Four new players land through transfer portal
Following an eventful weekend on the South Side, Pat Narduzzi and his staff look to have checked at least a few items off the program’s holiday wish list. Per a report from PantherLair.com, Pitt hosted at least 10 players in the transfer portal on an official visit last weekend, resulting in four verbal commitments as of Monday morning.
Headlining the group of new Panthers is Nate Matlack, a veteran defensive end from Kansas State who has one remaining year of eligibility. Matlack, who measures at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, played in 39 career games for the Wildcats, where he tallied 39 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Matlack was a reliable rotational player up front this past season, finishing with 15 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Joining Matlack on the defensive line will be Nick James, a defensive tackle from Indiana with three remaining years of eligibility. A former four-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., James, who measures at 6-3, 285 pounds, was recruited by the Panthers in high school. He instead chose the Hoosiers, where he appeared in just five games over the past two seasons.
Pitt also made a few big additions on offense, as running back Desmond Reid and wide receiver CJ Lee both verbally committed to the Panthers. Both Reid and Lee come to Pittsburgh from Western Carolina, where they each played the past two seasons in an offense coached by Kade Bell, Pitt’s new offensive coordinator.
Reid is perhaps the more highly touted prospect of the two, finishing with 1,180 yards of total offense and 13 touchdowns in just eight games this fall. Measuring at 5-8, 170 pounds, Reid’s value comes from his speed, which has been well on display thanks to Bell’s playbook. Lee, who measures at 5-11, 170, also shined in Bell’s scheme, tallying 82 catches for 1,426 yards and 14 touchdowns in 22 career games at Western Carolina.
The four players mentioned above join former Nebraska cornerback Tamon Lynum and former Connecticut long snapper Nilay Upadhyayula as the six verbal commitments Pitt has landed since the transfer portal opened on Dec. 4. And that number could be higher within the next few days.
Per multiple reports, one of the transfer targets that made an official visit to Pitt during the weekend was David Ojiegbe, a former four-star prospect who entered the portal after playing in just two games during his first collegiate season at Clemson. Multiple sources informed the PostGazette that Ojiegbe, who measures at 6-3, 240, has a high likelihood of making Pitt his future home.
While the defensive line seems to be Pitt’s top priority this offseason, another area of focus is the secondary. One target for fans to keep an eye on is Nyland Green, a defensive back who played the past three seasons at Georgia. Green, who measures at 6-1, 185, has two remaining years of eligibility and is currently rated the 16th-best player available in the portal by Rivals. Green made an official visit to Pitt over the weekend, which was his latest of many. Per a report from On3, Green has also visited North Carolina and Arkansas. Those three schools, along with LSU, look to be the top four finalists for Green’s talents.