Three Noteworthy Recruits Visiting Pitt This Month

The recruiting dead period has ended and the Pitt Panthers are set to host a variety of prospects in the 2026 and 2027 classes this month.

So far, Pittsburgh carries commitments from 2026 quarterback Angelo Renda, 2026 safety Isaac Patterson, and 2027 receiver Jacob Thomas.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers coaching staff can add more pledges throughout March.

Below is a look at three prospects on Pitt’s visitor list this month.

Nathan Zappitelli

There’s a lot to like about Nathan Zappitelli, starting with his junior season highlights.

He’s a very mobile, athletic varsity left tackle with exceptional bend and 70 pancake blocks executed through his junior season, according to his X page. Zappitelli has excellent feet and a nasty nature through the whistle.

At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, the Mentor (Ohio) Lake Catholic product has size to stack onto his frame, of course. However, this is a very lean, strong, and conditioned interior offensive line recruit whose offer list is only beginning to grow.

Zappitelli picked up an offer from Pitt on Saturday, a 4.0 GPA student with Army, Ball State, Dartmouth, Harvard, Liberty, Miami of Ohio, Nevada, Ohio, Princeton, Western Kentucky, West Virginia and others rounding out his list.

Zappitelli mentioned early this week that he’ll be in Pittsburgh on March 15.

"I’m looking forward to seeing Pittsburgh,” Zappitelli told Inside the Panthers on Sunday. “I know it's a great city, a great stadium. I look forward to meeting the head coach, too. I think we've talked or texted a couple times, but I look forward to being close to these coaches in person."

Lucas Shanafelt

Located at nearby Peters Township, Lucas Shanafelt played receiver over his first few years of high school before he was moved to the defensive tackle position along with tight end as a junior.

From skinny wideout to super-productive defensive lineman/flex tight end, Shanafelt is a unique prospect at 6-foot-3.5, 225 pounds, evident on film. He was in Pittsburgh in January, earning an offer while on campus. And now he’ll return on March 15.

Next fall, he’ll be in position to improve on a successful junior campaign, a standout player with a 4.4 GPA.

“I think he's going to have a really, really good senior year playing at an edge/outside ‘backer for us where he belongs and playing at an inline tight end/H-Back that guy, in the slot at times, and just owning the middle of the field on offense,” Peters Township head coach TJ Plack said on Sunday. “So, I think we did him a disservice, you can say that, playing outside receiver and then down tackle just out of necessity, but I think he's going to have a heck of a senior year playing right where he needs to be.”

Pitt is pursuing Shanafelt at the tight end position, but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in a new defensive role this year.

Carl Jean-Bart

Playing 7-on-7 ball under former Pitt quarterback Rod Rutherford, who also serves as his trainer, Carl Jean-Bart could prove to be a steal for whichever school signs him.

He’s a quick-triggered, savvy receiver who quality defensive backs struggled to contain at a recent Under Armour camp in Florida, a state rich in high-level DB’s. At 6-foot, 180 pounds, given what he’s shown on film, it seems Jean-Bart is likely to fit the slot receiver role best at the next level, but he won’t likely be confined inside.

This is a Florida speedster capable of creating mismatches inside and out.

So far, it seems Jean-Bart has plenty of interest in the Panthers.

“For me, I feel like it was…having regular conversations (with Coach Lindsey Lamar),” Jean-Bart said regarding his interest in the Panthers in a recent interview. “Of course, a lot of coaches come, they’re going to talk to you, but it's like when they give you a number, they actually hit you up, texting you, checking on you, stuff like that.

“That shows that you actually care about a player. And that's what I look at when it comes to looking at colleges and stuff. That's one of the things Pitt did. He texted me and was checking on me, making sure I was good.”

Jean-Bart will be in Pittsburgh for his unofficial visit on March 20.

Last season as a junior, Jean-Bart put together an impressive 68 catches for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns. It’s worth noting that he racked up those numbers in a very competitive Florida 6A schedule.

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