Inside The Panthers

Recruiting Notebook: Pitt Offers Coveted Virginia TE Luca Puccinelli

See which recruits the Pitt Panthers are pursuing in the daily recruiting notebook.
Stephen Thompson|
Recruiting Notebook: Pitt Offers Coveted Virginia TE Luca Puccinelli
Recruiting Notebook: Pitt Offers Coveted Virginia TE Luca Puccinelli

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH -- With the regular season over, the Pitt Panthers are well into the portion of their calendar dedicated to recruiting. Before preparation for the Sun Bowl begins in earnest, coaches are all over the country looking for the next crop of future Panthers.

Follow along here all day as Inside the Panthers keeps you updated on who Pitt is after.

2:30 PM

Pitt has offered coveted three-star tight end Luca Puccinelli, a 2024 prospect from Richmond, Virginia. They are somewhat late to the party, with Duke, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia having already offered. Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ophip State, Penn State and Wisconsin - to name a few - have shown interest but not offered. 

11:45 AM

Pitt was the first to offer 6'4, 265-pound 2025 offensive line prospect, Caleb Harris and another Power 5 program - one the Panthers are familiar with competing against - has thrown its hat in the ring. Mark Stoops and Kentucky became the second team to extend the offer of a scholarship, setting up a new competition between Panthers and Wildcats. 

9:15 AM

The Panthers are engaged in some early conflict with Penn State and West Virginia over the recruitment of Imani Christian Academy's 2026 running back and defensive back David Davis. The Lions swooped in to offer him first, Pitt was second and West Virginia came lastest with his fifth offer behind Toledo and Akron.  

Davis took visits to Morgantown and State College during this past regular season and spent some time with the Panthers last weekend as they began bowl game preparation. He's unrated for now but that will change soon. 

7:00 AM

Pat Narduzzi and Pitt are trying to fend off charges from other schools coming for their top committed players. To combat that, Pat Narduzzi has hit the road to connect with those recruits and shore up their defenses against competing programs. 

One of those prospects being pursued by some outside forces is three-star defensive back Shadarian Harrison. Florida State and Oregon have attempted to pry Harrison from his verbal pledge to Pitt, according to reports from Chris Peak of Panther Lair. Miami's also thrown their hat in the ring by sending him an offer last week. The Panthers are trying to put a bow on his recruitment and get him to sign during the December signing day a week from now. 

Jesse Anderson is another player Narduzzi and safeties coach Corey Sanders stopped by to see while they were in the Sunshine State and they'll have some more visiting to do before they leave. 

6:30 AM 

Former Pitt target Jordan Church has committed to Florida Atlantic. The 6'4, 325-pound, three-star offensive lineman choose the Owls despite holding offers from Tennessee, Florida State, Louisville, Missouri and Ole Miss. 

The Panthers already have three offensive linemen in their 2023 class, so this isn't a massive loss, but FAU is an odd school to pick when you've garnered an offer sheet like that. Watch this space because I don't think Church's recruitment is completely over.   

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

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Pitt Lands Commitment from Three-Star RB T.J. Harvison

Pitt Football Mourns Loss of Mississippi State HC Mike Leach

Former Pitt QB Kedon Slovis' Transfer Interests Come from out West

Pitt DL Calijah Kancey Earns Consensus All-American Status

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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