No. 15 in national recruiting rankings, Pitt lands German offensive lineman Moritz Schmoranzer

Pitt’s 2024 recruiting class — now numbering 20 prospects who have made their commitments public — jumped to 15th in Rivals.com’s national rankings Friday night after offensive lineman Moritz Schmoranzer of Roanoke, Va., told coach Pat Narduzzi he plans to enroll next year.

1000% committed❗️❗️@CoachDuzzPittFB @Pitt_FB @CoachBorbs @FrankCignetti @BatesBacker @CoachAPowell @TiUnderwood @ARCHIECOLLINS_ @Coach_Manalac @CoachTimSalem @jacksonbrown_77 @CoachJones_NCS @ajones_92 @Football_CoachA @rledits24 @BigplayST #H2P #Pitt #Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/yig1z3FZ2t

— Moritz “Schmo” Schmoranzer (@MoritzSchmoran1) June 30, 2023

Pitt’s class is third in the ACC behind No. 10 North Carolina and No. 11 Clemson, according to Rivals.

Schmoranzer, a native of Germany, considered Pitt, Miami, Virginia Tech and West Virginia most seriously among his offers, and he said the final decision came down to Pitt and Miami.

“I couldn’t see myself going to school at Tech or West Virginia,” he said on his commitment video. “Miami and Pitt, they are two great environments to go to school. In the end, I just feel more comfortable at Pitt.

“Pitt is more laid-back and relaxed than Miami. You know, it’s Miami. What I grew up around in Germany and here, it’s more like Pitt. That’s why I chose it.”

He told the Roanoke Times his recent visit to Pitt sold him on the program.

“When I walked out of there on Saturday, I was like, ‘This might be it,’ ” he said. “This will probably be it. The experience there with the players, they’re very friendly.

“What stood out to me about them is they want to win. You talk to all these players from all these different schools, but about Pitt, I know they have determination to win another ACC championship and maybe a national championship.”

Narduzzi has made a clear effort this year to restock Pitt’s young depth on the offensive line where Schmoranzer will join fellow ’24 classmates Caleb Holmes, Adam Abouraya, Mason Lindsay and Jiavani Cooley. All have made non-binding verbal commitments, but they are expected to sign letters of intent in December.

Schmoranzer (6-foot-4, 280 pounds) is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, and he brings intriguing athleticism to the trenches. He attends North Cross High School in Roanoke, where he has been a wide receiver, ran track and played soccer. Now ranked the No. 15 overall prospect in Virginia, he received his first taste of the American brand of football two years ago when he entered North Cross.