With Pitt Spring follow shifting alongside, the workforce is working and bettering heading into the Spring Sport on April 15.

The Panthers are additionally internet hosting recruits and their households at these practices, in hopes of buying their companies sooner or later.

One attention-grabbing participant is making the trek to go to this system and watch Pitt’s first scrimmage this Saturday, March 25. This participant might be one which Pitt is extremely dedicated to bettering this system over the following few years.

As I used to be taking a look at Pitt’s roster Tuesday evening within the wake of Eric Ingwerson’s dedication, I seen that the tight ends part appeared gentle.

Was I lacking somebody? Gavin Bartholomew, Karter Johnson, Cole Mitchell, Jake Renda, Dylan Deveney — wait. The place is Deveney? Properly, his absence makes an already skinny room even thinner.

There are simply 4 tight ends below scholarship on Pitt’s roster, two of which haven’t taken any snaps, so it’s not as if there’s a plethora of choices. There’s a possible star, a strong backup and… unknowns.

Pitt has so as to add one other tight finish through the switch portal as soon as it opens again up later this spring, following spring ball, and regardless of Ingwerson’s dedication, Pitt wants one other dedication — or two — within the class of 2024 as Pitt may enter subsequent season with none skilled tight ends.

So, let’s check out the place Tim Salem’s unit stands proper now, following Ingwerson’s dedication.

Gavin Bartholomew — Jr.

2022 stats: 21 receptions for 283 yards (13.5 yards per) and two touchdowns

Profession stats: 49 receptions for 609 yards (12.4 yards per) and 6 touchdowns

I don’t know what to make of Gavin Bartholomew’s 2022 season, actually.

He provided his personal ideas on the 2022 season final week, saying he improved as a blocker however would’ve favored just a few extra catches. He declined to speak about why he didn’t obtain extra probabilities in 2022, after all.

“However so long as we’re successful, I’m blissful, so I can care much less about that,” he mentioned.

He additionally mentioned that he’s going to have a giant 2023 season. I assumed he was going to have a monster 2022 season, and I believe he must be a lot better than he was in 2023 than he was in 2022 nonetheless.

He’s 6-foot-5, 260 kilos — rocking the mullet and a full beard. He seems like a grown man even though it should solely be his third season with this system. And if he’s confirmed something at Pitt, it’s that good issues occur when the ball is in his palms.

He might not be a man who will create a ton of separation, or a man who will showcase his capacity to hit each route within the tree, however Pitt doesn’t must overthink it. He’s proven the flexibility to take advantage of with the least. Get him the ball in area and let him rack up yards after catch. Have a look at the Tennessee sport. If there’s constant quarterback play, there’s no motive he shouldn’t be closely concerned within the offense.

Frank Cignetti Jr. has lengthy been thought to be a coordinator who makes essentially the most of his tight ends, so now could be the time. Particularly with Phil Jurkovec or Christian Veilleux below heart.

He lined up inline on 80% of his offensive snaps final season, compelled to develop into a greater blocker, however he must be utilized as a quick-start offensive weapon in 2023.

Pittsburgh Panthers tight finish Karter Johnson (8) September 24, 2022 David Hague/PSN

Karter Johnson — R-Sr.

2022 stats: six receptions for 89 yards (14.8 yards per)

Profession stats: six receptions for 89 yards (14.8 yards per)

Karter Johnson adopted a quite unconventional path to reach at Pitt final spring.

He initially dedicated to TCU as a four-star defensive finish, weighing as a lot as 338 kilos and virtually falling out of affection with the sport of soccer throughout his time in Fort Price, earlier than he transferred all the way down to the JUCO degree. He remodeled his physique, started his profession as a decent finish and wound up at Pitt.

He served as Bartholomew’s No. 2 final season, receiving simply 12 targets over the course of the season, however he nonetheless emerged as a reliable blocker down the stretch.

Pitt’s workers lauded his versatility as he built-in into the system final yr, and that ought to solely be extra obvious this coming season.

Pittsburgh Panthers tight finish Jake Renda (88) September 24, 2022 David Hague/PSN

Jake Renda — R-So.

2022 stats: N/A

Profession stats: N/A

Pat Narduzzi mentioned that Jake Renda was the No. 2 final yr throughout spring ball, however he was handed up on the depth chart by Johnson and Kyi Wright (who’s now at JMU) over the rest of the offseason.

He’s bulked up since he arrived as a three-star out of IMG Academy, gaining about 40 kilos of muscle, nevertheless it nonetheless stays to be seen what his influence will probably be as he has not seen the sector throughout his two seasons at Pitt.

Cole Mitchell August 11, 2022 David Hague/PSN

Cole Mitchell — R-So.

2022 stats: N/A

Profession stats: N/A

Cole Mitchell has not performed in any video games over the past two seasons. We might want to see rather more out of him earlier than being able to assume he’s near carving out any form of function within the offense.

Eric Ingwerson — Fr. (verbal commit)

And we arrive on the latest member of Pitt’s class of 2024.

Eric Ingwerson dedicated to Pitt Tuesday, including the primary tight finish commit for the reason that 2021 class — which featured all three of Bartholomew, Renda and Mitchell.

He possesses an enormous 6-foot-7 body, at present weighing in round 235 kilos, and he’s at present higher suited as a blocking possibility. After all, as he provides weight, hits the health club at Pitt, he ought to develop as each a cross catcher and blocker.

As a latest commit, nonetheless unsigned, he’s nonetheless only a participant to look at as he enters his senior season of highschool.