Inside The Panthers

Review: Undervalued Pitt Football Prospects

Two Pitt Panthers football prospects are undervalued and should be considered contenders.
Kevin Sinclair|
IG: thelandrybrede / judecascone

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Pittsburgh Panthers

While taking a fresh look at the film available among various prospects who visited the Pitt Panthers over the last few weeks, there were a few who stuck out for a specific reason.

The high level of performance shown in the fall and the subsequent college potential didn’t match up with the very modest rankings they’ve been labeled with. With that, On SI put together a review of two rising seniors that surfaced in that film study this week.

Jude Cascone

Pittsburgh Panthers tight end recruit Jude Cascone
IG: judecascone

Underestimate Jude Cascone at your peril. 

He may not stand 6–foot-7, but he’ll get underneath you as an inline tight end, drive you off the ball, and slam you to the turf on first down, and then slide to the slot on third down, slashing through traffic and making a leaping, athletic catch to move the chains.

There’s a unique versatility in Cascone, not only within the tight end position, including plenty of H-Back work, but across both sides of the ball. He crossed over to play defensive end last year, and linebacker in 2023.

Cascone is also a quality baseball player, and he carries a 4.0 GPA. Without question, there’s a lot to like in the big picture with this student-athlete.

You can be certain the 6-2.5, 225-pound prospect is very well-coached at Walton, a Georgia program that produced tackle Daniel Calhoun (Georgia), edge Wendell Gregory (South Carolina), linebacker Ashton Woods (UNC), and quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski (Wake Forest) in the 2024 class, alone. And the Marietta squad plays at the highest level among schools with the largest enrollment.

Cascone visited Pitt recently during spring camp, a glimpse of reciprocated interest. As for why he’s in this specific review, I simply believe No. 894 overall nationally via the industry average (247Sports Composite) is underselling his potential.

Additional Power Four Offers: Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, South Carolina, Wake Forest

Landry Brede

Pittsburgh Panthers tackle recruit Landry Brede
IG: thelandrybrede

When I watch Landry Brede’s highlight reel, given the number of outright dominant plays I see, knockdown after knockdown while facing some of the best competition in Ohio (arguably the best varsity ball in the Midwest), I believe this Pitt prospect is undervalued at No. 1070 overall nationally. 

I like Brede’s big frame and overall size, and the growth potential he has at the next level. At 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, I believe Brede could play tackle or guard, a young lineman who moves surprisingly well for his size. 

He was the star among a Mentor offensive line that paved the way to over 2,700 rushing yards over a 13-1 season. Brede’s ability to pull laterally and kick out an end with significant finishing power or to turn the corner and get upfield stands out on film, as you can see below (Brede wears No. 70 in red, a left tackle).

The big fella can move. 

After a few years in a Power Four strength program, Brede will be an imposing body-mover with position flexibility and the length to play tackle.

You can check out the clips below, Brede wearing No. 70 at left tackle.

Both Cascone and Brede were in Pittsburgh recently, and appear to be giving the Panthers a fair shake.

Additional Power Four Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, NC State, Northwestern, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia.

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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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