Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Offers Charlotte Transfer Kicker

The Pitt Panthers could add depth to their kicking roster with a transfer from Charlotte.

Dominic Campbell

Michigan State's Stephen Rusnak, left, practices kicking on Saturday, April 16, 2022, during the spring game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. 220415 Msu Spring Game 003a
Michigan State's Stephen Rusnak, left, practices kicking on Saturday, April 16, 2022, during the spring game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. 220415 Msu Spring Game 003a / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have started to look for potential new football recruits in the transfer portal and have turned their attention to special teams.

Pitt offered Charlotte transfer kicker Stephen Rusnak, with special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Jacob Bronowski the one to make the offer.

Rusnak came out of Clarkston High School in Clarkston, Mich., where he was an all-conference performer and two-year starter at kicker and punter. He had three field goals and totaled 55 points as a senior in 2020, registering touchbacks on 96% of his deep kickoffs and had 29 touchbacks in total.

He started out at Michigan State, playing in the last five games of his true freshman season in 2021. He had 21 kickoffs for 1,140 yards, 54.3 yards per attempt, with four touchbacks, and was 4-of-5 on PATs and missed his sole field goal.

Rusnak also played against Pitt in the Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl, with five kickoffs for 281 yards, 56.2 yards per attempt.

He would play in two games in 2022, with a PAT and an onside kick, allowing him to preserve his redshirt. He also played in two games in 2023, with three PATs and three kickoffs that averaged 65.0 yards and had two touchbacks.

Rusnak then transferred to Charlotte and had a fantastic 2024 season, going 11-for-11 on field goals, 25-for-25 on PATs, 51 kickoffs for 3.226 yards, 63.25 yards per attempt, and 36 touchbacks, 78% percent.

He made four field goals in the 39-27 win on the road over Florida Atlantic in Week 13, from 20, 40, 45 and 50 yards, along with three PATs.

He also made two field goals and a PAT in the 27-26 comeback home win vs. Gardner-Webb in Week 3, with a career-long 54-yard field goal at the end of the first half and 25-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter. Rusnak made two field goals and seven PATs in the 55-24 home win over East Carolina in Week 6.

Pitt is looking to replace redshirt senior place kicker Ben Sauls, who has a year of eligibility left, but chose to walk on Senior Day, hinting that he'll likely depart following the end of the season.

Sauls has had a fantastic 2024 season, going 18-for-21 on field goals, with one blocked. He made his first 13 attempts, before missing a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter of the 48-25 loss to then ranked No. 20 SMU on the road in Week 10. 

His 49-yard field goal in the first quarter for Syracuse in Week 9 was his 13th straight field goal dating back to 2023, which set a new school record for most consecutive field goals. This eclipsed the previous record of 12, that both Chris Ferenick in 1995 and Conor Lee in 2007 set, and he had 15 consecutive he made before that miss vs. SMU.

He also made five 50+ yard field goals, with the 57-yarder he made at the end of the first half in the road loss to Boston College in Week 14 marking the most in a season for a field goal kicker.

Pitt will hope that offering Rusnak before anyone else will give them an edge over the competition and get him onto campus for next season for his final year of eligibility.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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