Inside The Panthers

Pitt TE Enters Transfer Portal

A tight end announced he'll be leaving the Pitt Panthers and entering the transfer portal.
Kevin Sinclair|
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Clemson Tigers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Clemson Tigers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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On Monday, tight end Jake Renda announced that he'll be leaving the Pittsburgh Panthers.

"My time at the University of Pittsburgh has been unforgettable. After much thought, I've decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer TE with 2 years of eligibility remaining," Renda's announcement on X read.

"I want to thank Coach Narduzzi, Coach Bro, Coach Bell, Coach Kline, Coach Stacc, the entire Pitt staff, and every teammate," Renda's announcement continued. "Pitt will always hold a special place in my heart. H2P."

Given the Blue-Gold Game was played at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, it's no surprise to see Panthers entering the transfer portal this week. However, it was unclear who would leave the program when the 15th spring practice wrapped up over the weekend.

With Gavin Bartholomew leaving Pitt to enter the NFL Draft, former Oregon State tight end Jake Overman is projected to take over the starting role, entering his sixth collegiate season. Beyond the potential captain, underclassmen Malachi Thomas and Max Hunt were mentioned regularly in post-practice press conferences throughout the spring.

Renda entered the college ranks through the 2021 recruiting class out of IMG Academy. The New Jersey product earned offers from Arizona, Boston College, Central Michigan, Florida International, Fordham, Holy Cross, Michigan State, NC State, and Old Dominion along with Pitt.

He played sparingly through the first three seasons in the ACC program before his 2024 campaign was wiped out by an injury before the season began.

Moving forward, it'll be interesting to see who wins the TE 2 battle between Thomas, a rising true sophomore out of Georgia, and the early-entry freshman in Hunt.

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Kevin Sinclair
KEVIN SINCLAIR

Kevin Sinclair writes coverage of the Pitt Panthers along with the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans for On SI. Previously, he was a recruiting reporter and managing editor at Irish Illustrated, the privately-owned Notre Dame site within the 247Sports Network, for over seven-and-a-half years. Kevin studied multimedia journalism and has been a sports writer for nearly a decade.

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