Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt Makes Three-Star OL Feel Like Priority With Offer During Visit
Three-star offensive lineman Mason Wilhelm resides in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio and has made three trips to Pittsburgh to check out Pitt with two gameday experiences in 2023 against Florida State and a year later for the Clemson matchup at Acrisure Stadium.
The latest trip saw him return to Acrisure Stadium, this time for the first Pitt scrimmage of the year. However, this visit ended differently as the 2026 prospect secured an all-important offer from head coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers.
“We went on a campus tour before the practice and then we came back to watch the practice. Then, me and my dad got to talk to Narduzzi before they started and he was the one who gave me the offer,” Wilhelm told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “Being able to personally get it from the head coach means a lot. It shows that they think I’m a great player to give an offer to.”
After a great talk with @CoachDuzzPittFB I’m blessed to receive an offer from @Pitt_FB #H2P pic.twitter.com/RekU4A2ayC
— Mason Wilhelm 3 ⭐️ OL (@Mason_Wilhelm70) March 22, 2025
The Pitt coaching staff has expressed interest in Wilhelm for a long time, which has included those gameday invitations, letters and even in-person visits, but the 6-foot-4, 285-pound recruit felt on Saturday how truly valued he is by the program.
“It was really cool. I felt like a priority when I came there right away by all the coaches and all the staff and all the recruiting guys. They gave me an extra tour of the campus. Got to see some certain stuff that other players didn’t. Had some meetings with coaches one-on-one. Talked to Narduzzi for a while just getting to know him personally. Got to see them practice. It was a great experience,” Wilhelm said.
With a Pitt offer in his pocket and the strong connections with the staff, the St. Edward product sees the Panthers as a top program right now.
“They’re in my top three as of right now and we are scheduling an official visit with them at some point,” he said.
Update: Wilhelm announced on Tuesday that he has scheduled an official visit with Pitt for June 12-14.
Pitt’s involvement in Wilhelm’s recruitment began all the way back when he was a freshman with former tight ends coach Tim Salem meeting him at an Ohio State camp. Then, Archie Collins jumped into the mix and continued that relationship before offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau got involved.
“As I got older, I got to meet Archie Collins because he recruits my area,” Wilhelm explained. “Me and him kept in touch and then sooner or later Darveau started texting me and I got invited to games. For the past year, it’s been back-and-forth getting closer with them. Finally, I went to the Clemson game. Got to see them play in person and met Darveau in person. Kept in touch and came to visit me at school. Coming to this practice, getting this offer secured me as a priority getting to see their facilities, their campus and all that.”
Amazing visit back at Pitt today ! Very appreciative of all the staff and coaches for everything today! Tough Loss! #H2P pic.twitter.com/fGxOJhjLIg
— Mason Wilhelm 3 ⭐️ OL (@Mason_Wilhelm70) November 17, 2024
Collins made the trip to Northeast Ohio in January to visit Wilhelm at school and that was followed not long after by Darveau.
“At the time, it was early January. Their biggest thing was, ‘We love you, you just have to be patient with us and let us go through our process and it will pay off.’ And it obviously did this past Saturday.”
With the Pitt staff keeping their word, Wilhelm got to enjoy and receive an in-depth look at the offense on Saturday.
“Overall, they have great size. I love their scheme. They can be a very run-heavy team like my school. Darveau as a coach is aggressive to get you better. He’s not doing it to be mean. He’s doing it to get you better and the team better as a whole,” Wilhelm said.
There’s not a specific spot that Pitt sees Wilhelm fulfilling just yet. 247Sports rates his as a three-star interior offensive lineman, but he can fit anywhere.
“When me and Darveau talked, they kind of see me able to do all five if needed,” Wilhelm said. “I’ll probably be primarily guard, but they also can see me playing center or being a backup tackle on any side.
“The biggest thing he likes from what he’s told me is he likes my technique. Also with my GPA of 4.5, he likes my smarts and being able to know blitzes and know signals and my athleticism,” Wilhelm added.
Along with Pitt, Wilhelm holds offers from Syracuse, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Tulane, UNLV, Colorado State, UMass, James Madison, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Ohio, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Akron and others.
Wilhelm will visit Ohio State on Saturday looking to add another offer. The Buckeyes are a legacy program for his family as his dad, Matt Wilhelm, spent four years in Columbus where he won the BCS National Championship in 2002 and received First-Team All-American honors as a linebacker.
Matt went on to an NFL career with the San Diego Chargers for six years, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers as he uses that knowledge to pass down to his son.
“He has the experience of playing the game, so he gives me advice all the time on how to get better, how to improve, how to think, all of it,” Mason said.
Wilhelm recently visited Syracuse (March 24) and will take a trip to Vanderbilt (March 27) before heading to Ohio State.
Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ole Miss are additional programs expressing interest in Wilhelm.
