Matlack sees 'right fit' at Pitt
The Pitt football program held an important recruiting weekend over the past three days. The Pitt coaches are working on finishing off the 2024 class, but at this time of year the transfer portal certainly has an equal or even greater impact.
Pitt secured another commitment out of the transfer portal on Sunday, the fourth in the past week alone. Nate Matlack, a 6-5 and 249-pound defensive end from Kansas State committed to Pitt on Sunday following a weekend visit. Matlack spent four years in Manhattan and will come to Pitt with one year remaining, but would probably be able to get two years once some red tape gets addressed.
He chose Pitt over other reported transfer portal offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, UCF, and Texas Tech. Matlack visited Arkansas and UCF prior to his trip to Pittsburgh.
The reason that led to the commitment was the direct involvment of Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.
“After I got home from Arkansas, Coach Partridge came to my house and he was really genuine," Matlack told Panther-Lair.com. "You could tell he knew a lot about football, just a really knowledgeable guy who coached a lot of good people. So I was already impressed going into the official visit, and then being on the visit, it seemed like the right fit. Coach Partridge and Coach Narduzzi were both great, and that’s what led to me deciding to go there.”
Matlack produced 15 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks this past season for Kansas State. He helped the team to an 8-4 record this season and appeared in all 12 games for the Wildcats. Matlack produced 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in the 2021 and 2022 seasons as well. He likes to play in the backfield and sees an opportunity with Pitt's playing style as opposed to what he ran at Kansas State.
“That’s my game and what I want to do in the NFL," Matlack explained. "Where I was coming from, it was the complete opposite - we were playing 4-technique running inside and taking on double teams in a 3-3-5.”
The commitment of Matlack was a noteworthy one, given some of the roster turnover on the defensive line for Pitt already this offseason. The Panthers saw a projected starter, Samuel Okunlola, enter the transfer portal earlier this month, so Matlack’s addition should help offset that loss.
Matlack brings experience and will be around other veteran players. The Panthers return both starting defensive ends from last year in Dayon Hayes and Nate Temple, along with other players like Bam Brima, Jimmy Scott, and Nahki Johnson who all saw action this year as well. He is eager to join the pass rush and play an attacking style under Partridge.
“They let their guys play fast," Matlack said. "There have been a lot of guys who had success in this defense, and I think that speaks for itself.”
Prior to his stint at Kansas State, Matlack was a three-star recruit in the class of 2020 according to Rivals.com. Matlack, a Kansas native, chose to stay close to home and picked the Wildcats over offers from Boise State, Kansas, Syracuse, TCU, and Texas Tech.
Matlack becomes Pitt’s fourth transfer portal addition of the cycle. The Panthers secured a commitment from Nebraska defensive back Tamon Lynum last week, and on Saturday night picked up a duo of skilled players from Western Carolina in Desmon Reid and Censere Lee.
Pitt hosted multiple transfers over the weekend and the visits wrapped up this morning and there is an anticipation that a few more commitments could be announced stemming from this visit.