The Pitt football team is in the midst of the third week of training camp in preperation for the 2024 season. This about this time of year when coaches start to have a feel if a true freshmen will be able to help the team or not.
Ahead of Wednesday’s practice in the Southside, Pat Narduzzi was asked this very question. Most of Pitt’s highly-regarded freshmen are on the defensive side of the ball, and the Panthers’ head coach made sure to rattle off those names. But when it came to offense, he had a surprise answer: Malachi Thomas, a 6-foot-4 tight end out of the state of Georgia.
“Young tight end that has done an outstanding job so far, picking up stuff,” Narduzzi said of Thomas. “He's tough. He's physical. I think he's going to be a special football player for us…That's a guy that stands out to me that's going to get some time, if he continues to progress, and it’s a big if. We’ll see what happens when we go to Acrisure this Sunday.”
Heading into the second scrimmage and being in the conversation for playing time is not a bad place to be as a true freshman, especially one that was a late addition to the 2024 recruiting class.
Pitt did not have a tight end sign in December, but had Thomas on their radar. Everything started to align in February, and a late offer from Pitt led to an immediate commitment from the talented Georgia tight end, who made his decision without ever having visited Pittsburgh.
“I came here, never seen it, just committed blindly, and it was the best decision of my life,” Thomas told reporters after practice Wednesday. “I like the city, though. The city is fun, live, because I’m from the South and we don’t see tall buildings like this.”
Moving to a new place sight unseen can be overwhelming, not to mention he did not enroll early either. Thomas showed up in Pittsburgh this summer, and started to make a name for himself right away.
“I made some plays on the first string defense that really got me standing out on the first day I got here,” Thomas recalled. “I’ve been making plays ever since and just staying consistent.”
Thomas was not highly recruited, but as a high school player, he was a stand out for his team. He starred for Thomas County Central High School, and helped lead his team to a 15-0 state championship season as a senior. Thomas was the leading receiver with 42 catches for 570 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“The process was simple,” Thomas said of his recruitment. “I wanted to go power-five.”
He had additional offers from programs like Buffalo, Charlotte, Georgia State, Old Dominion, and Troy. But once Pitt entered the mix, it was basically a wrap. Given his light recruitment, and being an add-on late in the process, Thomas does not have the profile of a freshman you would expect to see the field, but he has defied the odds thus far.
His teammates are certainly impressed with what they have seen out of Thomas.
“Malachi, he’s been doing way better from when I first had met him,” said senior wide receiver Daejon Reynolds. “I know his game a little bit, but he’s definitely getting way more comfortable in the offense and making plays. I think he could be a key piece.”
Pitt’s tight end room certainly has a defined pecking order at the top. Senior Gavin Bartholomew is the main player here, but after that, things are fluid. There is Oregon State transfer Jake Overman in the mix, along with veteran Jake Renda, but Thomas is taking advantage of some opportunities that have been thrown his way of late.
“It’s just making me work harder, making me grow up and mature more so I can just fill in that role,” he explained.
It remains to be seen how much the tight end will be involved, and how many snaps are going to be available with Bartholomew taking the majority of them. Thomas is just working on getting the offense down during camp, so he can remain in the mix for playing time once the season starts.
“This offense, it’s hard to learn,” said Thomas. “It’s dynamic, fast, and so many options. It’s been a crazy experience learning the offense. It’s a great offense, probably the best offense I’ve ever seen.”
