The Pitt Panthers defensive line has served as the face of the football program over the last handful of seasons.
Charlie Partridge’s unit has consistently been one of the very best in the country when it comes to hauling down opposing quarterbacks and putting linemen in the NFL. The unit wasn’t as impactful last season as it had been in recent seasons, and the coaching staff set out to correct that in the portal.
Partridge and Pat Narduzzi both know how important this unit is to the Panthers’ overall success, so they’re taking steps to make sure they get back to wreaking havoc and harassing the quarterbacks in 2024.
The Pitt defensive line will look very different next season in large part because of additions from the transfer portal.
COMMITTED
H2P pic.twitter.com/PrdP0SRwBh
— Nate Matlack (@nmatlack1) December 17, 2023
The first addition has come in the form of Nate Matlack, who announced Sunday that he’s transferring to Pitt from Kansas State. Matlack is a 6-foot-5, 249-pound pass-rushing defensive end and will have two more years of eligibility remaining.
Matlack will bring a level of experience and productivity to the defensive line over the next few seasons. As a rotational player in 2023, Matlack played in 12 games and racked up 15 tackles, 7.5 for a loss and four sacks. In three seasons, Matlack recorded 39 tackles, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
Matlack is the third commitment to come out of this weekend’s official visit window, along with Western Carolina running back Desmond Reid and wide receiver C.J. Lee. And there will be more additions to come.
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