Lyndon Cooper details his commitment to Pitt
The Pitt football coaches clearly valued adding some veteran offensive line help via the transfer portal this offseason and on Thursday, the Panthers accomplished that. Lyndon Cooper, a 6-2 and 312-pound offensive line transfer from NC State, committed to Pitt after taking a visit over the weekend.
“What really made me decide on them and the culture and the family setting me and my mother felt while we visited Pitt and the opportunity I have to come in and contribute to the team,” Cooper told Panther-Lair.com after making his decision.
Cooper will come to Pitt with two years of eligibility remaining. In the 2023 season, Cooper started five games for the Wolfpack, but some injuries derailed him from getting to play and start for the full year. Entering Pitt, Cooper will have a chance to play either guard or center. The Panthers lost two veteran guards to graduation in Jake Kradel and Blake Zubovic after the season, so the coaches made it a point to get some depth and experience.
“I know Coach (Narduzzi) wants to me to be versatile and play both center and guard,” he said.
Cooper had opportunities from ACC foes Georgia Tech and Louisville, as well as offers from UConn, ECU, and more. He said he really started to focus more on Pitt in the last week, however. On the visit, he was sold by what he saw in Pittsburgh.
“My experience at Pitt was really good,” he explained. “What really stood out is like the culture and the coaches there. It was really family-oriented and really just kept it above and telling me what the situation was from the first time I got on the phone with Coach Borbs. Also it was my first time in Pennsylvania. I didn’t know the facilities were connected with the Steelers and how we get to watch practice and see pros every day and get the opportunity to be in the same place as them and that stood out to me.”
He noted he spent most of the time on the visit with Dave Borbely, the Panthers’ veteran offensive line coach. Cooper enjoyed learning from the Panthers assistant, even before he officially committed.
“He’s cool and definitely an offensive line guru,” Cooper said of Borbely. "I love the way he teaches the game and we got on the board and he taught me some things and showed me how he coaches and how he teaches the guys. He showed me the blueprint of his offensive line philosophy and I really enjoyed learning about that.”
Of course, the Panthers also have a new offensive coordinator and the offensive scheme is expected to look a lot different next year under Kade Bell, and that was something Pitt’s newest linemen noticed on the visit.
“Man, he’s ready to score fast and he’s got high energy and he’s ready to just turn the offensive mindset at Pitt,” said Cooper.