Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Lands Eastern Michigan Transfer

The Pitt Panthers landed an Eastern Michigan football transfer.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Clemson Tigers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Clemson Tigers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers added another important player to their program for next season, with this transfer talent coming from the MAC.

Joey Zelinsky, who previously played defensive end for Eastern Michigan, announced that he committed to Pitt on his Twitter. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Zelinsky hails from Cressona, Pa. and played for Blue Mountain High School. He was a part of the same class with former Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew (2021-24), who recently graduated.

He finished with 50 tackles, three sacks, a safety, and one blocked field goal as a senior in 2020, earning all-region honors.

Zelinsky started out with Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., for one season of junior college (JUCO) in 2021. He played in eight games, making 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, and two sacks.

He then transferred to Eastern Michigan and played in 12 games in 2022, making 11 tackles (three solo), while adding 0.5 tackles for loss.

Zelinsky would play in 12 games in 2023 and started seven contests, as he made 38 tackles (16 solo), six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

He then started in all 12 games this season, as he recorded 29 tackles (12 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Zelinksy finished his time with the Eagles playing in 36 games with 19 starts, along with 78 tackles (31 solo), 13 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

He had offers from Buffalo, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Memphis, Sacramento State, Texas State, USF and Western Michigan, but chose Pitt after going on a visit this weekend.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Zelinksy will look to serve an important role as a defensive end, a position the Panthers needed talent at heading into next season.

Six defensive linemen left Pitt for the transfer portal, including redshirt juniors in Chief Borders, Elliot Donald and Nakhi Johnson, who landed at Tulsa, redshirt freshman David Ojiegbe and freshman Sincere Edwards, who transferred to UCF.

Rising redshirt junior Jimmy Scott is the only defensive end with meaningful snaps returning for the Panthers next season, with redshirt senior Nate Matlack graduating.

Zelinsky is the second transfer defensive end that Pitt has secured the services of, along with rising seventh year Blaine Spires from Utah State.

Pitt also has returning defensive ends in rising seventh year Nate Temple, rising redshirt sophomore Maverick Gracio, rising redshirt freshmen in Zachary Crothers and Ty Yuhas.

They also have 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.

Zelinksy and Spires are two of nine transfer commitments that Pitt has gotten this offseason.

This includes wide receivers in rising sixth year Deuce Spann from Florida State and rising redshirt sophomore Andy Jean from Florida, offensive lineman in rising redshirt senior Keith Gouveia from Richmond and rising redshirt junior Kendall Stanley from Charlotte, defensive backs in rising senior Rashan Murray from Division II program California (Pa.) and rising redshirt sophomore Jayden Bonsu from Ohio State, plus rising junior kickerJames London from Murray State.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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