Pitt Scheduling Visit For Miami Transfer DE
PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have worked to address their lack of defensive ends following the end of spring practices, as they reached out to a valued transfer recently.
Miami transfer edge rusher Jayden Wayne spoke to Steve Wiltfong of On3 and said that Pitt, along with ACC foes Florida State, Cal, Louisville and Virginia Tech, Big Ten schools in Michigan State Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin, SEC schools in Mississippi State, Missouri and Ole Miss, plus James Madison and Kansas contacted him following his entry into the portal this week.
Pitt, along with Cal, Kansas UCLA and Washington, are all trying to bring him in for a visit as well.
Wayne came out of high school as one of the best players in the country. Playing for powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., he made 44 tackles and nine sacks in his senior season, but also excelled at wide receiver, making 18 catches for 269 yards and five touchdowns.
He was a four-star consensus recruit, with 247Sports ranking him No. 82 in the nation, No. 13 edge rusher and No. 21 in Florida in the Class of 2023, respectively.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Wayne is a towering figure that any team would want on their defensive line.
He played in eight games as a true freshman last season, making 13 tackles (four solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
Wayne hails from Tacoma, Wash., which is why so many west coast teams are coming in for his services.
Pitt has contacted and offered a few defensive ends since the transfer portal opened earlier last week. This includes Arkansas State’s Keyron Crawford, who transferred to Auburn, Youngstown State’s Deamontae Diggs and Illinois’ Anthony Johnson.
The Panthers lost almost all of their defensive line production from last season due to graduation and transfers. Defensive tackles in David Green, Tyler Bentley and Devin Danielson graduated, while both defensive tackle Deandre Jules and defensive end Samuel Okunlola transferred to South Carolina and Colorado, respectively, after the season.
The defensive line also lost two defensive ends following spring practices to the portal, in starter Dayon Hayes, who committted to Colorado, and redshirt freshman Antonio Camon.
Sixth year Bam Brima, who has only started three games, is the most experienced defensive lineman, as fellow sixth year defensive end Nate Temple will sit this year due to injury. Brima is likely to play defensive tackle this season, instead of defensive end as he has done previously.
The defensive ends that Pitt has include Kansas State transfer/fifth year Nate Matlack, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Scott, redshirt freshmen Maverick Gracio and Clemson transfer David Ojiegbe, as well as freshmen Zachary Crothers and Sincere Edwards.
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