Mar 7, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Jeff Capel III looks on during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Pitt Lands Two Transfer Commits

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Owen Lenson | Last updated Apr 12, 2026 1:33 PM ET

The Pitt Panthers have lost most of their 2025-26 roster to the transfer portal, not to mention one of their best incoming freshman recruits. But, the team is already trying to make up for the losses with two additional transfers who all committed over the weekend.

Jonathan Powell

Rising Junior Jonathan Powell of North Carolina was one of the first to commit, acording to Joe Tipton of On3. Powell began his career at West Virginia, scoring 16 points against Pitt in that season's Backyard Brawl, before transfering to North Carolina.

Powell, a 6'6 guard, averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds his freshman year. His sophomore year saw some lower production on the Tar Heels, averaging 4.8 points and 2.3 assists. Powell scored three points and grabbed four rebounds in North Carolina's NCAA Tournament appearance. It should be noted that Powell went from playing around 30 minutes a game on West Virginia to around 16 on North Carolina. Looking at Pitt's lack of roster right now, he should be expected to get a lot more playing time.

Powell shot 38.4% from three in his sophomore season, not a bad percentage and hopefully something that will only go up.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Dominique Diomande

BYU's Dominique Diomande announced his commitment on social media. The redshirt freshman started his career at Washington before transfering to BYU. Diomande stands at 6'7 and is a much needed forward on the team.

Pitt is taking a chance of Diomande, as he averaged 7.1 minutes, 2 points and 1.3 rebounds on BYU. He was playing forward behind AJ Dybantsa, one of the best in the country, so it's not too surprising he wasn't given much of a chance.

What Diomande has shown is great athleticism and rim driving ability. He doesn't have much of a three-point shot, but he does bring great defense. Diomande played internationally in the France-ProA U21 league and for the Ivory Coast in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualification.

Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Their Fit With Panthers

At this point, any transfer to the depleted Pitt team is welcome. But, there are definitely areas that should be honed in on. Pitt has forward Chase Foster and shooting guard Jermal Jones Jr. still committed to play their freshman season with the program, for now at least. There's other roles that Pitt must fill to compliment the incoming class.

Pitt currently has no centers on the roster for next year, with two of them in the transfer portal and Cam Corhen graduating. With over 2,000 players currently in the transfer portal, there's definitely some quality options out there.

Pitt also needs a point guard. They still have rising sophomore Macari Moore, but he didn't get much playing time during his freshman season. An expierenced point guard from the portal could start for the team while helping Moore grow into his role.

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

More must-reads: