Pitt Football Offers Midwest Tight End

The Pitt Panthers coaching staff is on a mission to sign a tight ends class that can produce, and the sooner the better.

It wouldn't be accurate to suggest the position is in trouble, but Pittsburgh lost four-year contributor Gavin Bartholomew — now a Minnesota Viking — and his projected replacement Jake Overman has just one year of eligibility remaining. Upperclassman Jake Renda transferred to UCLA, and although Pitt landed Marshall tight end transfer Justin Holmes, underclassmen Malachi Thomas and Max Hunt are promising but largely untested.

It's why Pitt fans have seen the coaching staff extend offers to multiple 2026-class tight ends in recent weeks, including Parker Ord out of Frisco (Tx.) Panther Creek, Wyatt Villarreal from Celina, Texas, and Preston McDaniel out of Idaho Falls (Id.) Thunder Ridge High School, among others.

Those new names join a decent group of recruits at the position showing an interest in the Panthers, including a few set for official visits next month in Javonte Williams from Potomac (Md.) The Bullis School, and Adam Land from Lynn Haven (Fla.) Mosley High School.

Even so, the Pitt staff is continuing to expand its options as rising senior tight end Dominick Barry out of Center Grove High School - one of the better football programs in Indiana in recent years - announced an offer from Pittsburgh today.