Inside The Panthers

Offer in Hand, Texas LB Eyeing Pitt Visit

Linebacker prospect Bryson Castile out of Arlington, Texas, discusses his recent offer from the Pitt Panthers.
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It was a heck of a find for the Pitt Panthers, in a long, rangy, athletic linebacker with special versatility. 

The Panthers do a great job as a coaching staff when it comes to finding overlooked and under-recruited talent. Out of Arlington, Texas, Bryson Castile seems to fit that category. 

On Sunday, he announced an offer from Pitt as the Panthers joined Houston, San Diego State, Toledo, and others among his scholarship options. 

According to MaxPreps, in just nine games as a junior at Bowie High School, Castile recorded 59 total tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble. 

As an outside linebacker, Castile is very capable in the box, he’s skilled in rushing the quarterback off the edge, and he’s a quality coverage ‘backer. 

To learn more about the Texas product and to get his reaction to adding Pitt to his offer list, we spoke with Castile on Monday. 

Tell me about your background in Texas. 

“I've grown up in like Texas and Louisiana. My uncles taught me how to play. I've been playing since I was really little, been playing since I was like four years old. It's always been one of my passions. I also played basketball.”

You’re a versatile defender who can do a lot on the field. Tell me more about your position fit.

“Ever since I was a freshman, I always played the star linebacker (position). So, the star linebacker, it's really like linebacker/safety, so I guess I do everything at once. I’ve always been like a hybrid type.”

Playing that hybrid linebacker role, do you have a history of playing the safety position? That often seems to be the case with hybrid linebackers.

“I played safety last year at my old school at Sam Houston. But recently, it’s been linebacker.”

You were offered by Pitt on Sunday. What did the coach you spoke with have to say? 

Coach (Jacob) Bronowski, I talked to him for about a week before he offered me. He got to know me. We just texted back and forth, and he really got to know me before he offered me. I really do appreciate that.”

What did you make of Coach Bronowski?

“Coach Bronowski, he's a big family guy. I know with a coach like that, you can trust him more. I feel more of a sense of trust with him. And I think really highly of Pitt. I want to get out there. Yes, sir.”

Travelling across the country, booking trips, finding the time, all of these things are easier said than done. But looking at Pitt, what are your thoughts on getting to the campus in the future? 

"Oh yeah, I definitely want to visit here. They are my second Power Four offer. So, really, it means a lot to me to have them as an offer. Yeah, I definitely want to get out to that school."

It looked like last year, you played around the 190 range. What’s your current height and weight at and what have you been working on this off-season? 

"I’m 6-3, 200, and my main focus has been gaining weight and maintaining my explosiveness and speed."

Did Coach Bronowski talk about your position fit at the next level, specifically? 

"He told me he’s recruiting me at the rover linebacker/star ‘backer."

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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.