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INKED: OL Jake Kradel signs with Pitt

Butler (Pa.) offensive lineman Jake Kradel has signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his athletic and academic career at Pitt. Find out more about Kradel and his recruitment's history.

Jake Kradel became the fifth player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2018 recruiting class on the early National Signing Day, joining his classmates signing today in the recruiting class at Pitt. Kradel is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive lineman from Butler (Pa.) and one of five local Pitt commits from the Pittsburgh area. Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:

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Kradel emerges as a recruit: With Kradel's size and athleticism as an interior offensive lineman at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, the Butler (Pa.) product was bound to receive serious college attention. When Kradel visited Pitt for a game in the fall of his junior year, he already held an offer from Syracuse and interest from several Power Five programs. Kradel continued to visit Pitt for another game and build relationships with the Panthers' coaching staff. Schools like Syracuse, West Virginia, Rutgers, Maryland, and North Carolina State continued to build relationships with Kradel through his junior year. When the Panthers offered Kradel in February of his junior year, they immediately became a major factor for his services. He continued to frequently visit Pitt for practices and other recruiting events, building close bonds with the coaching staff.

Kradel narrows his list and commits: In all, Kradel collected over two dozen offers throughout his recruitment. With 17 of those offers coming from Power Five programs, the Butler (Pa.) product had a long list of excellent options to choose between. When it came down to the nitty-gritty of his recruitment, however, Kradel cut his list down to just four schools. Maryland and Wisconsin both contended for Kradel, but it was a truly a two-team battle between Pitt and Ohio State after the Buckeyes offered in April. Kradel ended that battle during a visit to Pitt's campus on Tuesday, May 30th, where he committed to Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi.

In his words: "We were kind of just sitting there talking. Coach Narduzzi and I were talking about fun stuff and a bunch of different little things, like when I’m going to commit and my top schools and everything. I kind of had an idea then,” Kradel said. “He wasn’t pressuring me or anything, he’s just a good person and I thought about playing for him and playing there. I said ‘I’m shutting it down and I’m coming. I’m committing.’ [Narduzzi] jumped up and gave me a big hug and that’s how it all went down.”

From his coach: "He’s got a great work ethic. We knew when he was in eighth grade that there was some potential there because of his size and what he was able to do. His offseason work in the weight room and with some outside guys like E.T.H.I.C training – he’s just a hard-worker and he’s earned it. He’s built himself into it," said Butler head coach Rob Densmore. "Probably his biggest improvement is his footwork. He’s got great feet for a guy his size and he’s very athletic. Right now, he’s working on his hands and he knows that if there is a weakness, that’s where he needs some work. His footwork is amazing and it’s because of the work he puts in in the offseason."

Kradel's Impact: "What makes Kradel attractive to so many schools as an interior offensive lineman, including places like Ohio State, is his elite leg drive and run-blocking skills. Kradel is capable of blowing defensive linemen off of the ball in the run game due to superior lower body strength and an excellent ability to win the leverage ball. More than that, Kradel is a finisher. He buries his opponent and finishes nearly every block he’s supposed to finish, showing a nastiness and aggression that is ideal in college-level linemen."

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