Pitt has been recruiting the Miami area quite a bit in recent years. Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is a Florida native and he has been to adding players from that area, and Emmanuel Belgrave is following that path.
Belgrave visited Pitt back on June 14th, and he was hosted by a pair of other south Florida natives in Rashad Weaver and Marquis Williams. After traveling home from that visit, he thought about it and decided he was ready to make his commitment.
“They showed me a lot of love; they’re like family up there,” Belgrave told Panther-Lair.com after announcing his commitment to the Panthers. “When I got home, I talked it over with my family and decided.
“It was like a 90% chance when I was there. Then when I went out with the players for the last time, I was with Marquis Williams and Rashad Weaver, and I was talking to them and it hit me. They said it’s your decision but we want you to be part of the family. Especially Rashad; I can’t wait to get there and learn from him.”
Belgrave will get a chance to learn from Weaver this upcoming season as the Pitt junior defensive end will be set to return from an injury and assume his role as one of the leaders on the talented Pitt defensive line.
Belgrave had additional offers from Nebraska, Rutgers, and Wake Forest to name a few. He remained solid to Pitt throughout the process, though after a tweet or two about a different school caught Pitt's attention and the coaches quickly got him back on track.
Pitt has a deep defensive line room heading into next season, so it may be tough for Belgrave to crack the depth chart right away. Though, we did see Pitt sustain a few injuries prior to the 2019 season and guys had to step up, so Belgrave could be a name to watch on the fringe of the depth chart.