Another set of honors were bestowed upon the Pitt senior defensive end duo of Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones on Monday. Weaver was named first team All-American by the AP, while Jones was named to the second team. Both players have been garnering all kinds of postseason accolades following a strong showing in their senior seasons.
Weaver has already been named a first team All-American by Pro Football Focus, ESPN, and CBS. He was also a first-team All-ACC pick as well. The senior from Ft. Lauderdale finished with 14.5 tackles for loss, which ranked sixth in the nation. He also posted 7.5 sacks, and his 48 quarterback pressures ranked him third nationally in that department.
Weaver finishes his decorated Pitt career with 34.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. He missed the entire 2019 season due to a knee injury, but he regained his form to earn All-American status in his final season as a Panther. Weaver has already accepted his invitation to play in the prestigious Senior Bowl, and is expected to be one of the top defensive ends picked in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones came back to Pitt following a successful 2019 season, and made the most of his opportunity to improve and impress at the collegiate level and earn himself All-American status. Jones was also named a second-team All-American by CBS. He was named first-team All-ACC after receiving second team honors last season.
Jones finished the year with 9 sacks, which was good to be tied for fourth nationally in that department. He also posted 13 tackles for loss and 37 quarterback pressures this season. The Virginia native was the driving force that helped lead Pitt to having one of the best pass rushes in the nation for the past two seasons. The Panthers finished with 46 sacks as a team this year, which is first in the country.
Jones has also accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, and like Weaver is expected to be one of the top defensive end prospects in this upcoming NFL Draft.
Weaver becomes Pitt's first first-team All-American since Aaron Donald did that back in 2013. Since then, Pitt has posted two players to the AP's second team: James Conner in 2014, and Quadree Henderson in 2016. Both players are the first two players recruited by Pat Narduzzi to earn All-American status during his tenure at Pitt.