Pitt DL Chief Borders Joins Alliance 412

Borders spent last season with the Cornhuskers in a reserve role, making nine tackles (three solo), 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass defended in 12 games.

He played his first two seasons in college at Florida, where he made one solo tackle in four games in 2021, preserving a redshirt. He then played in 12 games in 2022, making two tackles, playing mostly on special teams.

Borders arrived to the Gators as a four-star, according to 247Sports, with Rivals and On3 ranking him as a three-star. 247Sports rated him as the No. 37 linebacker and No. 26 recruit in Georgia in the Class of 2021.

He played high school football for Heard County in Franklin, Ga., near the western part of the state that borders Alabama. 

Borders will bring much needed depth at defensive end for the Panthers, who lost a number of players to the transfer portal this offseason.

Starter Dayon Hayes and Samuel Okunlola both left for Colorado, while redshirt freshman Antonio Camon departed for the transfer portal as well. 

The defensive ends that Pitt has, along with Borders, include Kansas State transfer/fifth year Nate Matlack, redshirt sophomore Jimmy Scott, redshirt freshmen Maverick Gracio and Clemson transfer David Ojiegbe, as well as freshmen Ty Yuhas, Zachary Crothers and Sincere Edwards.

Borders is one of four transfers to join Pitt following the end of spring practices, joining defensive backs in Jaremiah Anglin Jr. from Kentucky and Josh McCarty from Eastern Michigan and fellow defensive lineman Anthony Johnson from Mississippi State.

He is also the second Cornhusker to join the Panthers as a transfer, with defensive back Tamon Lynum joining after the end of the 2023 season.

The other transfers Pitt brought in on defense following the end of the season along with Lynum, Matlack and Ojiegbe include redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Nick James from Indiana and redshirt senior linebacker Keye Thompson from Ohio.