Malachi Thomas Touts Pitt's TE Room

With Gavin Bartholomew awaiting the NFL Draft, Jake Overman is expected to step into the starting tight end role for the Pitt Panthers. 

Among young players vying for the second and third spots behind the Oregon State import is Malachi Thomas. 

As he wraps up his first school year at Pitt since arriving from the state of Georgia as a three-star member of the 2024 recruiting class, Thomas understands the expectations set from those before him.

“I'll say there's a [tight end] tradition, because they both got drafted, and then [Jake] Overman is probably going to get drafted, then I'm [going to] get drafted, and then who's ever after me,” Thomas said in Thursday’s press conference available on YouTube. “Yeah, so we're going to definitely keep the tradition up. Yes, sir.

“We do everything. Everything except throw the ball. We run, we catch, we block, we do screens, deep balls. We do everything but throw the ball.”

Thomas knows that a path to the NFL is built on steady improvement and skill development year to year. At his position, Bartholomew played a big role in his first order of business as a true freshman eager to refine his game and get on the field.

“Gavin really taught me how to block, because he was a great blocker, and a great perimeter blocker. I just use that on the field and I just get pancakes,” Thomas said. “So, yeah, he was a great teacher.”

“I'm definitely more of a wide receiver than a blocker, for sure,” Thomas explained.

“Blocking was definitely difficult. I came in at like 228. I'm way bigger now, but yeah, blocking was definitely difficult. It was something I had to learn. I'm like 236 right now, (planning to be) 240.”

Also in the battle for snaps is mid-year-entry freshman tight end Max Hunt. 

So far in spring camp, Thomas is impressed with what he’s seen in the young tight end, a fellow product of the Southeast. 

“Oh, [Max Hunt is] a great receiver, great jump ball (receiver), making contested catches,” Thomas said about the Florida native. “When he got here, he learned to play so easy, way quicker to me, I'll tell you that. And he just flows in the game easy. Yeah, he made some great catches too.”