LB Tylar Wiltz Thriving in Early Stages of FCS-FBS Jump with Pitt Football
PITTSBURGH -- Following up an All-American, conference championship-winning final act at Missouri State, Tylar Wiltz sought a bigger challenge. He found a symbiotic relationship after deciding to transfer with the Pitt Panthers, who were seeking a new crop of linebackers to replace four departing players that shouldered heavy snap counts.
Wiltz has big plans for his one season at Pitt. He wants to be an immediate contributor, win another conference championship - this time at the Power 5 level - and earn a shot at the NFL. He's confident in his own talent and believes it will translate right away, even against better competition.
"I honestly can't wait," Wiltz said. "No matter what stage you're on if you perform the NFL is going to find you. Feel like I've performed on that stage and there's no going back. If I trust in Coach Manalac, trust in Coach Narduzzi, the whole coaching staff, trust in my team, then the performances I had before will only get better."
He could have chosen any number of schools and would have been able to live out the same dream there, but he felt comfortable with the Panthers. Wiltz claims to have felt the close-knit nature of the program right away.
"When I first got on campus," Wiltz said, "my host was SirVocea [Dennis] and it was the love, immediately when I sat in that locker room. ... Coach Manalac gave me the same energy as he did to everyone else as they got ready for practice."
Wiltz is now in the midst of a position battle at linebacker that will leave no stone unturned as Pitt looks to fill some glaring holes in the defense. The good news for him is that head coach Pat Narduzzi has said Wiltz is playing well during camp so far and is right in the mix for one of those open starting jobs.
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