Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Lands Transfer DE

The Pitt Panthers landed a talented transfer defensive end.

Dominic Campbell

Nov 23, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi calls a play from the sideline during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Pittsburgh 37-9. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi calls a play from the sideline during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Pittsburgh 37-9. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have landed a transfer defensive end, a position of great need for the program.

Blaine Spires, who last played for Utah State, announced on Twitter that he committed to Pitt.

Spires came out of East High School in Youngstown, Ohio and helped his team to an 8-4 record as a senior in 2018. He also Second Team Division IV All-Northeast Inland District honors for his play.

247Sports rated him as a two-star recruit, the No. 229 defensive tackle and No. 129 in Ohio. He committed to play for Bowling Green in the Class of 2019.

He redshirted in the 2019 season and then played in all five games of the 2020 season, making 11 tackles (six solo) and 2.0 tackles for loss. He made a season-high five tackles in the 62-24 loss to Kent State on Nov. 10.

Spires started the 11 games he played in as an edge rusher for Bowling Green in 2021. He made 35 tackles (18 solo), five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hits and one pass breakup.

He then played in all 12 games with six starts as a redshirt junior in 2022 for the Falcons. He made 20 tackles (10 solo), three tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hits.

Spires would then transfer to Utah State for the 2023 season for his fifth season of college football. He played in 12 games, starting three contests, making 27 tackles (13 solo), career-highs of 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, three fumble recoveries, plus one forced fumble.

He used his extra year of eligibility from the COVID-19 pandemic, but played in just four games in 2024, before suffering a season-ending injury. He made eight tackles (four solo), with three tackles for a loss and one sack.

Spires has one more year of eligibility, which would mark his seventh season of college football.

He received numerous scholarship offers when he entered the transfer portal, including Sun Belt schools in Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, South Alabama and Southern Miss, American Athletic schools in Tulsa, UAB and UTSA, plus Kent State, Nevada and UNLV.

Pitt offered Spires back on Dec. 21 and hosted him on a visit this weekend, securing the services of a player they need for 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 freshmanSincere 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.

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.

Pitt currently has four transfer commitments so far with Spires, which includes rising sixth year wide receiver Deuce Spann from Florida State, rising redshirt senior offensive lineman Kendall Stanley from Charlotte and rising junior placekicker James London from Murray State.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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