Pitt lands JUCO DT Kam Carter

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Pitt got what could be instant help on the defensive line today when junior college tackle Kam Carter committed to the Panthers.

Carter, who spent this past season at East Mississippi Community College after being dismissed from Penn State last spring, emerged as a target for Pitt last month and took an official visit this weekend. A former four-star prospect in the class of 2015 who ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the state of Maryland, Carter was also the nation’s No. 11 “athlete” due to his ability to move with a 6’4” 257-pound frame.

Now he is pushing 300 pounds and projects as an interior lineman, most likely at the three-technique defensive tackle spot in Pitt’s four-man line. After redshirting in 2015 at Penn State and playing at East Mississippi in the fall, he joins the Panthers with three years of eligibility and an opportunity to play right away.

Pitt lost two senior tackles from the 2016 roster in Tyrique Jarrett and Shakir Soto and doesn’t return much in the way of experience. Jeremiah Taleni played well late in the season, but fellow upperclassmen Mike Herndon and Shane Roy saw limited playing time. Freshman Amir Watts showed promise but also saw few reps and dealt with injuries.

That creates quite a bit of opportunity for an “older” player like Carter, who will come to Pitt in the summer looking to win a starting job, presumably next to Taleni.

Carter is the first defensive tackle to commit to Pitt in the class of 2017, although the Panther are also thought to be the leaders for Washington, D.C., tackle Jaylen Twyman.