You might have seen this recurring tweet once or twice before ...
PITT IS IT….‼️🔥🔵🟡👀 #H2P #TheHunt24
— Pat Narduzzi (@CoachDuzzPittFB) March 27, 2023
pic.twitter.com/RLKnPNiQRx
This 14-second clip is tagged along with a "PITT IS IT" comment from Pat Narduzzi whenever he lands a commitment to his Pitt program.
If it looks familiar, that is because you might be reading this following a week in which Pitt picked up five commits to its 2024 class in a span of six days, effectively bringing the group near the top of all of college football. The latest "PITT IS IT" tweet dropped Monday afternoon. These "Pat Signals," if you will, total at 10 for the 2024 class.
The latest came on the heels of the commitment of three-star offensive tackle Adham Abouraya, an Exton, Pa., native who announced his commitment Tuesday morning:
7777% commited🔵🟡🔵🟡 #H2P Alhamdulilah @CoachDuzzPittFB @coachcsanders @CoachBorbs @Kzovko @graham_wilbert @DTownFball @TheHistoryDtown @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/tuanSajwYR
— Adhamabouraya (@adhamabouraya) March 28, 2023
While it is still early, Pitt's 2024 recruiting class now ranks a a tie for ninth in college football and a tie for fourth in the ACC behind Florida State (fourth), Clemson (seventh), and Wake Forest (ninth), per Rivals.
The recent boom began last Tuesday, when three-star tight end Eric Ingwerson announced his commitment to Pitt after visiting March 18. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Papillon, Neb. native held three offers, including from Northern Illinois and Football Championship Subdivision program Northern Iowa:
I’m excited to announce that I am 100% committed to the university of Pittsburgh to continue my academic and football career! @PLVfootball @CoachDuzzPittFB @CoachTimSalem @Pitt_FB @FMPMentoring @MikeSautter_ pic.twitter.com/DxzGc2IInd
— Eric Ingwerson⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Ericingwerson85) March 21, 2023
The recent stream continued Friday with the commitment of three-star offensive lineman Jiavani Cooley from Cathedral Preparatory in Erie, who tweeted his commitment to Pitt Friday prior to the team's first scrimmage of the spring to be held Saturday. A three-star prospect at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, Cooley held offers from Boston College, Maryland, and Syracuse, among three others. Cooley visited Pitt Jan. 28 and committed fewer than two months later:
100 % committed @CoachBorbs @CoachDuzzPittFB @Kzovko @graham_wilbert @Pitt_FB @mike_krahe @jbrzezinski12 @snoozie223 @marcus_lewko pic.twitter.com/WMQbP7gRDr
— Jiavanioffical (@JiavaniOfficial) March 25, 2023
The streak of Pat Signals continued Monday, when defensive end Zachary Crothers and cornerback Tayshawn Banks each tweeted their verbal commitments to the program:
1000% Commited!! #H2P @CoachPartridge @CoachDuzzPittFB @Dameon8 @coach_aaron_89 @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/zvlwdWLZBp
— Zachary Crothers (@ZachCrothers5) March 27, 2023
I just wanted to say thank you to my coaching staff at Taft. Also, a huge thanks to my mom and dad. With that being said, I will be committing to the University of Pittsburgh.💛💙 @BatesBacker @CoachTy_1 @CoachDuzzPittFB @TaftNationFB @TaftNation @Statboyent pic.twitter.com/FGOLM2892r
— Tayshawn Banks (@TayshawnBanks) March 27, 2023
Crothers is currently unranked on Rivals and 247Sports, but the Hollywood, Fla., native held 15 offers, including from Power Five programs Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon State. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Crothers became the fourth defensive lineman to commit to the 2024 class.
The Cincinnati native Banks held 15 offers, including from Power Five schools Boston College, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue, and West Virginia. He visited Pitt last summer.
The 2024 class has tremendous balance thus far, with five commits from the defensive side of the ball and five on the offensive side. Per Rivals, the top-rated players are four-star defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington and four-star wide receiver Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer. Each committed to Pitt in 2022.
Also included in the 2024 class, all of which are rated as three-star prospects, are running back Juelz Goff, defensive end Ty Yuhas, and defensive tackle Francis Brewu.
While it is obviously still early within the cycle, Narduzzi has never been off to a hotter start within recruiting, and at this point the steam picked up from the 2021 ACC Championship and the subsequent successes of finishing 9-4 and with its second season-ending Top 25 ranking in a row are providing huge boosts to the program.
Narduzzi retained his entire coaching staff -- save for one graduate assistant -- into the 2023 season, which helps that steam tremendously. Pitt has the future of the quarterback position locked down with Christian Veilleux, Nate Yarnell, and Ty Dieffenbach each retaining status as redshirt sophomore, redshirt sophomore, and true freshman, respectively, into 2023. Narduzzi solidified his running backs room in the 2023 class with the signing of TJ Harvison. His wide receivers room was shored up with Israel Polk and Lamar Seymour in 2023.
Things are taking shape -- again -- on the South Side, and more is sure to come.
