Pitt Lands First Transfer Portal Commit

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have landed their first transfer portal addition of the postseason.

Netinho Olivieri, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle from Penn, announced that he has committed to Pitt on Jan. 4. Olivieri has one year of eligibility remaining.

Excited to announce my commitment to the university of Pittsburgh! Can’t wait for this next chapter in my football career! pic.twitter.com/e98KL171k1
— Netinho Olivieri (@NetinhoOlivieri) January 4, 2026

Olivieri earned first-team All-Ivy honors in 2024 and was an AP All-American Honorable Mention this past season. He has started the last three seasons at Penn and has appeared in 32 games, totaling 1,945 snaps in his career, according to Pro Football Focus.

By the same metric, Olivieri allowed just two sacks and 10 pressures in 2025. Those numbers were better than all of Pitt's starting offensive linemen from last season, excluding Keith Gouveia, who suffered a season-ending injury.

Over his four-year career, Olivieri is credited with allowing a total of six sacks and 18 pressures. For comparison, starting right tackle Ryan Baer allowed six sacks and 29 pressures, and starting left tackle Jeff Persi allowed five sacks and 23 pressures in just this past season.

Pitt Adds a Transfer Tackle

Tackle was a position of need for Pitt. The Panthers' offensive line allowed 44 sacks this past season, which was the fourth-most in the nation, plus former Michigan transfer Persi is out of eligibility.

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Sabastian Harsh (54) pressures Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Olivieri is now a contender for a starting tackle spot with likely former Charlotte transfer Kendall Stanley, Baer and Jiavani Cooley.

Pitt will now have at least three new tackles in 2026. The Panthers have also signed incoming freshmen Mike van der Oord and Nick Howard.

Pitt's 2026 Portal Class

Olivieri is the first commit, but things seem to be heating up for the Panthers, who will need to land key transfers to replace some big departures.

Those departures include linebacker Rasheem Biles, receiver Kenny Johnson, true freshman corner Shawn Lee Jr. and starting center Lyndon Cooper.

Pitt has reportedly scheduled visits for UCF tight end Kylan Fox, Middle Tennessee State tight end Hunter Tipton, Maryland cornerback La'khil Roland and Florida wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery.

The transfer portal opened on Jan. 2 and players have until Jan. 16 to enter their names into the portal. Players in the portal can commit to their next school at any time during the year, but will have to make a decision quickly if they want to enroll for the spring semester.

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