Pitt's Pat Narduzzi hopes transfer defensive ends can make up for losses in the portal

Pat Narduzzi isn’t one to worry about losses in the transfer portal, at least not publicly. But he does acknowledge roster ramifications of those losses, and he is trying to do something about it.

After the portal claimed three Pitt defensive ends this offseason, including likely 2025 contributors Sincere Edwards and Chief Borders, Narduzzi and his staff found replacements.

Defensive ends Jaeden Moore (formerly of Oregon), Blaine Spires (Utah State) and Joey Zelinsky (Eastern Michigan) joined the team for the spring semester, along with 10 others, including former Murray State kicker James London. The three positions at Pitt with the most 2025 transfers are defensive end, wide receiver and offensive line (three each).

Moore (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) hopes to push for playing time from the start of spring drills next month. He also had a scholarship offer from Virginia Tech, but he said he chose Pitt because the coaching staff showed sincere interest.

“It was a place that needed me, which was important,” he said last week, speaking to reporters.

Moore didn’t play extensively the past two seasons at Oregon, recording only a half-sack. But he seems content with his new home, and that will allow defensive line coach Tim Daoust time to develop him.

“It’s not something I’d want to do again,” he said of his portal experience. “It was definitely what needed to be done and put me in a better position.”

Spires (6-3, 230) is a Youngstown, Ohio, native like his head coach. He spent the past six seasons at Bowling Green (2019-2022) and Utah State (2023 and 2024). He played in only four games last season after injuring his foot, but he recorded six sacks over two seasons at Utah State, plus 2 1/2 sacks at Bowling Green. Overall, he has 24 games of starting experience.

”I like (Pitt’s) attacking style (of defense),” he said. “I like the fact when we were watching film, everybody was flying to the ball.”

He said he’s looking forward to playing in front of Pitt’s linebackers.

”You can tell they love football,” he said. “That’s all you can want. Being someone who loves football myself, I want to be around guys who are going to fly around to the ball, bring energy, bring swag to the defense. You need players like that in order to be successful. I am experienced, and I can help these guys grow their game as well.”

Part of his portal desires was “getting closer to home.”

He spoke with James Madison, Texas-San Antonio and Arkansas State, but he said choosing Pitt was “a no-brainer.”

”I wanted to play against great competition in a great atmosphere.”

He said Narduzzi understands the makeup of players from Youngstown.

”It’s the overall grit factor,” he said. “My whole story is resiliency. Without my background, I don’t know how far or if I would have been able to hold up. If you make it out of there, you can do anything in life. I promise you.”

Zelinsky (6-4, 250) said he was visiting Memphis when Daoust called him.

“He said, ‘Hey, let’s get all those other visits canceled.’ I came up here and said yes right away and never left.

”When we got into the Xs and Os and the scheme, you could tell Pitt really depended on the D line to make plays. Not much reading. It’s kind of just going. You can play violent and just do your job.”

Zelinsky went to Blue Mountain High School, the same Pennsylvania institution that sent tight end Gavin Bartholomew to Pitt. ”He vouched for me,” Zelinsky said.

“I’ll do whatever I can to raise the room. As a new guy, you can’t step on anybody’s toes. Try to lead by example. No one likes the guy who comes in the first day and rah-rahs everyone up.”

After getting two sacks at Eastern Michigan last season, he’s ready to test himself in the ACC.

”MAC football is a level down from here, but there are dudes at every level,” he said. “Play your game, read your reads and everything is going to be just fine.”

Pitt also introduced freshman defensive ends JuJu Anderson and Denim Cook.

Anderson (6-4, 215) said he also played wide receiver at Blair (N.J.) Academy, but chose defense. “I like to hit people, rather than get hit,” he said.

Cook, who went to Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio, is a cousin of Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles.

“We always played against each other. Now, we’re on the same team,” Cook said. “That meant a lot to me. He was always bigger, faster, stronger.”

Cook (6-4, 245) said Pitt linebackers coach Ryan Manalac started recruiting him when he was a freshman.

”Some coaches, they just tell you what you want to hear. He told me what I needed to hear (about getting bigger and faster).”

London, who said he calms himself before games by listenting to Bob Marley tunes, hit six field goals of 50 yards or longer, including a personal-high 55, at Murray State. He will compete for the job vacated when Ben Sauls exhausted his eligibility.