is doing is entirely different and quite frankly, more impressive because while recruiting, they’re identifying players, evaluating their skill set and then bringing them into the program and developing them into NFL prospects.

Here are some specific examples of that:

• Brian O’Neill — right tackle for the Minnesota Vikings. O’Neill signed with Pitt as a low three-star recruit and the Panthers were the only Power Five team that extended him an offer. Today, O’Neill is one of the best right tackles in the NFL and recently signed a 5-year, $92.5 million contract extension.
• James Conner — running back for the Arizona Cardinals. Pitt was Conner’s only Power Five offer and we all know what he was able to accomplish at Pitt. Last week, Conner just went over 5,000 rushing yards in the NFL.
• Dane Jackson — cornerback for the Carolina Panthers. Jackson was a two-star recruit and is now entering his fifth season in the NFL after signing a free agent contract in the offseason with the Carolina Panthers.
• Patrick Jones — defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was a two-star recruit and developed into an All-ACC performer, which got him selected in the third round. Jones is having an outstanding start to this season, as he’s tied for third in the NFL in sacks.

Other former Panthers that follow into this category include SirVocea Dennis (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, two-star recruit), Jason Pinnock (New York Giants, only one other Power Five offer) and Matt Goncalves (Indianapolis, only Power Five offer).

I could go on and mention other players, but you get the point. I should also point out that they do the same with their four-star players such as Damar Hamlin, Jordan Whitehead, Tyler Boyd, MJ Devonshire, etc.

Whether it’s a four-star player or a two-star player, Pitt has shown the ability to get you to the league.

I’m bringing this up because this current Pitt team has two players that weren’t highly recruited but are catching the eye of everyone in college football.

Quarterback Eli Holstein, running Desmond Reid and offensive coordinator Kade Bell are getting a lot of the attention for the Panthers 4-0 start, but two young players are opening up eyes on the defensive side of the ball.

Linebackers Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles have been explosive playmakers that continue to get better and better every week.

Louis, a redshirt sophomore from New Jersey, has collected 33 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions. Biles, a sophomore from Ohio, already has 32 tackles and three sacks.

Following the Youngstown State game, head coach Pat Narduzzi had this to say about his young star linebackers.

Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Rasheem Biles (31) August 31, 2024 Photo by David Hague/PSN

“He’s a beast (Louis),” said Narduzzi. “That guy is a football player. We knew it in spring ball. I told a lot of the linebackers, like he was the dude. Rasheem Biles is the same kind of guy. They’ve been explosive on the edge, and we’re getting a lot of really, really good players out of those guys.”

Looking back at their recruitment, Louis was originally committed to play at Temple before flipping his commitment to Pitt. Aside from his Pitt offer, Louis only had two other Power Five offers. As for Biles, the Columbus, Ohio native had a low three-star rating before committing to Ryan Manalac and Pitt over two other Power Five offers.

The bottom line is that regardless of your star rating and what recruiting websites think of you, if the Pitt football program offers you a scholarship, you might want to consider it.