Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt To Host Important 2026 WPIAL Prospect for Official Visit
Pitt is in contention for a handful of WPIAL recruits in the 2026 class and the Panthers are hoping to further their position with a few more defensive prospects.
With Central Catholic residing right down Fifth Avenue from Pitt’s campus, the Panthers are looking to keep the Viking prospects home.
One of those prospects happens to be Colsen Gatten — a 6-foot-1, 210-pound three-star linebacker — who is being pursued by a handful of top schools, including Pitt.
Gatten was recently on the South Side to take in a Pitt practice on Tuesday and will take an official visit from June 5-7, a source tells Pittsburgh Sports Now.
Pitt has been involved with Gatten since June of 2023 when the program offered the Central Catholic talent. Since then, he has visited the Panthers multiple times, including for Pitt-Virginia in the fall and another visit last spring.
Head coach Pat Narduzzi and linebackers coach Ryan Manalac have spearheaded the recruitment for Gatten and have formed a solid relationship with the local recruit.
“As a hometown kid, they’re letting me that I can come play for the hometown team,” Gatten told Pittsburgh Sports Now in February. “The coach that I’ve been in touch with the most is Coach Manalac. He really knows football and as I’ve come to learn, he’s a really good dude. He’s a really good coach but he’s a better person. I’ve also been in touch with Coach Narduzzi a lot. They were the third school to offer me, so I’ve been in touch with them a long time. Pitt has always treated me right and always treated me well.”
He also noted that Penn State, West Virginia, Duke, Kentucky and Nebraska are all pushing for him. Along with Pitt, he recently took spring visits to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Gatten’s father, Aaron, was a four-year letterman for Penn State football.
Gatten’s overall offer sheet stands at Pitt, Wisconsin, Penn State, Nebraska, California, Duke, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, SMU, Louisville, Purdue, Cincinnati, Indiana, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, Maryland, Kentucky, Boston College, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Temple and Sacramento State.
Rivals rates Gatten as a 5.7 three-star prospect, the 50th linebacker in 2026 and the 18th player in Pennsylvania.
