Inside The Panthers

WPIAL Kicker with Pitt Offer Commits to Alabama

The Pitt Panthers offered a local WPIAL kicker in the Class of 2025, but he ended up choosing to commit to Alabama.

Dominic Campbell

Jul 19, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Alabama helmet on the stage during the SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 19, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Alabama helmet on the stage during the SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers offered a local WPIAL recruit to go kick for them, but that recruit wanted to leave home and go somewhere new.

North Allegheny kicker Peter Notaro announced on his Twitter that he would join the Alabama Crimson Tide as a member of the Class of 2025. He chose Alabama over offers from Pitt, rival West Virginia and Ohio State.

Notaro had a great junior season in 2023, making 7-of-8 field goals with a long of 47 yards, 69-of-93 of his kickoffs going for touchbacks, 74%, and making 23-of-24 PATs. His efforts earned him WPIAL Class 6A First Team All-Conference honors and helped North Allegheny to the WPIAL Title and the PIAA Final. 

Kohl's kicking ranks Notaro as the No. 4 place kicker in the Class of 2025. and giving him a five-star rating. 

He visited Pitt back in April, as special teams caoch Jacob Bronowski hosted him on a visit and former recruiting assistant Jacob Sakk showed him around the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side where the team practices. 

Starting Pitt place kicker Ben Sauls has two years left of eligibility and will graduate after the 2025 season.

The Panthers also have two place kickers who are walk-ons in redshirt sophomore Franco Fernando-Enjo and redshirt freshman Samuel Carpenter. These two will also provide competition for that starting spot in 2026. 

Pitt have had some former North Allegheny players on their roster, including walk-ons in defensive back Dante Caputo, wide receiver John Vardzel and linebackers Oluwaseun Idowu and Elijah Zeise. Notaro will not join that list, as he chooses to go down south to kick for the Crimson Tide.

The Panthers have 21 commitments in the Class of 2025, as they look to land their final recruits before fall training camp begins.

Five of the commitments made their decision following the first weekend of official visits June 6-8, including tight end Max Hunt from Tampa, Fla., athlete Ja'Kyrian "Boosie" Turner from Wildwood, Fla., linebacker Justin Thompson and wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes from Olney, Md. and defensive end Julian "Juju" Anderson from Blairstown, N.J.

Four recruits committed after they made their official visit the second weekend, June 13-15. This includes three-stars in defensive backs Joshua Guerrier from Ocoee, Fla., Shawn Lee Jr from Harrisburg, Pa.. and Cole Woodson from Haymarket, Va., plus offensive tackle Akram Elnagmi from the NFL Academy in Loughbrough, United Kingdom.

The last weekend of official visits, June 20-22, brought in six commitments, including athletes Synkwan Smith from Roswell, Ga. Emmanuel Taylor from Virginia Beach, Va., wide receiver Kha'leal Sterling from Miami, offensive lineman Torian Chester from Albany, Ga., plus four-star defensive back Mason Alexander and linebacker Denim Cook from Columbus, Ohio. 

The rest of the Class of 2025 includes offensive lineman Shep Turk, quarterback Mason Heintschel, wide receiver Tony Kinsler, athlete Bryce Yates, defensive lineman Trevor Sommers and defensive back Elijah Dotson.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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