Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt Walk-On Lands at Kent State

Former Pitt Panthers walk-on landed at Kent State with a scholarship.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Thomas Aden (91) stands for the national anthem against the Boston College Eagles at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Thomas Aden (91) stands for the national anthem against the Boston College Eagles at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers saw one of their former walk-ons enter the transfer portal and find a new school who will honor him with a scholarship.

Redshirt sophomore defenisve lineman Thomas Aden, who entered the transfer portal on Dec. 9, announced on Twitter that he committed to Kent State.

Aden played for St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, near Cleveland. He would spend a post-graduate season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., making 11 sacks and 20 tackles in 2021.

He would join the Panthers as a walk-on and didn't play in the 2022 or 2023 seasons. He managed to play 13 snaps this season, with appearances in the home blowouts of Kent State in Week 1, Youngstown State in Week 4 and Syracuse in Week 9.

Aden will join back up with Kent State rush ends coach Malcolm Robinson, who previously served as a defensive graduate assistant at Pitt

He is one of three former Pitt players that entered the transfer portal to find a new school. Redshirt juniors in offensive lineman Terrence Moore also landed in the MAC at Toledo and defensive back Noah Biglow transferred to Louisiana Tech.

The Panthers had 13 players total enter the transfer portal following the end of the regular season, which saw the team finish 7-5 overall on a five-game losing streak.

He is the fourth defensive lineman to depart the program, along with redshirt juniors in Nakhi Johnson and Elliot Donald and redshirt freshman David Ojiegbe.

Other redshirt freshmen to leave Pitt for the transfer portal includes quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, running back Montravius Lloyd, wide receiver Lamar Seymore and defensive back Jaremiah Anglin Jr.

Redshirt juniors that left the Panthers feature wide receiver Daejon Reynolds and quarterback Nate Yarnell, while senior Rodney Hammond Jr. also entered the transfer portal.

Pitt will have four defensive tackles on the roster going into next season, including rising redshirt juniors Sean FitzSimmons and Nick James, rising redshirt sophomore Isaiah "Ghost" Neal, sophomore Francis Brewu and rising redshirt freshman Jahsear Whittington.

The Panthers also have defensive ends in sixth year Nate Temple, redshirt junior Chief Borders, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Scott, redshirt freshman Maverick Gracio, freshmen in Zachary Crothers, Ty Yuhas and Sincere Edwards.

Pitt also has three incoming freshmen defensive ends from the Class of 2025. This includes Julian Anderson out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., Trevor Sommers out powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Denim Cook out of Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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