Pitt continues quarterback facelift, gets verbal commitment from PSU transfer Christian Veilleux

Jerry DiPaola
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 12:01 a.m. | Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 12:01 a.m.

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AP

Penn State quarterback Christian Veilleux scrambles away from Rutgers linebacker Mohamed Toure during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.

AP

Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi walks the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Rhode Island , Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Anyone who believes the Pitt quarterback situation needed an upgrade might be encouraged by coach Pat Narduzzi’s offseason moves.

Another new quarterback … https://t.co/VhitkhXQsn

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) December 18, 2022

Narduzzi added a third eventual new player to offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Frank Cignetti’s meeting room Sunday when Penn State transfer Christian Veilleux announced his plans to enroll next year.

Veilleux (6-foot-4, 200) committed to Penn State in the class of 2021 from the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., where he was ranked No. 15 among the nation’s pro style quarterbacks and 15th among all prospects in Maryland.

At Penn State, he played in five games in two seasons, completing 23 of 35 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. He threw for all three touchdowns and 235 yards against Rutgers in a 28-0 victory in 2021.

But Drew Allar is expected to be Penn State’s 2023 replacement for quarterback Sean Clifford, leaving Veilleux, a native of Ottawa, looking for a new school. When he left high school, Veilleux had scholarship offers from 23 Power 5 schools, including Pitt.

Veilleux joins Boston College transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who is Pitt’s presumed 2023 starter, and Ty Dieffenbach, a 6-foot-5 senior at Agoura (Calif.) High School who verbally committed Dec. 5. Also in the mix is Nate Yarnell, a redshirt freshman who started against Western Michigan this season and helped Pitt to a 34-13 victory.

Later Sunday, Pitt added a 16th prospect to its class of 2023 when Israel Polk, who plays wide receiver and defensive back at St. John Bosco (Calif.) High School, announced his plans to enroll next year.

Polk, rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, has scholarship offers from California, Oregon State, Washington State, Yale and Princeton. He previously was committed to Colorado State.

H2P???? pic.twitter.com/Nq3ITMP1bT

— Israel polk (@israel_polk) December 19, 2022

After Polk’s verbal commitment, Pitt’s class is ranked 51st in the nation — 10th in the ACC — by Rivals.com.