Highly Sought-After Transfer TE Scheduling Visit to Pitt

The Pitt football program was proactive in pursuing a talented player in the transfer portal, and it will pay off with a big visit.

Northwest Missouri State tight end Zach Atkins entered the transfer portal on Nov. 19, which has led him to a bunch of Power Four offers.

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In just three days, Atkins has received offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Cal, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Houston, Toledo, Western Kentucky, Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State and Liberty.

However, something that made an impression on Atkins was the fact that Pitt was the first Power Four school to reach out with an offer. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Atkins heard from tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski, Director of Player Personnel Graham Wilbert and Assistant Director of Player Personnel Oren Wilson Jr.

This morning, PSN had the opportunity to talk with Atkins about Pitt along with all of the attention and opportunities he’s received over the last few days.

“At a D-II school, a full-ride is rare, and I would have had to take out loans and incur debt,” said Atkins. “I felt like I was a better player, and I wanted to test that. I put my name in the portal and really bet on myself and the reaction has been great and I’m really grateful.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect this type of interest right away. I believe in myself, and I believe I have the ability to play at that level (Power 4 football) and I’m very grateful that so many coaches believe that too. It’s been a wild last couple of days and my dream is really coming true.”

hungry dogs run faster pic.twitter.com/juU7Q97csa

— Zach Atkins (@zachatkins24) January 10, 2024

In nine games played this season, Atkins recorded 18 receptions for 179 yards and three touchdowns, and he’ll have two seasons of athletic eligibility remaining.

“At my weight, to be able to move like I do and run routes like I do is pretty rare. I believe that coaches see my ability to be able to improve and with a D-I nutrition staff and strength staff, I think they see a lot of potential and a player with a bright future. With two years left, I just want to continue to try and improve and get better and I think with the right coaches and the right system that I can be a definite weapon.”

The Pitt coaches believe that Atkins can be a big weapon in their offense and let him know that during their conversation. Atkins summarized his talks with Pitt and says he’s working on setting up an official visit date in December.

“Pitt was the first Power Four school to contact me,” said Atkins. “Them being the first Power Four school to offer me means a lot in my eyes because they were the first big school to believe in me and believe in what I’ve shown on film. They were the first program to tell me that they can really develop me into being a great player at this level, which means a lot to me. They have a really young coaching staff and a young tight ends coach that said a lot of great things to me. I’m really looking forward to developing that relationship with them and seeing what happens.”

With all of that being said, Atkins will continue to see what other programs reach out and shares with us his process and timeline for making a decision.

“I have an amazing family and two amazing parents that have always supported me and pushed me to be better,” said Atkins. “We’re going to sit down and make a spreadsheet and go through all the pros and cons of every school and decide which visits we want to take. From there, I’ll make the decision of where I believe feels like home and where the best coaching staff can continue to develop me.

“Setting up some official visits is actually in the works right now and that includes Pitt. I really like what I’ve heard so far from their coaches and I want to get on campus and see everything. That will come sometime in December and I’m trying to be at my next school for the start of next semester.  My timeline for making a decision will be very fast, meaning I’ll be making this decision in the next month.”

The Pitt offense will be looking to replace Gavin Bartholomew upon his graduation with Malachi Thomas, Jake Renda and Jake Overman scheduled to return.