Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Hosting North Carolina LB Transfer

The Pitt Panthers will host a linebacker transfer from the ACC.
Dominic Campbell|
Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (20) is tacked by North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Michael Short (30) in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Hollywood Smothers (20) is tacked by North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Michael Short (30) in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have targeted another defensive player from the ACC that they bring on a visit in the near future.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that North Carolina linebacker transfer Michael Short scheduled visits to Pitt, as well as Rutgers and Virginia Tech.

Short hails from Charlotte, N.C. and played for Mallard Creek High School, where he made 93 tackles and 21 tackles for loss as a junior in 2022.

He was a consensus three-star recruit in the Class of 2023, with 247Sports ranking him the No. 114 linebacker and No. 32 recruit in North Carolina, Rivals giving him a 5.6 rating and ranking him No. 29 in the state, On3 ranking him No. 186 at linebacker and No. 48 in North Carolina and ESPN ranking him No. 170 at defensive end and No. 38 in the state.

Short originally committed to East Carolina after his official visit on June 18, 2022, but would decommit on Dec. 5 and then commit to North Carolina on Dec. 15.

He picked UNC over Wake Forest, who he visited after decommitting, plus FBS offers in Air Force, Appalachian State, Army, Charlotte, James Madison, Kent State, Liberty, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Missouri, Navy, Ohio, Rice and UConn.

Short played all 13 games for the Tar Heels as a freshman in 2023, with 65 snaps on special team and playing four snaps vs. Campbell in Week 10. He recorded no stats.

He would play all 13 games again for North Carolina in 2024 as a sophomore, including all on special teams and 11 games on defense, recording 248 snaps and 101 snaps, respectively.

Short recorded 23 tackles (17 solo) and one tackle for loss last season. He had a career-high five tackles vs. Duke in Week 5 and had four tackles each vs. Boston College in Week 13 and NC State in Wee 14.

He stands at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds has two years of eligibility remaining wherever he chooses to go.

Pitt has landed two players from the transfer portal following the end of spring practices, including Short's former teammate in UNC redshirt freshman defensive back Zion Ferguson and Marshall senior tight end Justin Holmes.

The Panthers have a fantastic linebacker group, bringing back All-American redshirt junior Kyle Louis, juniors in Rasheem Biles and Braylan Lovelace, as well as redshirt senior Nick Lapi, sophomore Jeremiah Marcelin and redshirt freshmen in Cameron Lindsey and Davin Brewton.

Pitt also moved Ohio State transfer in redshirt sophomore Jayden Bonsu from defensive back to linebacker, while signing two freshman linebackers in Justin Thompson from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md. and Emmanuel Taylor from Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Va.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.

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