INKED: DB Judson Tallandier signs with Pitt

Judson Tallandier became the third player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2018 recruiting class on the early National Signing Day, joining his classmates signing today and in the recruiting class at Pitt. Tallandier is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back from Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic and one of two Pitt commits from the powerhouse program near the nation's capital. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

Tallandier emerges as a recruit: Judson Tallandier landed his first offer of the process from Syracuse in the spring of his sophomore year and only leveled up from there. By the time he made his first unofficial visit to Pitt in the spring of his junior year, he had added offers from Pitt, Maryland, Kentucky, Boston College, North Carolina State, Rutgers, and Temple. Pitt followed Syracuse as the second school to offer Pitt. As Tallandier began considering his decision-making process, his strong relationships continued to keep Pitt at or near the top of his list, alongside programs like Rutgers and Maryland.

Tallandier commits to Pitt: On Friday, June 2nd, Tallandier decided to end his recruiting process before the start of his senior season and commit to Pitt. In addition to the Power Five programs listed above who had offered, Tallandier also picked Pitt over scholarships from Georgia, Arizona, Purdue, and Wake Forest.

In his words: "It was Coach Narduzzi’s resume that stood out to me, with him being a defensive coach, and I feel like their defense fits me in everything they do,” Tallandier said to Panther-Lair.com. “I’m real cool with Coach (Andre) Powell, who is my recruiter, and Coach (Renaldo) Hill, the DB’s coach and I really talk to all the staff. I get texts from all of them and they all sent me hand-written letters. Those letters came [on Thursday] and it really hit me. I had been close with the whole staff, but them sending those letters showed me how much they really like me. So I told my mom that was where I wanted to be...There’s just something about Pitt. I visited other schools, I talked to other schools and I don’t know; I’m just attached to Pitt.”

Tallandier's Impact: "Tallandier is an intelligent player with a high football intelligence and a cerebral understanding of coverages. He’ll have to work on being able to flip his hips and getting out of his backpedal more quickly, but Tallandier’s size and ability to jam wide receivers at the line allows him more room for error than most players. As he continues to add size and muscle mass (he weighs in at only 180 pounds right now), Tallandier’s ability to jam and control a receiver’s movements will only grow and develop. For a young player and a player of his size, Tallandier does seem to have exceptional body control, which allows him to turn and play the football while it’s in the air like many receivers would." Read more on this breakdown of Tallandier and watch a video breakdown of the Maryland defensive back from the Rivals staff.

From his coach: “A lot of guys would see his size and see that he has the opportunity to play either corner or safety, but he’s much better closer to the ball. Corner is, in my opinion, his best position," said DeMatha head coach Elijah Brooks. "He’s open and willing to do whatever the team needs to be successful, but he really likes to be close to the ball and to get his hands on receivers and use his limbs to his advantage. Coach Narduzzi’s scheme really seems to intrigue and attract him.”

On his official visit: "[Coach Narduzzi] was there with us the whole time and then we sat down with him on Sunday. We talked about team stuff, family goals and that kind of thing," Tallandier said. "It was him, me and my parents, and we talked about the resources they have and how we can maximize it the best for me. My parents felt really good about it.”