Pitt's Pat Narduzzi tried to avoid NIL talk, star rankings while recruiting his 19-man class

The initials NIL cast a shadow over college football every day, but name, image and likeness — and the riches it can offer players — come into greater focus at certain times of the year.

Wednesday, national letter of intent day, was one of those times.

While introducing his 10th recruiting class as Pitt’s coach, Pat Narduzzi acknowledged the new way business is conducted these days.

“(NIL) is a major factor,” he said.

But while recruiting the 19-man class over the past nearly two years, he said he had “zero discussions about NIL” with the players.

“Other people take care of that,” he said. “I’m a football coach. I want to coach football. I’m not talking contracts. I want guys who want to play football. If all you’re talking about is that, we’re moving on. If you’re talking about it so much now, guess what? In a year, you’re going to be talking about it again.

“I want guys who want to learn, develop and make generational wealth in three or four years when they end up in the NFL.”

Narduzzi referenced a handful of former Pitt standouts now in the NFL as examples of players who turned themselves into professionals and worried about the paycheck later.

“Brian O’Neill, Avante Maddox, Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson, Aaron Donald. All those guys before us, they played football, and they’ve done well for themselves,” he said. “Sometimes, I worry about where they’re going to be if they aren’t hungry like all those who have come before us.”

Narduzzi said each prospect who signed letters of intent Wednesday are in the game for the right reasons. How they turn out in the coming years is what no one knows, but he likes the attitudes he’s bringing onto his roster next year.

“We’re looking for the future leaders of this football team,” he said. “We’re looking for guys who love the game of football. Overall, these 19 guys love the game of football. It’s important to them. If you like what you get out of football, not the game of football, I think we got problems there.”

The class includes four players who earned four stars from the Rivals.com ranking system. They are Aliquippa linebacker Cameron Lindsey, defensive tackle Jahsear Whittington and defensive ends Sincere Edwards and Francis Brewu. That’s more than in any Pitt class since Narduzzi signed five four stars in 2016.

An added bonus: Edwards and Brewu are two of the nine who graduated early from high school and will enroll next month, making them eligible for spring practice.

Overall, the class was ranked No. 39 in the nation as of Wednesday afternoon, Pitt’s highest Rivals ranking since the 2021 group finished at No. 21. It is No. 7 in the ACC.

Narduzzi wasn’t dwelling on the star system. In fact, he references it only when the question comes up in a news conference.

“I’ve never looked, don’t care to look, don’t care (if) it’s right,” he said, noting former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was a 2-star when he enrolled at Michigan State.

At the other end of the spectrum, “I’ve seen 4-stars who stink.”

Narduzzi was pleased that he was able to add 19 high school players in addition to the eight transfers who verbally committed to Pitt only weeks after a 3-9 season.

“They understand. Sometimes, it’s like that,” he said. “It’s the relationships we built.”

Brewu committed to Pitt nine months ago but visited Michigan State over the past weekend, raising fears that he might flip.

“It went down to the wire,” Narduzzi said. “The three of us (including defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and linebackers coach Ryan Manalac) tag-teamed him for the past three days. With Francis, it was about the relationships. I appreciate his loyalty. There are a ton of temptations out there.”

Hard work netted Pitt a potential pass rusher who showed his new coach a video of him bench-pressing 415 pounds.

Narduzzi and his staff have worked nearly without a day off since the season ended Nov. 25. So he sent everyone home Wednesday afternoon, insisting that new offensive coordinator Kade Bell catch his flight on time so he can be there for his daughter, Palmer’s, birthday.

“They’re worn out,” Narduzzi said.

A reporter’s question offered Pitt’s coach, who has been on the job a week shy of nine years, the opportunity to explain why college coaches do what they do.

“It comes down to passion. What do you love to do?” he said. “If it was easy, everybody would do it. A lot of people would like to be coaches. You better love the grind. You’re in this business to grind, and that’s what we do. Regardless, if it’s 3 ½-, 4 hours of sleep, you wake up the next day and do it again.

“If you didn’t love it and didn’t have passion for it, I could be sitting on a beach with a margarita right now, feet up, relaxing. It’s going to come someday.”

Here are other highlights from Narduzzi’s 45-minute review of the class for reporters:

• He said he had “incredible meals” in the homes of recruits. “To be able to break bread with the families is the best,” he said.

• Pitt signed seven from Pennsylvania, matching the most from the state since 2015 and 2016. “Something I’m awful proud of,” he said.

Three came from WPIAL schools: Lindsey, Penn Hills quarterback Julian Dugger and Central Catholic defensive end Ty Yuhas.

Speaking of relationship-building, Narduzzi said one of his assistants was getting hugs from a security lady at a Pennsylvania high school. “They see them so much. That’s a good thing,” he said.

• Of the 19 names on the list, eight are on offense, 11 on defense, with five each on the offensive and defensive lines. Without offering any specifics, Narduzzi said, “We’re not done yet.”

• Collective grade-point average: 3.0, according to the coach.

• There are 14 players who were captains on their high school teams and five state champions. They come from eight states, plus Germany. Because of the six-hour time difference, a text message from German-born offensive lineman Moritz Schmorfanzer woke up Narduzzi at 1:44 a.m.

• Narduzzi said he told offensive lineman Adham Abouraya, a wrestler at Dowington East High School, he expects his opponents to forfeit his matches to him. “That’s how tough he is,” he said of Abouraya, who did cartwheels in his academic counselor’s office to show off his athleticism.

• Dugger is one of the nine who will enroll next month, giving him a head- start this spring on learning Bell’s offense.

“This guy’s on fire. He can run. He makes great decisions. He’s smart,” Narduzzi said. “He’s made some major improvements throughout his (senior) season.

”He’s a drop-back guy. He’s also a dual-threat guy. He’s athletic enough to get out of trouble and make plays with his feet.” Narduzzi was impressed by Dugger’s mind when he asked him to draw up his favorite play.

“The drawing he drew up, I’ve seen a lot of coaches around the country can’t draw it as detailed and as well as what he did,” the coach said.

• After losing running back Yasin Willis, who flipped from Pitt to Syracuse, Pitt signed Juelz Goff. “If we were going to lose (a running back), this is the one we did not want to lose.” Narduzzi said Goff can run 100 meters in 10.8 seconds. “If you give him a crack, he’s going to make more than you blocked for.”

• Linebacker Jeremiah Marcelin played his entire season at Miami Norland High School with broken pinky.

• Finally, there’s this fun fact: Narduzzi’s sister, Regina, and the mother of cornerback Nigel Maynard of Stewarts Creek (Tenn.) High School were in elementary school together at St. Edward’s in Youngstown, Ohio, where Pitt’s coach once served as an altar boy.

Name, Previous school, Pos., Ht./Wt., Stars (Rivals)

Adham Abouraya, Downingtown East, OL, 6-5/280, 3 stars

Davin Brewton, Red Bank Catholic (N.J.), LB, 6-0/240, 3 stars

Francis Brewu, Thomas Worthington (Ohio), DL, 6-0/275, 4 stars

Allen Bryant, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), DB, 6-0/170, 3 stars

Jiavani Cooley, Cathedral Prep, OL, 6-4/305, 3 stars

Zach Crothers, Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.), DL, 6-4/245, 3 stars

Julian Dugger, Penn Hills, QB, 6-3/195, 3 stars

Sincere Edwards, Wekiva (Fla.), DL, 6-1/265, 4 stars

Juelz Goff, Central York, RB, 5-9/190, 3 stars

Caleb Holmes, Creekside (Ga.), OL, 6-3/285, 3 stars

Mason Lindsay, DeMatha Catholic (Md.), OL, 6-6/305, 3 stars

Cameron Lindsey, Aliquippa, LB, 6-0/200, 4 stars

Jeremiah Marcelin, Miami Norland Senior (Fla.), LB, 6-0/225, 3 stars

Nigel Maynard, Stewarts Creek (Tenn.), DB, 5-11/170, 3 stars

Cameron Monteiro, Brockton (Mass.), WR, 6-1/170, 3 stars

Davion Pritchard, Austintown Fitch (Ohio), DB, 6-0/170, 3 stars

Moritz Schmoranzer, North Cross (Va.), OL, 6-4/285, 3 stars

Jahsear Whittington, Imhotep Charter, DL, 6-0/275, 4 stars

Ty Yuhas, Central Catholic, DL, 6-3/265, 3 stars