Crucial In-State Teammates Visit Pitt

**In the clip above, Lehman wears No. 14, Shanafelt No. 0 (in red/white).

Lehman offers an intriguing and advantageous blend of skills and experiences under his belt.

“People have seen him move and they've offered immediately, guys that were looking at him to play mike linebacker,” Coach Plack said on March 3. “Also, on the edge, I think he has that versatility.

“He does play on the edge, but he does drop and he does rush and he does play against the run. So, the young man is tremendous. 

“I think whatever you want him to do, he can do. I'm being honest, I've never seen a kid like him before. Everything he does, he goes skiing, he wins at skiing, he places first or second…He was always been a sprinter in junior high, on the track team. He picked up the javelin last year. He qualified for state. He’s a team captain on that. They won state in the first year. So, whatever he does, he excels in.”

As for Shanafelt, it should be noted that he’s a legitimately skilled and versatile tight end recruit. He’s also a particularly heady football player, a highly intelligent student-athlete with offers from Duke, Fordham, Harvard, and Pennsylvania.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder put those smarts to use last year, tasked with a significant challenge. Shanafelt quickly transitioned from his longtime wide receiver role to fill an important roster need at defensive tackle, all the while cross-training at tight end.

Coach Plack explained the two-way standout wasn’t nearly as involved through the air last fall as he could’ve been. It was a tricky balancing act for Plack and his staff, being careful to not overload the three-star recruit who was already saddled with a taxing workload on the defensive line.

Shanafelt thrived as an interior defensive lineman, and when he was targeted in the passing game, his combination of size and unique athleticism shined bright. As for his classmate, teammate, and friend in Lehman, he was his typical dominant self. 

If it wasn’t already clear, yes, this is a very important pair of prospects for the Pitt Panthers, important names on this weekend’s visitor list. 

However it shakes out over the next day or two, Lehman and Shanafelt are scheduled to return for official visits together from June 5 to June 7.