M.J. Devonshire is excited to be back home.
The 2019 recruit out of Aliquippa spent his first two NCAA seasons at Kentucky, but entered the transfer portal and returned to western Pennsylvania to continue his collegiate career.
He was a big name coming out of Aliquippa, rated four stars by Rivals when he went to Kentucky. Pitt attempted to recruit him then, but this time around the conversations he had with defensive backs coach Archie Collins had a different impact on the 5-foot-11, 182 lbs. cornerback.
"Early on, I was talking to Pitt and Penn State," Devonshire said when asked about his decision to transfer to Pitt. "I loved the conversation I had with coach Collins. It carried over from what he said when I was in high school. His pitch never changed. He said the same things to me and now that I'm more mature I can comprehend more. My dad always tells me sometimes when he gets on me about something, I might not understand in the moment, but when I got older I would understand. And that was one of those moments."
Devonshire redshirted as a freshman in 2019 and played just three games and last season appeared in eight games. As a backup cornerback, he recorded six tackles at Kentucky with one pass breakup. Part of what helped Devonshire in his decision to transfer were factors outside of football.
"It's definitely a lot easier," Devonshire said. "The first time, I was a kid and I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I was going into it like it was a video game or a fairy tale. Being older and more mature, I'm able to make a better decision that fits you, knowing what fits you and what you want in a school. You need to know where you want to be outside of football and how you want to live your life. It was definitely an easier decision knowing the school and not having to take a visit."
Collins got Devonshire to ask himself about what were the most important things he wanted to get out of his student-athlete experience.
"Helping me be a better man," Devonshire said about his focus as an athlete. "Football is going to come, that's natural because everybody here is a good football player. But when it comes to living your life, and doing that in Pittsburgh, how would I live my life and raise a family in Pittsburgh?"
The family that raised him in Aliquippa couldn't be happier for his return.
"My mom loves it," Devonshire said. "She still cried when I moved in because she's an emotional person, but she loves it. My dad's happy and my family is just happy to see me happy. My mom definitely loves that I'm down the road. She'll sometimes call me and ask, 'you want me to bring you something?' And I'll say, 'no I'm fine mom.' If the time comes when I go home for a weekend and I got some dirty clothes, I'll let her do my laundry. But I'm trying to be more independent."
Devonshire's new football family has already helped him get comfortable at the university. He even had other players from Aliquippa talking to him as he was entering the transfer portal in an effort to help guide him to Pitt.
"Eli Kosanovich," Devonshire credited as one person that he talked to during the transfer process. Kosanovich is redshirt freshman quarterback for the Panthers, also from Aliquippa. "Through the whole process, I talked to him from start to finish. The day I entered the portal, Eli texted me saying 'if you want Pitt to be an option, you know I'm always here.' Eli has been my best friend for years. He was definitely the first person and still to this day we talk about everything."
And when Devonshire arrived at Pitt in January, he had plenty of players in the secondary help him get settled both on campus and with the team.
"I felt comfortable walking in," Devonshire said. "There were no butterflies. I immediately felt at home. When they say you're at home, it's absolutely true. Walking around the facility, it's all smiles. It's a friendly environment and I'm definitely more comfortable in this situation."
"In the secondary, the first two guys to greet me were Marquis Williams and Damarri Mathis. As soon as I came in, they embraced me, made me part of the workout group and motivate me everyday. They work with me even off the field to see where my head is at and make sure I'm at home. They definitely do a good job of bringing that brother and family feel to me."
Even players on offense were helping him get adjusted.
"I've talked to Tre (Tipton) about off the field stuff," Devonshire said. "I work out with Will (Gipson) at home and he's a crazy athlete. I know a lot of guys here are like him so I'm looking forward to those battles in spring."
But it wasn't just the fact that Devonshire was returning home that drove his decision to choose Pitt. One of those reasons was the success he's seen from Pitt players who look to be strong prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft, including two defensive backs who inspired him.
"It definitely excites me," Devonshire said about Pitt players getting national praise. "Seeing those guys go to the league and having that opportunity is amazing. Especially guys like Paris Ford and Damar Hamlin, guys from this city and seeing them gives people hope. A lot of times I look at them and say, 'man, they did it and they're from where I'm from, so why can't I?' Hopefully I can do that for the next kid come up and they'll look at me the same way. Then it becomes a chain reaction and others keep following."
In addition to Ford and Hamlin, Pitt will most likely see Jimmy Morrissey, Jalen Twyman, Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver all get selected this season. You'll notice that none of those players are cornerbacks, as the Panthers' cornerbacks did have a rough go at times in 2020, often being left on islands in single coverage to get beat for big plays.
But that wasn't something that scared away Devonshire.
"I loved it," Devonshire said when asked about how Pitt uses its cornerbacks. "I loved the way the guys I saw compete. The big thing I talked about with coach Collins is having a chance to compete. In this game, you're going to give up catches and make big plays. There's ups and downs and it's emotional. The way they compete, every play you're in press and if you give up a catch you're right back at it. There's no change and they'll do what they do best and expect us to get it done. I love that about this defense."
The Hall of Fame cornerback from Aliquippa who lived on islands for his whole career, Darrelle Revis, also had advice for Devonshire.
"I've talked to him sometimes," Devonshire said of Revis. "But he tries to keep it not about legacy. He tells us we're our own person and not to live in his shadow. They want everyone that comes from Aliquippa to create their own paths and everyone to be different. He definitely preaches not to be in the shadow of Darrelle Revis, just be M.J. Devonshire and do what I do best."
Being from Aliquippa carries weight. There are several great players from the town, and the high school team continues to thrive in the WPIAL championships.
"There's so much pride and joy," Devonshire said. "It's different. They always say there's something out there in the water and I'm starting to believe it's true. Every year we keep rebuilding. Since I've been in school, we've been to a WPIAL championship every year. It's definitely different having that on your back, knowing the guys before you went to a championship and trying to keep that tradition alive is special."
Pat Narduzzi hopes Devonshire can help grow Pitt's pride in the coming years with stellar play in the secondary.