After 10 days of training camp, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi took another player from the NCAA transfer portal Sunday when he received a verbal commitment from former Ohio State offensive lineman Ryan Jacoby.
Jacoby (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) will initially add depth to Pitt’s offensive line while veteran tackles Carter Warren, Matt Goncalves and Gabe Houy compete for two starting jobs at that position.
With five offensive linemen listed as seniors, Pitt will need help there next season. As a redshirt sophomore, Jacoby will have four seasons of eligibility if he decides to use all of them.
At Ohio State, Jacoby was redshirted as a freshman in 2019. He did not appear in any games in 2020, but he saved a year because of the NCAA granting a free season of eligibility after the covid-19 interruption. He entered the transfer portal last Monday.
Jacoby, who played at Mentor (Ohio) High School, committed to the Buckeyes before his senior year of 2018-19 when he was considered one of the top prep prospects in the state.
New beginnings!! #H2P pic.twitter.com/Tpfv7L0UNa
— Ryan Jacoby (@Ryan_Jacoby) August 16, 2021
He was ranked a four-star recruit and the No. 8 player in Ohio by 247Sports. Rivals.com rated him a three-star, the No. 19 overall recruit in the state and the No. 47 offensive tackle in the nation.
He had scholarship offers from West Virginia, Duke, Boston College, Kentucky, Iowa State, Michigan State, Oregon, Purdue, Michigan and Virginia.
