PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers were not done adding to their 2023 recruiting class, even after signing most of the class in December. Pat Narduzzi and company added two more players — twin offensive linemen Brody and Graysen Riffe of West Orange High School.
The Panthers extended both Riffe’s their first Division I offers two weeks ago and had the twin brothers on campus for an official visit this past weekend. Even with Penn State offering the two of them that same weekend, Pitt was able to land the commitment from both Riffe’s.
The Riffe’s are big recruits — literally. At 6’8, there was no flying under the radar for them, even if the offer sheet didn’t match their size. Graysen is slightly heavier at 310 pounds, with Brody checking in at 300 pounds. The Panthers now have four offensive linemen committed or signed to their 2023 class.
Defense Receives Boost with Return of Super Senior
The Panthers will get a lift along the defensive line after star interior lineman Calijah Kancey elected to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. Devin Danielson, a super senior defensive tackle from Thomas Jefferson High School in Pittsburgh, announced on Instagram that he would be returning for his senior season at Pitt.
Danielson appeared in 11 games last season and recorded 17 total tackles. He’s recorded 62 over the course of his career, eight for loss and three sacks. He will bring a much-needed veteran presence to Pitt’s front seven.
Danielson, a senior, could have left this season to pursue a career in the NFL or life after football, but he will join fellow super senior, Pittsburgh native and defensive tackle David Green for another season in blue and gold. They will figure to be two starters by the time next season’s opener rolls around.
Pitt Extends Offer to 2024 Signal Caller
With the 2022 season over, the Pitt Panthers are well into the portion of their calendar dedicated to recruiting. Fresh off a dramatic win in the Sun Bowl, Pitt is hitting the recruiting trail hard.
2024 quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, of the Massachusetts powerhouse Xaverian Brothers High School, earned his first Power 5 offer from Pitt. He is the son of former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. He is committed to play lacrosse at Maryland next year, but a change of plans could be on the horizon.
Pitt Continues to Be Attractive Transfer Destination
The Panthers were pegged as a “winner” among ACC teams in transfer portal recruiting this offseason by The Athletic after adding former Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
The former four-star recruit via nearby Pine Richland High School will make the Panthers the third team of his college career and fill the void left by since transfered starter Kedon Slovis, who is now at BYU.
“Pitt will be the third college stop for local product Phil Jurkovec, who began at Notre Dame before playing three years at Boston College,” Andy Bittner wrote. “He threw for 35 touchdowns in his run at BC but struggled last year in an Eagles offense that bottomed out. He could still be an upgrade over the departed Kedon Slovis, who was a sub-60 percent passer in his lone year at Pitt, with 10 touchdowns and nine picks.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Panthers, according to Bittner, who will have the misfortune of facing former Wake Forest quarterback and the ACC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, Sam Hartman, one more time. Hartman will use his final year of eligibility to play for Notre Dame, who Pitt will meet in South Bend in late October of this season.
“He’s not the only former ACC player the Irish nabbed, but Hartman, who has 12,967 career passing yards, is the one who might make the six ACC teams on Notre Dame’s schedule the most miserable,” Bittner said. “Those teams include NC State, Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Clemson and, in a cruel twist of fate, Wake Forest.”
The Panthers have a strong history against Hartman — they intercepted him three times in a 45-21 victory at Bank of America Stadium to secure the 2021 ACC Championship — but he is still a dangerous player, especially given the talent Notre Dame has returning this fall.
