Pitt FB Recruiting
Breaking Down the 2026 Pitt Defensive Recruiting Class Ahead of Official Visits
With just two commitments on the defensive side of the ball, the Pitt football staff is looking to make some noise in the coming weeks with a handful of fresh commits.
Three-star safety Isaac Patterson and three-star outside linebacker Marcus Jennings make up Pitt’s current defensive commits in the 2026 class and it has been rather quiet since securing Jennings in March.
The landscape of the defensive recruiting class is about to change for Pitt, so let’s take a look at what Patterson and Jennings have to offer and what could be next for the Panthers.
Isaac Patterson
The 6-foot, 180-pound talent out of Westerville South High School in Columbus, Ohio became Pitt’s second commitment in the 2026 class back on Feb. 21.
Pitt was Patterson’s only Power Four offer and still as as he decided to cash in on that opportunity in a hurry after the Panthers offered just a month prior in January. His other offers at the time consisted of Buffalo, Eastern Kentucky, Dartmouth, Penn, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio University, Eastern Michigan, Bucknell and Miami (OH).
Patterson had visited Pitt a handful of times and the staff continues to strengthen the relationship after safeties coach Cory Sanders and linebackers coach Ryan Manalac visited Patterson together at home in early May.
As a junior, Patterson registered 52 solo tackles, seven pass breakups, one interception and three tackles for loss. He also made an impact on offense with 21 receptions for 422 yards and five touchdowns.
On3, 247Sports and Rivals all view Patterson as a three-star recruit. On3 ranks him the highest as the No. 100 safety in the class.
Marcus Jennings
Jennings is a recruit that Pitt has been on for a long time. He initially received an offer in January of 2024 and then was re-offered by area recruiter Archie Collins a year later.
Linebackers coach Ryan Manalac has taken over the recruitment as was in to visit the Cass Technical High School (Michigan) product in January before he committed while on a visit in March.
When he committed, he selected Pitt over West Virginia, Illinois, UMass, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Charlotte, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Toledo, Kent State, Bowling Green and Eastern Kentucky. Since then, he has added offers from Iowa, Purdue and Ohio.
As a junior, he totaled 120-plus tackles, two interceptions, five sacks, two forced fumbles and recoveries.
Jennings is a three-star prospect, according to all major recruiting outlets. Initially a safety prospect, Pitt will have the 6-1, 195-pound Jennings slot in as an outside linebacker. 247Sports ranks him the highest as the No. 34 linebacker in the cycle.
What’s Next for Pitt Football’s Defensive Class?
There are some top targets expected on campus for official visits over the coming weeks. One of those is priority four-star defensive end Reston Lehman out of Peters Township High School in McMurray, Pa.
Much like the 2025 class, Pitt will most likely take two defensive ends and has shown interest in just a few defensive tackles, indicating the Panthers may take one once again.
Pitt has shown plenty of interest in a handful of linebackers — Colsen Gatten, Reilarean Phillips, Bryson Castile and Desmond Johnson are all supposed to visit. There’s a likelihood that Pitt could take two more linebackers to go alongside Jennings.
Cornerback Isaiah McMillian out of Katy, Texas is another prospect to keep an eye on. He visits during the second weekend of June and announces his commitment just over a week later.
As always, Pitt attracts some talented defensive backs, but it’s a matter if Pitt can close on them.
How Did Pitt Football’s 2025 Defensive Class Shape Up Position-by-Position?
Defensive end: 2 — Denim Cook, JuJu Anderson
Defensive tackle: 1 — Trevor Sommers
Linebacker: 2 — Justin Thompson, Emmanuel Taylor
Cornerback: 2 — Shawn Lee Jr., Mason Alexander
Safety: 2 — Josh Guerrier, Cole Woodson
