Kevin Verpaele of Merritt Island is pressured by Titusville’s Eli Russell during their game October 17, 2025. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK Craig Bailey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pitt Football Lands 2027 QB Commitment

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Karl Ludwig | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 3:47 PM ET

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Panthers have landed the quarterback of the future very early once again under offensive coordinator Kade Bell.

Pitt landed three-star (and eventual true freshman starter) Mason Heintschel early in the class of 2025, three-star Angelo Renda even earlier in the class of 2026 and now three-star Kevin Verpaele is the earliest of the bunch.

Verpaele - a 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback from Merritt Island in Merritt Island, Fla. - announced his commitment to the Panthers on X (formerly known as Twitter). He committed to the Panthers over offers from FIU, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Miami (Oh.), Samford, Southeast Missouri State, UMass and Western Carolina.

#AGTG 1st, I want to thank God, my family, my coaches, my trainers, my teammates for making this all possible!

I’m excited to announce my COMMITMENT to the University of Pittsburgh - @Pitt_FB #H2P @CoachDuzzPittFB @Kb1Raw @CoachDarveau @MerrittIslandFB @CoachMurray47… pic.twitter.com/Vx6S4zHj3c
— Kevin Verpaele (@KevinVerpaele17) October 28, 2025

“Pitt was right for me because they were the only Power Four who really showed interested in me,” Verpaele told Steve Wiltfong of Rivals. “He spent time to develop me when I was at his camp. Took me to the board, gave me extra reps, just from the jump he believed in me. Coach Bell and Coach Narduzzi had a lot of faith in me.”

Verpaele is an athletic quarterback who fits the mold of what Bell likes out of his quarterbacks, and he's been on the radar since the summer. He stopped by the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for a camp over the summer, spent some 1-on-1 time with Bell and earned an official offer.

Verpaele made it back to Pittsburgh for the win vs. Boston College, watching a fellow young quarterback dominate against the Eagles, and he gave the Panthers an early leader in the class of 2027 today.

He's off to a strong start this season at Merritt Island, completing 134-of-214 pass attempts for 1,909 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions, to go along with 279 yards and two more scores on the ground.

247Sports has not yet rated rate Verpaele, but Rivals rates him as the 44th-ranked quarterback and 52nd-ranked recruit from Florida. His ranking should only rise as he picks up more exposure following the season - and his commitment to a Power Four program.

Verpaele is the fourth commitment in a strong early 2027 class for the Panthers. He's joined three-star wide receivers Tyler Reid and Jacob Thomas and three-star offensive lineman Colin Urrea. It's a very solid start for a class that's now ranked in the top 20 nationally. It's still very early, but the foundation is in place for a good group.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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