Inside The Panthers

Why 2026 Safety Isaac Patterson Committed to Pitt

Inside the Panthers interviewed Isaac Patterson shortly after the 2026 safety from Ohio announced his commitment to Pitt on Friday.
Kevin Sinclair|
Isaac Patterson

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Pittsburgh Panthers

After speaking with On SI recently, Isaac Patterson announced his commitment to the Pitt Panthers on Friday, February 21. 

In Patterson, Pitt adds a safety with exciting speed to its 2026 class alongside quarterback Angelo Renda. Patterson is a 6-foot, 185-pound recruit out of Westerville South High School in Westerville, Ohio. 

He logged 120 solo tackles over the last two seasons combined while competing as a receiver and return man. 

Shortly after Patterson announced his decision on social media, he spoke with Inside the Panthers.

We spoke last week regarding Pitt, and it was clear that you had a lot of interest. But it didn’t seem like you were in decision mode. I wasn’t expecting you to make a commitment at this time. What led to you pulling the trigger?

“I had a talk with my head coach and, obviously, my mom and my dad. They were cool with it. They love Pitt. They love the coaches. They've heard and feel nothing but great things from them. But I talked to my head coach and he was like, ‘If it feels right to you, you should just take the opportunity because there's no point in waiting if it feels right to you.’ 

“It felt right. Like, everything, I love everything about the program.”

Tell me about how it went down. Who did you contact and how did it play out?

“Actually, I was trying to get on the phone with Coach (Cory) Sanders prior to the day I committed. So…I broke the news to him and, obviously, he was excited. He was very happy. And then he had to run it by Coach (Pat) Narduzzi, and then Narduzzi talked to me this morning to make sure this is what I really wanted to do and I was committing for all the right reasons. 

“After that, I got the green light. I posted everything and I'm fully committed.”

You mentioned Coach Sanders who has a very good track record of developing quality players at your position. What are your thoughts on Coach Sanders?

“He's a very knowledgeable coach, which is one thing I like about him. And he gets to know his players. He gets to know them. He knows everything about them down to the littlest detail. 

“He was telling me on the Junior Day about how he knows everything about his safeties, like, if a kid's pushing 205 and Coach Sanders knows his best playing weight is 202, he's going to get him back down to 202. There's not a lot of coaches that are doing that for their players.”

Once it was established that you were committing for the right reasons, what was Coach Narduzzi’s response?

“He was pretty excited, too, ‘cause I mean, obviously, I'm one of the only safeties in this class that have an offer from the University of Pittsburgh. And for them to land one…that's obviously really big for them. And I'm really high up on their board, not just as a safety but as a player overall. And I feel like I'm really going to shine in this program.”

Are your upcoming visit plans the same as they were when we last spoke?

“Yeah, I still plan to visit Pitt. March 22nd. I'll still take my official visit the second week of June. I've just got to confirm that with Coach Sanders.”

Are you planning to enroll in January or June of next year?

"January of next year."

Knowing that you’ll get that head start, does that grow your confidence in how you might fare in your freshman year?

“Definitely. I was talking to coach Sanders about it. Obviously, he's for it. He said when it comes time for my freshman season, I'm not really a freshman anymore. I've been around the program eight or nine months. I know the defensive scheme like the back of my hand, and I feel like it's really going to give me an edge over all of the freshmen that are coming in at that June (timeframe).”

Is it a relief to have the decision behind you now, that you don’t have to constantly monitor the schools that you’re interested in, who they’re recruiting at your position, whether the classes could fill up, etcetera?

“Definitely. It’s definitely a lot of weight off of my shoulders and especially my parents too, because nothing is paid for when you're going to spring practices or when you're coming up for a Junior Day.

“What if you fly out and then the school doesn't offer you? That's just a waste of money for the kid and the parents. You're getting that weight off your shoulders. Getting that weight off your shoulders early is definitely a good thing.”

What’s your message to Pitt Panthers fans?

“I’m home. I feel great about it.”

To learn more about Patterson, you can read our recent interview with the Ohio product here.

To learn more about Patterson's fellow 2026 Pitt commit, Angelo Renda, click here.

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

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt

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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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