Nwabuko: 'I’m hoping to bring this Texas speed'
Che Nwabuko wasn’t sure if he was going to commit to Pitt when he got to town this weekend. It was his second official visit this month following a trip to Marshall last week. He recently released a top five that also included Michigan, Purdue, and Liberty. After spending 48 hours in Pittsburgh, the 5’11” Texas wide receiver knew he had found a home.
“When I got up there it was just an eye-opener with a lot of new things,” Nwabuko told Panther-Lair.com. “The staff was just great, the players were great - just everything. The environment was amazing.”
The Manor, Texas native really enjoyed what he saw in Pitt’s Southside facility. He liked everything about that aspect of the visit and said that stood out the most.
“The facilities were top-notch,” Nwabuko said. “They’ve got everything you needed: great weight room, great fields, indoor facility, great training room - everything.”
Nwabuko earned an offer from Pitt earlier this year. His lead recruiter has been first-year wide receivers coach Brennan Marion. The two have built up a strong relationship over the course of the past few months, and they finally got a chance to hang out in-person on the official visit.
“It was great,” Nwabuko said of his time spent with Marion. “He’s a great dude to be around and he’s going to tell you the truth and be cool with you. He’s a young guy too, he’s like another brother to me.”
On Sunday morning before he left, Nwabuko told Marion and the other Pitt coaches he was committing. He said it was an exciting moment for him and the coaches.
“They were really excited to hear that and that’s what they wanted to hear, and that’s why they brought me up here,” Nwabuko explained. “It was exciting to hear that.”
In addition to his time spent with the coaches. Nwabuko said he had a positive experience with Pitt sophomore defensive back, Rashad Battle, his player host for the weekend. He said that he was the third player hosted by Battle to commit to Pitt this year.
“He’s one of the best hosts out there,” Nwabuko said of Battle.
On the football field, Nwabuko’s game is built around speed. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry rushing the football, and hauled in 42 receptions for 700 yards for a 16.7 yard per catch average.
His speed also carries over to Track & Field, as he placed fourth in the Texas state meet 100-meter dash this spring with a 10.44 time. In addition to football, Nwabuko is planning to run track for the Panthers as well. He’s anxious to show Pitt fans what he can do with his legs.
“I’m hoping to bring this Texas speed,” Nwabuko said. “They haven’t seen anything like it, and I’m hoping to bring it up there.”