Pitt FB Recruiting
‘I Feel Like Pitt Moved Up Today:’ 2026 Freak Athlete Impressed by Visit
Bullis School (Md.) teammates Javonte Williams and Chris Tangelo do just about everything together, whether it’s working out, competing against one another on the football field or traveling to check out college football programs like Pitt.
Williams, a tight end prospect, knows quite a bit about the Pitt program after attending junior day in January and setting up an official visit for June. Tangelo, however, was making his first visit on Thursday alongside Williams.
“Javonte, that’s like my best friend. We do everything together. We work out together. Me and him always on the phone 24/7. When we go to football practice, it’s always competing, always competition. Me and him, we have a really good connection,” Tangelo told Pittsburgh Sports Now.
While Williams views Pitt as a top program in his recruitment, Tangelo is being pursued hard by Cincinnati and West Virginia. Although Pitt hasn’t communicated regularly with the 2026 prospect, the Panthers are still in the mix, too, making the experience on his visit that much more important.
“We don’t communicate that often, but when I came up today, the coaches were fired up about me. They were really excited to see me. I talked to almost every coach and every time I talked to coach it felt like we were talking our whole life,” Tangelo said.
Tangelo, who stands at a towering 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, is getting looks as both a wide receiver and defensive back by Pitt.
“I was with both sides today,” Tangelo said. “I was with the corners coach and receivers coach. They just like that I’m a freak athlete. On the offensive side, if the ball’s in the air, I’m going to go get it and track down the ball. Same thing with defense, they would want to use me as a ball hawk and as a big defender on their defense.”
During his time in Pittsburgh, Tangelo received a full tour around the program.
“When I got there, we went to the facility and then one of the coaches took us on a tour of the campus,” he explained. “We went to the main education building. When I walked in there, I was really impressed. They said a lot of ethnicity rooms like Turkish rooms, Austrian rooms. That really amazed me. All the other schools I went to, they don’t have that.
“Practice was good, too. Players moving around, flying around. Really attention to detail.”
Tangelo also felt the presence of Pitt’s culture while taking in practice on the South Side.
“They’re not just a football team. They’re more like a brotherhood. I seen a lot of players laughing, joking, having a good time. Football is serious, but it’s not that serious. People can always have a good time with each other and compete. At the end of the day, they’re always going to be a family, so the brotherhood really stuck out to me.”
He even spent a few minutes chopping it up with head coach Pat Narduzzi about more than just the team.
“I talked to the head coach. We had a conversation about the different conferences and we talked about education. Education, that’s a really big part. Football’s not always going to be forever. I want to go to a good school that’s going to development on the field and off the field, so education’s a big part.”
Another key Pitt coach in his recruitment is running back coach Lindsey Lamar, the Maryland area recruiter. It was Lamar that came down to the Bullis School in Potomac, Md. to extend an offer in January.
“It came as a surprise,” Tangelo said about the offer. “My coach, he told me that they wanted to come see me and when they came to see me, they threw me an offer. He came to the school and told me what type of program they are and how I would fit into their program. It wasn’t a long conversation because I had to go to a track meet. It was short and simple, but it was a good conversation.”
Lamar has talked with the talented athlete more as of late and for Tangelo, their relationship has become even deeper.
“I feel like coach Lamar, he hasn’t just been a coach to me, he’s been more like a mentor. He’s been helping me with football. Me and him have conversations just about life and what type of a program I’d like to be a part of. When we were talking, I know he’ll be a good coach for me and it’s a good fit in that program,” Tangelo said.
Pitt is competing with Cincinnati, West Virginia and Virginia for the talents of Tangelo as he has locked in official visits with all three schools.
However, Pitt has made a major move on Tangelo’s recruitment thanks to his experience during Thursday’s spring visit.
“First, Cincinnati. Then, Pitt second. I feel like Pitt moved up today,” Tangelo said.
While Tangelo’s official visits coincide with Pitt’s weekends in June, he is considering moving one around.
During his junior season, Tangelo hauled in 28 catches for 632 yards and eight touchdowns. He posted 11 tackles, 10 pass breakups and four interceptions on defense for Bullis. He has yet to be rated by any of the major recruiting services.
