Transfer Simon key to ’22 class after quiet secondary signing day
As expected, Pitt didn’t add anyone on Wednesday’s secondary signing day. The Panthers’ 2022 recruiting class finished with 12 members, the smallest class of Pat Narduzzi’s eight-year tenure. That, too, was expected.
“What does a small class mean? When I walked out on that field [on Tuesday], I was like, ‘Holy cow, our football team that just won a championship is out there,’” Narduzzi said. “When you look around, I mean, everyone is back.”
The primary exception to that is Kenny Pickett. But Jordan Addison, Jared Wayne, Gavin Bartholomew, Pitt’s top three tailbacks and its entire starting offensive line are back. So are Calijah Kancey, Habakkuk Baldonado, Deslin Alexandre, Brandon Hill and more defensive standouts. Pitt’s ACC championship foundation is mostly intact.
But what about linebacker? Phil Campbell, Johnny Petrishen and Chase Pine, who combined for 145 games played and 394 tackles, ran out of eligibility. Cam Bright, a 2021 captain, transferred. So did Wendell Davis, Leslie Smith and A.J. Roberts. Then, Michigan State linebacker Michael Dowell’s transfer fell through due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
That left Pitt in a dangerous spot from a depth perspective. Enter, Shayne Simon.
Simon, an outside linebacker from Notre Dame, is one of three mid-year transfers. The other two additions, Southern Calfornia quarterback Kedon Slovis and Akron wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, were met with far more fanfare. Slovis was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2019 and 2020, while Mumpfield was a freshman All-American last year.
But Simon’s arrival is significant, too — one the 2022 Panthers couldn’t do without.
“We needed that one in a bad way,” Narduzzi said. “But we didn’t need it just to do it. It wasn’t
taking a guy just to fill a spot. We’re going to be picky. We were really picky. So not only did we get the spot filled, but we got it with the right guy, too.”
Simon, who will have two years of eligibility available, played in 30 games in his first three years with Notre Dame. He made eight starts in 2020 but tore his labrum in the opener last season. Simon made his decision to enter the portal after the Fighting Irish’s regular-season finale against Stanford.
The New Jersey native called his portal recruitment “a weird environment.” Coming out of St. Peter’s Prep, the alma mater of Steelers star Minkah Fitzpatrick and other success stories, Simon was a fourstar recruit with plenty of options. He had offers from 20 schools, including Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. And, perhaps more important, he had time to sift through those suitors.
Time and the transfer portal, meanwhile, are like oil and water. Scholarship openings come and go quickly. Simon considers himself fortunate that Pitt reached out at the 11th hour. Simon visited campus for an afternoon a couple of days before committing on Jan. 15.
Simon, speaking on Wednesday to local reporters for the first time, said he “fell in love” with Pitt on his visit. He knew generally about the Panthers’ aggressive defense ahead of Pitt and Notre Dame’s 2020 matchup. The Panthers lost, 45-3, but their highly touted run defense held top tailback Kyren Williams in check (17 carries, 38 yards). During his visit and after it, Simon saw on film why that run defense was so effective.
“The linebackers play fast. They play downhill,” Simon said. “It’s kind of similar to what we did at Notre Dame. For me, it’s about tweaking the naming of certain things and tweaking the process. But the defense is similar. I can play fast and have fun in it.”
Simon will open spring practice playing the “Money” role, aka, the short side outside linebacker position. Up-and-comer Bangally Kamara was thought to be a possible 2022 starter at “Money,” so it’ll be interesting to see how those outside spots shake out in the spring and summer. SirVocea Dennis, Pitt’s starting middle linebacker and leading tackler last year, will be the focal point of the defense.
Along with Simon, Dennis and Kamara, middle linebacker Brandon George is once again expected to be a contributor. Solomon DeShields, Preston Lavant, Aydin Henningham, 2022 early enrollee Marquan Pope and 2022 signee Kyle Louis will also be in the mix.
Certainly, Pitt wishes it had more than nine scholarship linebackers. The loss of Bright is the biggest among the four who transferred out. The 19-game starter, who lost playing time to Petrishen as 2021 progressed, left for Washington. When asked if he was surprised by Bright’s departure, Narduzzi said, “No,” declining further explanation.
Without Bright, Petrishen, Campbell and Pine, linebackers coach Ryan Manalac will undoubtedly have a tougher task in his second year at the helm. But Narduzzi is hoping Simon can help alleviate some of those concerns.
“We obviously had a need at the linebacker position,” Narduzzi said. “And I think we found a perfect fit.”