University of Pittsburgh Athletics
2026 Signing Day Updates presented by PGT Trucking
12/3/2025 7:00:00 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH — Coach Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt football program can officially welcome Class of 2026 commitments this Wednesday, Dec. 2, presented by PGT Trucking.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the day from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, home of Pitt Football and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
7 a.m.— We are underway as a new wave of Panthers are signing and finishing up their NLI paperwork!
Marcus Jennings, LB, 6-2, 205, Southfield, MI/Cass Technical
Rated as the No. 8 recruit in the state of Michigan by 247Sports…known for his energy on the football field and intensity…as a senior, he guided Cass Tech to a 13-1 season, contributing to a 23-game winning streak and finishing as the runner-up in the Division 1 football state championship…helped Cass Tech win a state title as a junior with 120 tackles, two interceptions, five sacks, two defensive touchdowns and two forced fumbles.
Lincoln Hoke, DL, 6-2, 260, Sewickley, PA/North Allegheny
In his senior campaign, he played 12 games, accumulating a team-leading 80 tackles, including 12 for loss, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks…named a finalist for the Bill Fralic Memorial Award…as a junior, he recorded 66 tackles, nine for loss and 6.5 sacks, along with two forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and one interception, earning Second Team All-Pennsylvania honors…son of Chris Hoke, who played 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won a Super Bowl…selected twice for the Post-Gazette's Fabulous 22 Team…three-time selection to the Big 56 first-team list.
Demetrice McCray, WR, 6-0, 185, Clermont, FL /The First Academy
As a senior, caught 29 passes for 445 yards and scored nine total touchdowns…as a junior, transferred into The First Academy from Leesburg and finished the season with 36 catches for 894 yards (24.8 YPC) and nine scores in eight games…multi-sport athlete…Averaged 10.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg in basketball as a junior…also posted an 11.87 (0.5) in the 100-meter dash…played under Coach Jeff Conaway.
Isaiah Simmons, LB, 6-0, 210, Norfolk, VA/Maury
Has a great combination of speed and athleticism, running a 22.64-second 200-meter dash in 2025…listed as the No. 11 overall recruit in the state of Virginia by 247Sports…contributed to back-to-back VHSL Class 5 state championships in 2023 and 2024, including a VHSL State Semifinals berth that will be played on December 6th for the chance to go to a third straight state championship game…over the last three seasons, Simmons has helped Maury High achieve a combined record of 43-1.
Dylan Wester, WR, 5-9, 165, Palmetto, FL/Booker
As a senior, caught 43 passes for 756 yards and 12 touchdowns…added 15 rushes for 55 yards and a score…as a junior, had 37 catches for 675 yards, 18.2 yards per reception and six touchdowns in 14 games…added 85 kickoff return yards and 324 punt return yards for 1,092 all-purpose yards on the season…for his career, played in 38 games and posted 106 receptions for 1,864 yards and 19 touchdowns…spent his first two seasons at Palmetto High School before transferring to Booker…played under Coach Carlos Woods.
7:15 a.m.— Pitt adds a pair of lineman from the WPIAL!
Reston Lehman, DL, 6-4, 230, McMurray, PA/Peters Township
A four-year starter with 39 career starts at Peters Township, he carries a combination of size, strength and athletic ability, allowing him to be versatile as a linebacker and defensive end…named the 2025 Post-Gazette Player of the Year...ranked as the 209th recruit on ESPN's Top 300 and the 12th-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania by 247Sports…ss a senior, he led Peters Township to a 13-1 record, allowing zero points in five of those wins, including a WPIAL Class 5A championship over Pine-Richland, where Lehman made the clinching defensive play, forcing a turnover on downs with 1:34 left in a 20-19 victory…recorded four sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a junior…as a sophomore, he helped Peters Township capture its first-ever WPIAL championship, with the team finishing 15-1 overall and as PIAA Class 5A runner-up.
John Curran, OL, 6-3, 305, Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland
A dominant run blocker with immense physicality for the 2025 WPIAL 5A runner-up Pine-Richland Rams…earned all-state recognition, winning the 2024 WPIAL Class 5A championship with a 20-9 victory over Peters Township as a junior…played under coach Jon LeDonne.
7:35 a.m.— Four more signees have put the pen to paper!
Joshua Pittman, DL, 6-3, 225, Suffolk, VA/King's Fork
Listed as the No. 23 player in Virginia by 247Sports…brings length with a 79-inch wingspan, along with speed and aggression to be a difference maker off the line of scrimmage…played under coach Anthony Joffrion.
Isaac Patterson, DB, 6-0, 185, Westerville, OH/Westerville-South
Played both safety positions and outside linebacker as a senior, totaling 47 solo tackles, five pass breakups, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble…combined for 1,407 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns (seven receiving, one punt return, one kick return) throughout his final two years at Westerville-South…had 52 solo tackles with seven pass breakups and one interception during his junior season…rated as a top 50 player in the state of Ohio by 247Sports…Second-Team All-State selection…played under Eric Calland.
Mike van der Oord, OL, 6-7, 285, Westlake, OH/St. Ignatius
Brings strong physicality to the line and is listed as the No. 9 overall offensive tackle in Ohio by 247Sports…as a junior, he managed a running game that averaged over 171.8 yards per game at St. Ignatius High School.
Kentrail McRae, DB, 6-2, 170, Clearwater, FL/Clearwater
McRae brings an elite level of football IQ with a rare combination of size and agility at his position, known for disrupting passing lanes…as a senior, he tallied 14 solo tackles and nine pass breakups while recording five interceptions, including one in each of his last three games plus a multi-interception performance…in his 2024 junior season, he recorded 44 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions.
7:40 a.m.— Two offensive weapons are officially Panthers!
Damon Ferguson Jr., RB, 5-11, 200, Gwynn Oak, MD/Milford Mill Academy
Versatile two-sport athlete at Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore, MD…rushed for 2,951 yards with 36 touchdowns on 266 carries over his career…as a junior, he accumulated 1,341 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 12.8 yards per carry…throughout his career, he tallied 59 tackles, 12 pass breakups and 9 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball…Played under former NFL defensive lineman Reggie White at Milford…as a track & field star, he was the Maryland 3A North Region 200-meter and 400-meter champion his junior year.
Rodney Dunbar, WR, 6-5, 190, Thomasville, GA/Thomas County Central
The No. 54 wide receiver prospect in the nation and the No. 37 overall prospect out of Georgia on 247Sports…Rivals has Dunbar as the No. 83 wideout in the class and the No. 60 player from Georgia…as a junior, he hauled in 21 receptions for 390 yards and six touchdowns for the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets…played under Coach Justin Rogers.
8 a.m.— The Panthers inked four more signees as the 8 o'clock wave hit!
Nick Howard, OL, 6-5, 305, Pearland, TX/Pearland
Listed as a four-star recruit and the 33rd offensive tackle in the country by 247Sports…as a senior, directed Pearland to an 11-win season, tying the 2015, 2011 and 1950 teams in terms of victories…only five other teams in the history of the program, dating back to 1949, have won more than 11 games…led a rushing attack that averaged 217.1 yards per game as a junior.
Desmond Johnson, LB, 6-1, 195, Miami, FL/Miami Northwestern
Brings versatility and playmaking ability, recording 83 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 10…helped his school to a 12-2 season and Miami Northwestern Senior High's Florida 3A championship as a junior…played briefly under coach Teddy Bridgewater, a current Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Da'Ron Barksdale, DB, 5-11, 195, Homestead, PA/Steel Valley
Proclaimed as one of the best two-way players in the WPIAL…led Steel Valley to nine wins and a WPIAL Runner-Up finish as a senior…accumulated 2,649 total yards (2,086 rushing) and 36 touchdowns in 2025 to accompany his 44 tackles, four interceptions (1 TD), five pass breakups and one sack defensively…score five touchdowns (four rushing, one punt return) and totaled 346 all-purpose yards to clinch a berth in the 2025 WPIAL Class 2A Championship Game…averaged 160.5 rushing yards per game during his senior season… helped Steel Valley win a WPIAL Championship as a freshman in 2022 along with current Panther safety Cruce Brookins…Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Fabulous 22"…played under Coach Ray Braszo.
Angelo Renda, QB, 6-0, 180, Southlake, TX/Southlake Carroll
A three-year letterman who was at the helm of one of the most balanced and explosive offensive attacks in the state of Texas…led the Southlake Carroll Dragons to back-to-back District 4-6A Championships as a starter…accumulated 524 completions for 8,197 yards and 86 touchdown passes while rushing for 1,559 yards and 27 scores at the varsity level… has a 28-1 record as the starting quarterback for Southlake Carroll…led the Dragons to a 15-1 record and a 6A DII UIL Texas State Football runner-up finish as a junior…named as one of the 10 finalists for the 2025 MaxPreps Player of the Year Award.
8:50 a.m.— A defensive back from Georgia and a quarterback from Texas have signed with the Panthers!
Tony Forney, DB, 6-1, 190, Decatur, GA/Kell
Posted 51 total tackles, an interception and six PDs in 2025…Finished his career with 81 tackles, three interceptions and seven PDs in 25 games played…Also contributed on kickoff and punt returns…Played under Coach Bobby May.
Corey Dailey, QB, 6-6, 195, Seguin, TX/Seguin
A four-year starter at Seguin who set school records for passing touchdowns (100), total touchdowns (122), completions (757), passing yards (9,138) and total yards (10,009)…the four-star prospect completed 246-of-408 passes for 2,921 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior while adding 660 yards and 13 more scores on the ground…ranked as the no. 13 quarterback in the country by 247Sports…as a junior in 2024, he threw for 2,529 yards with 35 touchdowns and was named the District 13-5A Offensive MVP…2026 Navy All-American Bowl Invitee…a multi-sport athlete who averaged 22.2 points per game in basketball to accompany his .490 batting average and 1.21 ERA in baseball.
9:10 a.m.— A Texas tight end makes it official!
Wyatt Villarreal, TE, 6-5, 230, Celina, TX/Celina
Through 10 games as a senior in 2025, caught 46 receptions for 601 yards and three touchdowns…Was also a physically imposing blocker for the Celina Bobcats offense…As a junior, caught 26 passes for 444 yards and seven TDs on 17.1 yards per reception…Helped Celina win the Texas 4A D-I state championship.
11 a.m.— Pitt inks their twenty-first signee, a three-sport athlete from Tampa, FL!
Bryan Hamilton, WR, 5-11, 165, Tampa, FL/Gaither
As a senior, caught 42 passes for 100 yards and eight touchdowns…as a junior, caught 50 passes for 818 yards and eight touchdowns…multi-sport athlete…region qualifier in the 100 and 200-meter dashes as a sophomore…top markers include 10.66 (2.1) in the 100 and 22.60 (1.3) in the 200…averaged 7.3 ppg across 21 basketball games as a junior…played under Coach Kirk Karsen.
Players Mentioned
