Minchey 'fell in love' with Pitt
Kenny Minchey had the feeling he was ready to commit on Thursday morning. The 6’3” quarterback out of Hendersonville, Tennessee knew Pitt was the place for him and let offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. it was time. The new Panthers assistant said it would be best if he delivered that news to head coach Pat Narduzzi directly.
“On Friday morning I got on the phone with Coach Narduzzi and told him,” Minchey told Panther-Lair.com about his commitment. “He already knew what I was calling for, but it was best to go through him and let him hear it first.”
Minchey then got on the phone with Cignetti and graduate assistant Jonathan DiBasio next to discuss his decision.
“They were definitely excited and super-pumped up just talking about the future,” he recounted.
Minchey became Pitt’s second member of the class of 2023, joining wide receiver Zion Fowler, when he committed on Friday morning. He is a three-star quarterback that has held a Pitt offer since February. In addition to Pitt, he also held offers from Houston, Michigan State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Minchey made a trip to Pittsburgh back in March for an unofficial visit. Pitt had been a school he was eyeing up even before he received the offer, and the visit only reaffirmed his interest in the Panthers.
“I visited there about three weeks ago and fell in love with the place and how they treated me and how much of a priority I was by listening to them talk to me,” MInchey said of that March visit to Pittsburgh. “Whenever we sat down: myself, (DeBiaso), and (Cignetti), we talked about what they do offensively and I just kind of fell in love with that. Coach Cignetti, their new offensive coordinator, he has a bunch of NFL experience and I would love to coached by someone with that type of experience so I can get prepared for the next level.”
In the 2021 season, Minchey threw for 3,280 yards and 32 touchdowns for Pope John II Prep. He helped his team to an 8-5 record, and the Pitt coaches liked his approach on the field.
"They like how smooth I look with my footwork and how relaxed I look in the pocket,” he said. “They like how I can actually run an offense and how prepared I am. They think they can take me to the next level with the way they coach and having that NFL experience."
Like many quarterback prospects, Minchey’s commitment came early on purpose. He now plans to become an anchor for the class and will help the staff recruit moving forward. Minchey plans to return to Pitt the weekend of June 2nd for an official visit, a weekend the staff is hosting multiple prospects for official visits.