Brandon George arrived at Pitt ahead of the 2019 season as freshman from Berks Catholic High School in Reading. George was a dominant player at the high school level, so much so that the Pitt coaches trusted him almost immediately after he arrived on campus to get on the field.

Over the past five seasons, George has appeared in 52 games in a Pitt uniform, but not one of those has been a starting assignment. George has been a special teams ace and the team’s top reserve linebackers for many years, and as he enters year six, it finally feels like it’s his turn to run with the starting middle linebacker job.

“He’s been ready for this opportunity,” Pitt linebackers coach Ryan Manalac said of his senior middle linebacker. “You think back a couple years, he's been in that fight for several years, prepared himself to be that guy for several years. Now that opportunity is here. So he's had a few dress rehearsals, so he's eager. He understands what it takes, and he's excited, and he keeps working his tail off.”

George had his best season in 2023, after posting 49 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and intercepting his first pass in college. He wrestled with the idea of leaving the program to play out his final year of eligibility elsewhere, but the Pitt coaches made it clear to him he has a role on this defense, and since he committed to that thought, there has been no turning back for the veteran linebacker.

"It feels pretty good,” George said of having the trust from the coaches. “I think as a team, we have the confidence of the coaching staff. I think as a team, we have the confidence of each other pushing forward. We understand the task at hand and people were counting us out, but everybody in this room, in these walls, knows what we've practiced for, what we've prepared for, and how we're going to come out this season.”

George has experienced highs and lows with this program. He was on the field for all 14 games during Pitt’s 2021 ACC champions season, but missed nine games in 2022, and suffered through the program’s worst season since 1998 last year.

“Yeah, it definitely causes some hard feelings, but at the end of the day, the past is the past for a reason,” George said of last year’s 3-9 campaign. “We've learned a lot since those games. We've learned a lot about ourselves since those games. We've learned a lot on what not to do and what to do in order to prepare better for the season. I think we've taken steps towards that. More than steps, I think we've taken leaps and bounds towards getting this program back on track and where we need to be.”

George’s primary goal is getting this defense, and this program, back to where it was prior to the 2023 campaign. He knows it takes more than himself, and has embraced the challenge of trying to lead his room. Pitt has six linebackers expected to see the field regularly this season. Four of those six are sophomores, while the other is a transfer in Keye Thompson. Meaning, George is easily the elder statesmen in the room.

“Brandon’s been great,” Manalac said of George’s presence in the locker room. “He comes to work every day, smile on his face, great personality. And he's gonna try to lead the charge with his work ethic, and he's certainly not afraid to speak up vocally. So very pleased with his leadership.”

While George appreciates people are looking to him, he wants to make sure he is not the only one speaking their mind, or overstepping too much. In many ways, he feels, that could have been a downfall of last year’s team, and he wants to make sure that does not happen in 2024.

“We're a collective unit,” George said of the linebackers. “It's not one voice over another. It's not me standing tall over everybody else and speaking down to them. That's not what we are. We're a unit, and we're a collective. If I'm saying something and I'm the only voice heard, that's not necessarily a good thing.”

In may ways, the youth takeover in the linebacker room has grounded George a bit. Pitt has three talented second-year guys in Jordan Bass, Rasheem Biles, and Braylon Lovelace that have brought energy and athleticism into the room. Kyle Louis, a redshirt sophomore, is another player who has brought those same qualities, and even got George to laugh during his interview last week.

“I think sometimes I have a tendency to be almost too straightforward, and them guys sometimes take a moment to light me up a little bit,” George said of his younger teammates. “I'll give them that. Sometimes a little too serious, but that's what I love about all of our guys. That's why we're a family.”

George comes off like a sixth-year senior, even when talking to the media. His knowledge of playing college football for six years now oozes out of him, even if he’s not trying to come off that way. He was asked about being a coach down the line.

“Maybe,” he said with a smirk. "I hope not for a long time, but maybe.”

George’s future could be in coaching and this 2024 season could be a springboard for that, but aside from being a leader, it’s apparent he just wants to go out and play football. It’s been a long time coming for the senior from Reading, and he finally has that chance to be the quarterback of the defense. He has a chance to leave his mark as a player, and get the team back on track after a rough 2023 campaign.

"We've all invested a lot of time into perfecting what we've built here and what we're trying to rebuild again,” George said of the team’s mindset entering the season. "I think that everybody has bought in. I can speak for my room because I'm in my room. We put a lot of time and effort into knowing each and everybody's position, each and everybody's assignment for that certain play or this certain formation or coverage. I think you're going to see that pay off this upcoming season.”