Angelo Renda picked up an offer from Pitt on January 3rd, and less than three weeks later, he is now a Panther. Renda, a 6’0” and 180-pound quarterback out of Southlake (TX), pledged to the Panthers on Wednesday, becoming the first member of their 2026 recruiting class.
Renda’s process from receiving an offer from Pitt to joining the recruiting class happened rather quickly, but the 2026 signal caller credited the connection he was able to build with Pitt offensive coordinator, Kade Bell.
“I’ve been talking to Coach Bell and I really liked him as a person and as a coach,” Renda told Panther-Lair.com after his commitment. “I’ve got a chance to meet him a lot, a couple of times they came to my house with Coach (Jacob) Bronowki. We had a great conversation and I was just ready to lock it in and get this Pitt Class of 2026 rolling.”
For Renda, a quarterback who plays in a tempo-based spread offense, he was attracted to Bell’s coaching philosophy pretty quickly.
“His offensive style fits me perfectly,” Renda explained. “They’re a balanced attack and move with tempo and that’s what I love and that’s what I’m really good at. He gave me the keys to the car, that’s what he calls it. You saw what they did with Eli last year, and he ended up getting hurt but they were 7-0 with him starting the year off. His offenses are always high-powered, towards the top of the ranks, and I just want to be a part of it.”
All of Renda’s in-person contact thus far has been with Bell and tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski. While he is planning to get to Pittsburgh soon, he has already touched base with head coach, Pat Narduzzi.
“I love his energy,” Pitt’s newest recruit said of Narduzzi. “I mean, he’s been there so long and he knows Pitt inside and out and Pitt knows him. I’m just excited to play for him and learn underneath him.”
When Renda does make it to Pittsburgh, it will hardly be for the first time. His dad routinely travels to Pittsburgh for work, and the Texas native has experienced the city and has been to some Steelers games.
“I think it’s a beautiful city,” Renda said of his future home. “I love the area. The food is great, the people are nice, and the football is even better. I can’t wait to be a full part of it.”
Renda attends Southlake Carroll, a prominent high school program in the Dallas area that has produced some very recognizable quarterbacks throughout the years like Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy, and most recently Quinn Ewers.
Carroll is a powerhouse, and one that routinely contends for state titles. On a personal level, Renda has done his best to keep that tradition on track. As a junior, his team finished 15-1, with a loss in the state championship game. He put up a ridiculous stat line as a junior in 2024, throwing for 3,901 yards and 40 touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes.
The future Pitt quarterback also rushed for 667 yards and another 14 scores.
“I feel the work that I put in has led me to this spot,” Renda said when reflecting on his past season. “I’m a hard worker, a winner, a leader, and I’m going to take all that to Pitt as best as I can.”
Renda held additional offers from SMU, Jacksonville State, and UTSA prior to committing to Pitt. It’s not uncommon for a quarterback to make an early decision, to lock in a spot for one, but to also be a leader for the class and help the staff recruit, which appears to be Renda’s plan.
“I’m trying to get people to come join me,” he said. “I feel like this class of 2026 is going to be great, we’re going to get some ballers, and we’re just going to keep racking ‘em up.”
