The Pitt basketball team continued its recent stretch of good play after beating NC State 67-64 on Wednesday night. Pitt has now won three in a row and five out of its last six. The Panthers have put themselves in a position to make some noise down the stretch and we talk about that big win and what is next for Jeff Capel’s team.

It is the offseason for college football, but there was still plenty of news to come out of Pat Narduzzi’s program this week. The Panthers lost one of their top assistant coaches, as Charlie Partidge is set to take an NFL job. It was how all bad news for Pitt football, however, as the team finished out its 2024 recruiting efforts and got its 2025 class under way.

All of that, and more in this week’s 3-2-1 Column.

THREE THINGS WE KNOW

Pitt is in position to be in position
The Pitt basketball season looked to be on life support back on January 16th. The Panthers had just lost to Syracuse 69-58 to fall to 1-5 in ACC play. It was the third straight defeat to a conference foe at the Petersen Events Center and the overall vibe around the program was not positive. It felt as though any good will the team made in 2023 evaporated.

Fast forward 24 days later to day and we are talking about the Panthers picking up another big-time road victory earlier this week. Jeff Capel’s squad went into Raleigh and stole a 67-64 conference win on the road against a tough NC State team. The Wolfpack were previously 26-4 over its past 30 home games, but Pitt came in and claimed its fifth road win of the season.

Pitt has now won three games in a row and five of its last six contests overall. The Panthers have managed to crawl from out of the cellar in the ACC and find themselves jockeying for position in a crowded middle of the pack.

But that’s just it, Pitt has done a lot of work to get where it is today, but there is still a lot of basketball to be played and plenty of work to do. The Panthers still only possess one ‘Quad-1’ victory to date, that Duke win back on January 20th, which has seemingly been the turning point of this season for this squad.

Basically what the Panthers have done is put themselves in a position to be in a position and given where things were trending in mid-January, that’s all you could hope for out of this team. I still do not know where this things exactly ends up, but they are playing good basketball, or good enough basketball to get by lately.

The Panthers were not exactly crisp in the second half against NC State. They let up a 13-point lead, committed 10 turnovers, and overcame nearly eight minutes without a field goal. Pitt did come up with enough stops and shot 18-of-20 from the line.

Even without playing their best, the Panthers still gutted out a road conference win. That should not be taken lightly because that is a trait of a good team. The road success is not a fluke at this point, either. Pitt’s five road league wins are tied for North Carolina for the most in the ACC as of this morning.

The Panthers have eight more chances to stack some wins in the regular season and get a better spot in the ACC Tournament, but the work they have done for the better part of the month now has given them a chance to be in these types of conversations. The Panthers shifted the trajectory of the season for sure, but there is still a long way to go to turn it around fully. There is little room for error for this team, but life on the bubble comes with a territory. It’s better to be living and dying with each game, then having them not matter at all.

The end of an era
Pitt really started the week by simply ripping off the band-aid quickly with a tough blow to the football program. Charlie Partridge, the program’s highly-regarded defensive line coach, announced on Monday he would be leaving Pitt to pursue a job in the NFL with the expected landing spot to be with the Indianapolis Colts. A formal announcement yet to occur from the Colts, but his time at Pitt officially has come to a close.

Partridge served two tours as an assistant coach for the Pitt program. He worked under Walt Harris and then Dave Wannstedt from 2003-2007, but his legacy will be what he did in his second stint with the Panthers. Partridge guided the Panthers' defensive line from 2017-2023. In his seven seasons, he turned helped shape the team’s identity as having one of the best pass rushes in college football.

From 2019-2022, Pitt finished in the top three nationally in the sack department each year. The Panthers amassed 199 sacks over that four-year run, more than any program in college football over that time period.

Partridge had a knack for developing individual talent. He turned a three-star recruit in Calijah Kancey into one of the best players in college football. Kancey was a unanimous All-American in 2022, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and went on to be a first-round pick and made an immediate impact for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie this past year.

He also helped mold Patrick Jones and Rashad Weaver into first-team All-Americans, both of whom entered Pitt as only ‘two-star’ recruits. Partridge also deserves a lot of credit for turning Jaylen Twyman into a second team All-American in 2019 and an eventual NFL draft pick as well.

While his on-field coaching was the ultimate factor in becoming attractive to NFL teams, as a college coach he was also a top-flight recruiter and was able to walk into just about any high school in the country with his reputation. Pitt signed ten four-star recruits over the past four recruiting classes and eight of them were defensive linemen, including three in this most recent 2024 recruiting class.

His reputation proceeded him anywhere, but his work in Florida was what he was known for during his time at Pitt as a recruiter and got Pitt in the door with a lot of talented prospects. In the new era of college football, Partridge was responsible for Pitt bringing in three mid-year transfers just a few short weeks ago, and all three cited him as the main reason they wanted to transfer to Pitt.

Partridge just meant so much to Pitt. The way Pat Narduzzi’s defense operates, it can not function without a serious pass rush and Partridge delivered in that regard and then some. The factor of losing him means a lot in actual recruiting and defensive line play, but it should not be discounted in what it means for the overall state of the program either. Partridge was the ‘Assistant Head Coach’ and I don’t think that was just a name or title either. As a former head coach himself, he had the ear of Narduzzi and was involved in key team decisions over the years as well.

The one sentence in Partridge’s goodbye post on X (Twitter) struck me the most.

‘My heart is heavy and full of gratitude for Pitt and Pittsburgh. I am honored to have the opportunity to be a DL coach in the NFL. It’s time and I’m excited to go coach football!’

I do not think he is being veiled in what he means with the words ‘excited to go coach football’. College football has changed so much in the past three seasons with the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal. Coaches have to spend equal parts coaching, recruiting high school prospects, working the transfer portal, but also recruiting their own players. Pitt lost two defensive linemen to other power-four schools this offseason and money appeared to be a factor. It's not the same job today as when he was hired back in 2017. He had nothing else to prove at Pitt and I certainly understand where he is coming from on this one.

Closing out one class and starting another
It was ‘signing day’ this week in case anyone forgot. The hoopla around the first Wednesday in February died down a few years ago with the introduction of the early signing period. Pitt signed 21 recruits in the class of 2024 and 19 of them had already made that official back in December. It was known that Pitt added three-star Louisiana wide receiver Tyreek Robinson and he was expected to be the only signing this week, but there was a surprise to develop on Wednesday

Pitt also announced the addition of Malachi Thomas, 6’4” and 230-pound tight end from Georgia. Thomas flew under the radar and did not really become a Pitt target until Kade Bell became the offensive coordinator.

In the end, adding a high school tight end made a lot of sense. Pitt’s lone tight end recruit in the 2024 class de-committed a while back when Eric Ingwerson flipped to Nebraska. The Panthers never really showed that they intended to replace him until Thomas was announced.

Thomas, a three-star, did not have any other power-four offers and looked to be deciding between Florida Atlantic and James Madison, but Pitt saw enough in him, more specifically Bell did.

“He told me he wanted an athletic tight end that can go get the ball and that’s kind of me,” Thomas told Panther-Lair.com after his commitment.

Pat Narduzzi compared his recruitment to that one SirVocea Dennis in 2019. Obviously Dennis turned into a great player for Pitt, but he was found out on the road by chance, sort of how it worked for Thomas. He did produce, however. Thomas was the leading receiver for Thomas County Central with 42 catches for 570 yards and 11 touchdowns. He helped his team to a state title as well.

Much like the late addition of Robinson, it feels like Thomas is sort of a lottery ticket type recruit, but the size and athleticism are intriguing enough.

The class of 2024 finished on Wednesday of this week, and the class of 2025 actually got started on Monday. In the aftermath of Pitt’s junior day over the weekend, the Panthers netted their first 2025 commitment on Monday afternoon from Trevor Sommers.

Sommers is a 6’3” and 245-pound defensive linemen from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. His primary recruiter was Charlie Partridge, but even with him moving onto the NFL, Sommers felt comfortable enough in Pitt as a program to announce his commitment anyway.

“The trust in Coach Narduzzi,” Sommers said of the reason he committed. “He knows a great coach and the tendencies they have and what really makes a great position coach and I fully trust in what he has in the future. I believe he’s not going to recruit a coach he doesn’t believe in.”

Sommers was a beast for St. Thomas Aquinas this past season, racking up 16 TFLs and 13 sacks in ten games for one of the best teams in Florida. He chose Pitt over offers from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Syracuse, UCF, and West Virginia.

In a week where Pitt lost its acclaimed defensive line coach to the NFL, one with serious ties to Florida, the Panthers landed a commitment from a talented defensive linemen from the Sunshine State anyway. This sport is unpredictable if nothing else.

TWO QUESTIONS WE HAVE

What is wrong in Pitt’s backyard?
There was some positive recruiting news this week for Pitt, but also some tough developments just the same. 2025 WPIAL standouts Alex Tatsch of Latrobe and Imani Christian's Dayshaun Burnett both committed to Penn State in recent days. That means the top four players in the WPIAL are headed to Happy Valley, with previous commitments from Tiqwai Hayes and Brady O’Hara.

The reality of that is not ideal, but perhaps the biggest problem there is that none of them were even surprises, either. Burnett tried to hype up his announcement earlier in the week like any high school recruit would, but he was trending blue and white for quite some time and everyone knew it, despite Pitt being a finalist.

The Panthers have not done a great job of protecting its backyard in recent seasons and at some point that is going to need to change. Through the years, the numbers show Pitt is more likely to get a four-star from the WPIAL than anywhere else. Pitt needs to find a way to make that a more regular occurrence moving forward. The classes of 2026 and 2027 are loaded in the Pittsburgh region and the Panthers can’t continue to strike out in every local recruiting battle.

Obviously NIL is something at play and I’m sure Penn State certainly has more resources than Pitt there, but even aside from that, I’m not sure some of these are battles Pitt would have won in the pre-NIL era either.

I do not know what Pitt needs to do differently, but there has to be something they can do to shift the tide a little and change the perception and start winning at least a few of these battles. The history between Pitt and the WPIAL are almost tied together at the hip. Some of the best football players ever are from Pittsburgh and many of them got their start at Pitt after successful high school careers locally. There needs to be a way to drive that point home a little better, and with an open coaching staff spot, perhaps they find a way to make an in locally?

Pitt fights a perception battle locally and there is no denying that. There is a ‘same old Pitt’ line of thinking from many in the region and it seeps into the minds of recruits. But Pitt has plenty to sell from its history, but even to the present. Sure Pitt had a down season in 2023, but there was a lot of success prior to that from on-field results to producing NFL draft picks. Not to mention, how many players who have chosen Pitt come back and found new life? MJ Devonshire and Donovan McMillon are great ambassadors for that sales pitch.

Again, Pitt needs to find a way to drive all of these points home. The program is not doomed if it misses out on some local players, but it sure would not hurt to land them.

Who is Pitt’s best assistant coach?
Pitt lost the man who was widely regarded as the best assistant coach on Pat Narduzzi’s staff earlier this week when Partridge left for the NFL. He was universally thought of as one of the best defensive line coaches in the sport. Anytime a school was looking to fill the defensive line spot or start a new staff, Partridge’s name would usually surface as a candidate. He was coveted by a lot of schools, but it was ultimately the NFL that was able to pry him away from Pitt.

Partridge is just one of many staff changes for Pitt this offseason. Narduzzi effectively revamped the entire offensive side of the ball and brought in four new assistants there. The coaching staff at Pitt is certainly in a transition, but the core of the defensive staff is still in place.

As Pitt heads into the 2024 season without Partridge, who is Pitt’s best assistant coach at the moment? I think you could make a case for Randy Bates, the steward of Narduzzi’s defense. Archie Collins has done an impressive job with the team’s cornerbacks and also recruiting in Ohio and Georgia, even Ryan Manalac has recruited well over the past two classes, but the way I see it, the best member on the staff is now Cory Sanders, who coaches the safeties. Sanders has been with the program since 2018 and his track record has been impressive.

He has helped produce Damar Hamlin, Erick Hallett, and Brandon Hill as NFL Draft picks. Sanders is also an important recruiter for Narduzzi. Pitt’s top 2024 signee was Jahsear Whittington, a defensive linemen certainly tied to Partridge, but Sanders did a lot of the leg work there as well and that should not be dismissed. Sanders has coordinator experience at the Division-II level and I ultimately see that for him in his future as well. I think there is a good reason he sits in the booth on game days next to Bates.

I don’t know if Sanders will be able to garner the same reputation as Partridge, at least right away, but he has been a big factor in the team’s success in recent years and he is pretty well respected.

Pitt’s defensive line play has been instrumental under Narduzzi, but the play of the safeties has been really good and equally as important. It is also an area that could be a strength for the team going into next year. The Panthers return the trio Donovan McMillon, Javon McIntyre, and PJ O’Brie. McMillon and McIntyre were the teams top tacklers in 2023, while O’Brien three picks are tops among returnees.

Pitt’s defense may have to lean on the safety spot, but I think this group has the talent, depth and also the coach to help shoulder some of the load.

ONE PREDICTION

Pitt gets to 20 regular season wins
As it stands today, Pitt owns a 15-8 overall record. The Panthers have eight more regular season games. I am predicting Pitt will win at least five of them to get to 20-11 heading into the ACC Tournament. Will 11-9 be enough to get them in the NCAA Tournament, probably not, but it should be plenty to at least have them on the conversation just ahead of Selection Sunday and afford them the chance to make noise in the ACC Tournament.

The path to five more wins could be tricky, but I think there at least is a way for this team to navigate their way there. There are not too many ‘gimme’ games left, but if Pitt is going to find five additional wins, it feels like the home game with Louisville on February 17th and a road game at Boston College on March 2nd have to be part of the mix. The Cardinals and Eagles are both flying low this year and find themselves in the bottom of the conference. Those are simply games Pitt can’t afford to lose.

From there, the path to 20 wins would mean going 3-3 in the other six contests. Pitt gets Virginia Tech, Florida State, and NC State at home along with road trips to Virginia, Wake Forest, and Clemson. Like Pitt, a lot of those teams are in the same scenario of fighting off league perception while trying to stack wins in the conference race, which should make every game moving forward highly competitive.

I think what I have seen from Pitt over the past three weeks is enough to lead me to believe they are capable of grinding out some more big wins. This team has delved on the road for starters, but just seem to be clicking with the emergence of some unexpected candidates. We’ll see where this journey takes Pitt, but I think it ends with at least 20 wins.