Pitt adds a third LB to the 2020 class
Putting on a uniform for a photo shoot is standard for official visits, but AJ Roberts took the occasion to do more than get his picture taken.
“I committed during the photo shoot,” the Staten Island (NY) Tottenville linebacker told Panther-Lair.com Saturday morning. “Coach (Pat) Narduzzi said I looked good in the uniform and I told him he better get used to it because I’m going to be wearing it for the next four years.
“He was really excited.”
Roberts committed with his official visit winding down, as he spent Thursday and Friday seeing all that Pitt had to offer.
“The visit was real good,” he said. “I really liked it. There were a lot of things to see. The Life Skills program, the facilities, everything around the academics. I’m used to the city and it’s a great city to be in.
“I expected it to be like New York, but it turned out to be better. In New York, it’s nothing but traffic and busy; it’s never turned off. It’s like that in Pittsburgh but there are better things to do.”
At 6’1” and 223 pounds, Roberts projects to the “Money” outside linebacker position in Pitt’s 4-3 defensive scheme, and it’s a role that he thinks fits him well.
“That’s a linebacker that plays the boundary and there’s a lot of blitzing,” he said. “That’s what I do a lot.”
Naturally, Roberts spent a lot of time on his visit with linebackers coach Rob Harley.
“Besides football, he’s a down-to-earth guy and he cares a lot for his players outside of football,” Roberts said. “I could definitely take to his coaching well.
“Coach Narduzzi is the same way: I can tell that he wants what’s best for his players and he’s not lying when he tells you how he feels about his players. He really cares about them.
“After meeting with Coach Narduzzi, I felt like he was real with me and I felt like he was the kind of guy I would want to play for.”
Roberts is the third linebacker to commit to Pitt in the class of 2020, joining Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields, who committed during last weekend’s official visits.