Former Pitt OT Accepts Shrine Bowl Invite
PITTSBURGH -- A former Pitt Panthers offensive tackle is taking the next step on his road to a career in professional football.
Matt Goncalves, who climbed his way from the bottom of the depth chart to become the Panthers' best offensive tackle before suffering a devastating season-ending injury early in 2023, has accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl, one of the premier pre-NFL Draft scouting events available to pro prospects.
Goncalves was Pitt's lone representative on the Preseason All-ACC First-Team but made it just three games into his final season as a Panther before suffering a season-ending injury. He stuck with the team through the end of the season to help an offensive line unit riddled with injuries survive and improve during a difficult season.
Goncalves leaves Pitt after making 24 total starts at tackle, the vast majority of which came over the last two seasons, when he helped push the Panthers to an ACC Championship and 20 wins from 2021 to 2022. He also earned third-team All-ACC honors after the 2022 campaign.
The Panthers will bring back both the starting tackles who helped fill the void Goncalves left behind after his injury - Branson Taylor and Ryan Baer, who both announced this week that they would be back with Pitt in 2024.
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