Inside The Panthers

Pitt Football Offers Utah State Transfer DE

The Pitt Panthers offered a Utah State transfer defensive end.

Dominic Campbell

Sep 2, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Wofford Terriers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet on the sidelines against the Wofford Terriers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are searching for new players in the transfer portal, and offered a player that would help out on defense.

Blaine Spires, a defensive end from Utah State who entered the transfer portal on Dec. 13, announced that Pitt offered him.

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 has received numerous scholarship offers since entering 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.

The Panthers have returning defensive ends in sixth year Nate Temple, redshirt junior Chief Borders, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Scott, redshirt freshman Maverick Gracio, freshmen in Zachary Crothers, Ty Yuhas and Sincere Edwards.

Pitt also has three incoming freshmen defensive linemen in Julian Anderson out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., Denim Cook out of Bishop Hartley High School in Columbus, Ohio and Trevor Sommers out powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The Panthers have landed two transfers so far, in wide receiver Deuce Spann from the Florida State Seminoles and kicker James London from the Murray State Racers.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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