Added Weight Helps Pitt's Will Jeffress Evolve
PITTSBURGH -- While the Pitt Panthers are just now reaping the benefits of Will Jeffress' physicality and toughness, his transformation and development has been in the works since first joining the program.
In an appearance on The Jeff Capel Show on Thursday, Jeffress discussed the continuous process of adding muscle to his frame since the beginning of his tenure with the Panthers.
"I actually came into college at 178 (pounds)," Jeffress said. "Once I got here, I just started to continue to put on weight and continue to grow, so I mean ever since I first stepped foot into college, I put on like 30 to 35 pounds."
Jeffress was a major catalyst off the bench in Pitt's comeback win over Wake Forest, helping the team spark a 21-8 run late in the second half through his strong defensive effort against Efton Reid, who went the final 9:25 of the contest without scoring a point.
Standing at 6'7 and 210 pounds, it's rare to see a player of Jeffress' stature go toe-to-toe with, and effectively neutralize, opposing team's big men. He noted that he first knew he could have that kind of impact upon acknowledging the growth he made both on and off the court last summer.
"Right after my surgery, before I even got to play within the last year, I felt like athletically and physically, I had grown," Jeffress said. "Maybe some of it even came with maturity in general."
Jeffress suffered a major setback when he went down with a season-ending foot injury ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, but his recent strides speak volumes about his dedication, character and fight. His performance against the Demon Deacons embodied all of those characteristics and may even earn him additional playing time down the stretch as the Panthers continue to search for answers in their frontcourt.
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