Pitt Football Offers Transfer International Punter

The Pitt Panthers are looking to improve on special teams, as they offered an FCS Transfer that hails from Finland.

Nov 26, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi stands on the / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers want to bolster their special teams unit heading into next season, as they offered an FCS transfer punter with international ties.

Eemil Herranen hails from Helsinki, Finland and spent the past two seasons punting for Northern Arizona, playing in 22 games. He punted 72 times for 2,945 yards, 40.9 yards per punt, with the longest punt 63 yards. He had two punts go for touchbacks, 16 punts for fair catches, 10 punts inside the 20-yard line and 10 punts of 50+ yards.

His best season came in 2022 as a redshirt freshman, where he punted 50 times for 2,095 yards, 41.8 yards per punt, with two touchbacks, 11 fair catches, seven punts inside the 20-yard line and eight punts that went 50+ yards in 11 games. For his efforts, Herranen earned Second Team Phil Steele Freshman All-American honors.

Herranen saw less action last season, where he played in 11 games, but punted in just six of them. He finished with 22 punts for 856 yards, 38.9 yards per punt, five fair catches, three punts inside the 20-yard line and two punts of 50+ yards.

He started out his college career at McNeese State, where he would redshirt and then transfer to Northern Arizona. He played high school football for Del Norte in San Diego, Calif.

Pitt already has a scholarship punter on the roster in redshirt junior Caleb Junko, who earned it last offseason. Junko struggled with inconsistency last season, where he would make some great punts and then terrible ones as well.

Junko finished with 62 punts for 2,653 yards, 42.3 yards per punt, seven touchbacks, 12 faircatches, 15 punts inside the 20-yard line and 18 punts for 50+ yards.

Pitt hired Jacob Bronwoski to serve as special teams/tight ends coach this offseason. With this offer, it looks like he is trying to go into a different direction than Junko for next season.

Three transfers have to come to Pitt so far following the end of spring practice including special teams ace Josh McCarty from Eastern Michigan, defensive back Jaremiah Anglin Jr. from Kentucky and defensive end Chief Borders from Nebraska.

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