Inside The Panthers

Pitt DL Enters Transfer Portal

A Pitt Panthers defensive lineman entered the transfer portal.

Dominic Campbell

Oct 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Chief Borders (14) pressures Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Oct 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Chief Borders (14) pressures Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers lost another player to the transfer portal, with another defensive lineman departing from the program.

Pete Nakos of On3 announced that Panthers redshirt junior defenisve lineman Chief Borders left as a graduate transfer and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

He played high school football for Heard County in Franklin, Ga., near the western part of the state that borders Alabama. He earned an invite to the 2021 Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Fla. and also threw shot put and discus in track and field.

Borders was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, according to 247Sports, with Rivals and On3 ranking him as a three-star. 247Sports rated him as the No. 37 linebacker and No. 26 recruit in Georgia in the Class of 2021.

He played his first two seasons in college at Florida, where he made one solo tackle in four games in 2021, preserving a redshirt. He then played in 12 games in 2022, making two tackles, playing mostly on special teams.

Borders spent the 2023 season with Nebraska in a reserve role, making nine tackles (three solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass defended in 12 games.

He would enter the transfer portal again and landed with Pitt, announcing his commitment on May 12.

Borders played 309 snaps at defensive end, seeing action in all 13 games for the Panthers this past season. He served as the primary backup to starters in redshirt senior Nate Matlack and redshirt sophomore Jimmy Scott.

He made 11 tackles in 2024, with two solo tackles, one coming in the 24-19 home loss to Virginia in Week 11 and the other coming vs. Boston College in the 34-23 road loss in Week 14.

Borders is the sixth defensive lineman that has left Pitt since the end of the regular season. This includes redshirt juniors in Elliot Donald and Nakhi Johnson, who landed at Tulsa, redshirt sophomore/walk-on Thomas Aden, who ended up at Kent State, redshirt freshman David Ojiegbe and freshman Sincere Edwards.

He is also the 11th player on defense for the Panthers that entered the transfer portal, along with defensive backs in redshirt juniors in Tamarion Crumpley and Noah Biglow, who landed atLouisiana Tech, redshirt sophomore Ryland Gandy and redshirt freshman Jaremiah Anglin Jr, plus sophomore linebacker Jordan Bass.

Pitt has now lost 20 players to the transfer portal this offseason, with nine more players coming on the offensive side of the ball.

This inlcudes quaterbacks in redshirt freshman Ty Dieffenbach, who landed at Cal Poly and redshirt junior Nate Yarnell, who went to Texas State, running backs in senior Rodney Hammond Jr. and redshirt freshman Montravius Lloyd, wide receivers in redshirt senior Jake McConnachie, redshirt junior Daejon Reynolds and redshirt freshman Lamar Seymore and redshirt junior offensive linemen in Terrence Moore, who landed at Toledo, and walk-on Matt Metrosky.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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