4-Star QB Decommits From Pitt

Though Pitt has been getting some decent commits recently, it was a tough news day as four-star quarterback Kevin Verpaele has decommitted from the program, according to Rivals. It is reported that Verpaele is now looking at USF, which he has family ties to, and SEC schools such as Auburn and South Carolina.

Verpaele had been verbally committed to Pitt since October. He was recruited by schools such as FIU, Miami (Oh.) and UMass. Pitt was clearly the best option for him to play at a higher level at the time, but it seems like now he has other options in top conferences.

The Florida native stands at six-foot-two and 200 pounds. He threw for 2,714 yards 27 touchdowns during his junior year. Verpaele ranks No. 22 in quarterbacks in the 2027 class.

Possible Causes

It's likely that an exact reason for his decommitment won't be given. But, Pitt isn't new to having top prospects decommit across all sports, so it's always worth guessing why.

One possible reason could be that Pitt isn't short on young quarterbacks. Star quarterback Mason Heintschel is returning for his sophomore season with the Panthers. It's never guaranteed he'll be the starter for the whole season, as seen by the Eli Holstein saga, but Heintschel was one of the most talented freshman quarterbacks Pitt has ever had.

If Heintschel were to eventually leave, there would have to be competition for the spot. Three-star quarterback Angelo Renda, who had a very impressive senior season, committed to Pitt since January of this year. Renda will definitely be on the roster next season and has a chance to get the quarterback spot one day.

Other young quarterbacks currently on the roster include Beau Jackson, Corey Dailey and Davin Friedman.

Another likely reason for Verpaele's decommitment is that he started to get attention from schools he was more interested in. Verpaele said himself that he chose Pitt initially because they were the only Power 4 team to show him interested. Verpaele was actually upgraded to a four-star prospect in February of this year, possibly causing more interest from schools. The schools Rivals links him to are all closer to his home state of Florida.

Other Additions

Pitt has still been making moves to get young prospects, though. Just recently, they got commitments from three-star defensive end Cam Aime and three-star wide receiver Jaden Baldwin. Baldwin is the son of Johnathan Baldwin, who also played for the Panthers.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google