Pitt Football Class of 2025 Breakdown: Well-Rounded Defensive Linemen

The Pitt football defensive line has built a reputation over the years as a fearsome pass rush that neared the top of the country in sacks per season.

In defensive line coach Tim Daoust’s first season, his unit totaled 41 sacks – tied for ninth-most in the FBS. That was a 10-sack increase compared to 2023 when the Panthers finished tied for 42^nd.

As Daoust puts his first season with Pitt under his belt, he now also welcomes in his first three recruits in defensive ends Julian “JuJu” Anderson and Denim Cook, along with defensive tackle Trevor Sommers.

With the trio of recruits joining Pitt, Daoust sees a group that is well-rounded and fully equipped for college football.

“Common threads you see with these guys, and can’t be stated enough, they come from quality quality homes. When you talk about going to college and succeeding at the high level of college football, you got to have toughness and work ethic. As soon as you know these kids and their family, their parents is where is comes from. High character, toughness and tenacity you’ll see with all of them,” Daoust said on National Signing Day in December.

The first player to commit in Pitt’s 2025 class was Sommers in early February after building a strong relationship with former defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. Since then, Daoust has furthered the connection with the Davie, Fla. native.

“He was a young man that was far along the process when I got here in February. I went down there and got a chance to watch him live in the fall and sat across from coach Harriott. He said, ‘You got a guy.’ When coach Harriott says that, that’s real down there at St. Thomas,” Daoust said.

While visiting, Daoust saw maturity and an impressive player who does not back down from a challenge.

“Trevor is in the front of the line. He is a worker. You want to talk about a kid that loves football, high motor, light on his feet and likes to put his face in the fan? That’s what we want at d-tackle. A tough kid that’s going to bring a lot of great intangibles to this program.”

Sommers, who stands at 6-2, 250 pounds, compiled 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and 18 quarterback hurries as a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas.

As Daoust continued his tour checking out Pitt football prospects, he came across another Florida native who was finishing out his high school career at Blair Academy in New Jersey.

“Julian Anderson was my first win here. In the spring, I called his coach at Blair Academy about another kid in the portal and he said, ‘I got one other kid that’s going to be here in JuJu Anderson.’ I wrote the name down and boom I looked it up and boom there’s this freak athlete. Long, athletic kid coming up there from Florida,” Daoust said.

Photo courtesy of Julian Anderson’s X account.

Daoust returned to see Anderson a handful of times to watch his workouts as he learned more about the big-framed 6-foot-4 recruit.

“Was able to see him work out in the spring, work out in the fall at practice. He’s playing both sides of the football and that’s what you want to see. He’s a leadership kid. I watched him practice at the front of the line, telling other kids what to do in a positive manner. Those are the kids you want to watch grow into his body because I think he’s got tremendous upside and the skills we want to rush the passer here at Pitt in a long line of guys that have done it here,” Daoust said.

At defensive end this past fall, Anderson notched 29 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a returned fumble recovery for a touchdown. He also added 19 catches for 233 yards at receiver.

Joining Anderson on the edge will be Cook out of Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio.

Daoust spent time with linebacker coach Ryan Manalac in Columbus watching the future Panther.

“Denim did things the right way. Kept on working, kept on working. We built our relationship and then we went and watched him live in the spring. Coach Manalac and I stood in the rain at traditional high school power Bishop Hartley. I’ve known coach Burchfield for years over there and finally get to land one of his find young man. He went through station to station and worked. Manalac and I standing next to each other looking across the field and said, ‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s what they’re supposed to look like.”

While all the major recruiting services scouted Cook as a linebacker, Pitt will look for him to bring a fearsome rush off the edge.

Photo courtesy of Denim Cook’s Instagram account.

“The kid does a lot of different things on tape. He’s playing outside linebacker, middle linebacker, defensive end. If he walked in the room, you’d see him and be like, ‘OK.’ His days of standing behind the defense and scrapping off the top are over. Put your hand in the ground and come off the edge,” Daoust said.

Cook’s senior season was limited due to an injury, but as a junior, he was impressive totaling 22 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

“He had a great senior year, but got it cut short with an injury. Probably kept some other schools from calling too much. He had to hang up the phone a couple of times and that’s what you want to do though. You want to fight for those top kids against some of those big schools. I think we got a great one and we’ll see where the lord takes him with his body because I think he’s a kid that can do a lot of different things,” Daoust said.

Cook and Anderson have already enrolled with Pitt football, while Sommers will join the Panthers in the summer.