Comfort level leads Coleman to Pitt

Therran Coleman has more than a few connections to Pitt.

There is cornerback Dennis Briggs, who Coleman has trained with for years. And then two of his cousins, Lafayette Pitts and Jevonte Pitts, are defensive backs for the Panthers.

He played Little League baseball with freshman Dane Jackson. And he grew up down the street from junior defensive tackle Tyrique Jarrett.

Junior tight end Jaymar Parrish was in that neighborhood as well.

"Did I tell you I know Reggie Mitchell, too? I train with him."

So it's not hard to see why the cornerback prospect from Brashear feels comfortable at Pitt. So comfortable, in fact, that he committed to the Panthers on Sunday night. With his announcement, Coleman became Pitt's tenth commitment in the recruiting class of 2016, and his reasons for picking the Panthers came back to one factor:

Comfort.

"I'm already comfortable with the players and the coaches," Coleman told Panther-Lair.com.

But it's not just about being comfortable. Coleman's relationships with Lafayette and Jevonte Pitts and Briggs and Mitchell and Jarrett and Jackson and Parrish - and more - have all given him a reliable perspective on the direction of Pitt's football program under first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi.

"I talk to Dane and Dennis and Reggie a lot, and they've told me about what it's like now," Coleman said. "They said this staff is more amped up right now. Everybody is pumped up. They said it's fun playing for Coach Narduzzi but since it's college, it's strict: you have to play within the defense. But they said the coaches break it down easy for them to understand it so they can learn it and play fast.

"And you've got to be a team player when you're playing for Coach Narduzzi, too. That goes for on and off the field."

There's appeal in playing for Narduzzi, too.

"He's real energetic and he knows exactly what he's doing and what he wants to do," Coleman said. "He is going to turn it around there. He is going to make it a lot better than it was."

At 6'1" and 183 pounds, Coleman is the type of cornerback Narduzzi wants in his defense. In fact, Coleman has gotten the distinct impression that he'll have a legitimate opportunity to see the field as a freshman at Pitt in 2016.

"I think I'll have a good chance. I think I have the size right now, and as long as I keep working on my technique when I get there, I'll have a chance.

"That's what the Pitt coaches told me."

Coleman is the tenth recruit to commit to Pitt in the class of 2016 and the fourth prospect from western Pennsylvania to pick the Panthers this year, along with Upper St. Clair offensive lineman Brandon Ford and Central Catholic safety Bricen Garner and defensive tackle Rashad Wheeler. Pitt also has commitments from Cincinnati (Oh.) Moeller quarterback Thomas MacVittie, Lima (Oh.) receiver Ruben Flowers, Akron (Oh.) Coventry defensive tackle Bryce Hargrove, Bedford (Oh.) running back Chawntez Moss, Williamsburg (Va.) Lafayette linebacker Chase Pine and New Brunswick (NJ) athlete Maurice Ffrench.

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