Teammates Targeted by Pitt Add Notable Offers

Two of the most compelling recruits on the Pitt Panthers' 2026 board are teammates in-state.

Tight end Lucas Shanafelt and linebacker/edge rusher Reston Lehman out of Peters Township represent that duo.

Both prospects have visited Pittsburgh on multiple occasions, including the January Junior Day, again during spring camp, and both will take official visits on June 5 to June 7.

Both prospects have picked up notable offers in recent weeks, adding to Pitt's competition for the local recruits.

For 6-foot-4, 220-pound Lehman, he announced a scholarship offer on Wednesday from the Oklahoma Sooners. The new college option follows offers earlier this month from Arizona and North Carolina.

For Shanafelt, a 6-foot-3-and-a-half, 240-pound rising senior, the Stanford Cardinal extended an offer earlier this month. And considering his GPA lists well above 4.0, it wouldn't be surprising to see the prestigious Palo Alto option become very appealing to the two-way standout.

"...With both of their backgrounds, we like to start guys as skill guys and just move them down closer to the line of scrimmage," Peters Township head coach TJ Plack told On SI last month. "You get that speed value. You’ve got your fast guys that grew a little bit. Okay, now you have a fast linebacker, versatile linebacker, or in Lucas's case, a versatile defensive tackle or tight end, a versatile tight end. 

“So, I think we have both of those guys, I hate to speak about both of them the same, but they're both guys cut from the same mold. They were outside guys, skilled guys, downhill guys that now are using their speed in the box to be successful and destructive. They're very similar, very similar and they both play with an edge which is why they're getting recruited by these guys.”

Current Pitt 2026 Verbal Commitments

* QB Angelo Renda (Southlake [Tx.] Southlake Carroll)
* WR Dylan Wester (Sarasota [Fla.] Booker)
* S Marcus Jennings (Detroit [Mich.] Cass Tech)
* S Isaac Patterson (Westerville [Ohio] Westerville South)

Current Pitt 2027 Verbal Commitments

* WR Jacob Thomas (Pembroke Pines [Fla.] Flanagan)
* RB Tyler Reid (Miramar [Fla.] High School)