Pitt will have at least three transfers visiting this weekend, with more targets in contact and visits on the horizon.
Here’s the latest intel that we’ve gathered.
Weekend visitors
Chances are, there will be more than three transfers who visit this weekend. For right now, we’ve got three confirmed.
Lawrence Hattar
Hattar was a two-year starter at guard for Ferris State, including this past season when the Bulldogs went 14-1 and won the Division II national championship. A 6’5” 335-pound guard from Livonia (Mich.), Hattar was named a first-team All-American after this past season, and he has been a hot commodity in the transfer portal. More than 20 schools have offered Hattar, and he has visits scheduled to Kansas State and North Carolina. Pitt is up first this weekend, and while offensive tackle has been the priority, I think the staff wants to build out the offensive line any way it can. Hattar would certainly give the coaches more options in what kind of personnel they put together.
Blaine Spires
Spires is a defensive end at Utah State, where he has spent the last two seasons after four years at Bowling Green (2019-22). A native of Youngstown, Spires made three starts in 2023 but was expected to be the Aggies’ top pass-rusher this season. A toe injury took him off the field after four games, though, and he finished 2024 with three tackles for loss and one sack.
Spires has drawn interest from a number of schools since he went into the transfer portal, but the Pitt visit this weekend could be the decider for the 6’3” 230-pound defensive end. For the Panthers, defensive end is a position where a lot is needed - both in quantity and quality - after losing three ends to the transfer portal and one more to graduation.
It seems like Pitt has a good shot of landing Spires.
Rashan Murray
Another Division II All-American, Murray is a local native - he played high school ball in the City League - and he has spent the last three years at Cal (Pa.) after initially committing to Akron as a senior. 2024 was Murray’s breakout year, as he recorded four interceptions and earned DII second-team All-America honors. He has heard from several schools since he entered the portal, but Pitt is the only visit he has scheduled right now.
After the transfer of Ryland Gandy, Pitt could use another corner to fill out the rotation, and Murray seems like he could be a good fit with Rashad Battle, Tamon Lynum and possibly a young player (like Shadarian Harrison).
Other targets to watch
A few other guys to keep an eye on:
Zy Crisler
Crisler is an offensive guard from Mississippi who went to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College after high school and then spent the last three years at Illinois. While playing with the Illini, he started 13 games at right guard in 2022, 11 games total (nine at right guard and two at right tackle) in 2023 and six games at right guard this past season.
That’s 30 starts (and 36 total games played) over the course of three years, with a couple All-Big Ten honorable mentions after the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Crisler is 6’6” and 335 pounds, so size is no issue, and while he seems to have made his two starts at right tackle in a spot-duty role, it’s at least notable to consider as possible option.
Crisler has been talking to Kade Bell and Jeremy Darveau at Pitt, and the coaches have talked to him about visiting next week (possibly Thursday). In the meantime, he also has visits to Colorado, UCLA, Mississippi State, Miami and Nebraska. So he’ll be busy.
Jez Janvier
Janvier is an interesting guy. He’s from Montreal and joined Eastern Michigan in the 2021 recruiting class. He played a bit in his first two years before moving to the defensive line in 2023, where he played a half-dozen games. This past year, he moved back to the offensive line and made five starts at guard.
A 6’5” 300-pound athlete who also played basketball and baseball in high school, Janvier has been in contact with Pitt. He’s another guard, so my guess is that guys like Hattar and Crisler would be a little above him on the priority list, but we’ll see how the coaches approach it.
Like I said, there will probably be more visitors this weekend, but that’s what we have confirmed so far. We’ll post more info as we get it.
Here’s the latest intel that we’ve gathered.
Weekend visitors
Chances are, there will be more than three transfers who visit this weekend. For right now, we’ve got three confirmed.
Lawrence Hattar
Hattar was a two-year starter at guard for Ferris State, including this past season when the Bulldogs went 14-1 and won the Division II national championship. A 6’5” 335-pound guard from Livonia (Mich.), Hattar was named a first-team All-American after this past season, and he has been a hot commodity in the transfer portal. More than 20 schools have offered Hattar, and he has visits scheduled to Kansas State and North Carolina. Pitt is up first this weekend, and while offensive tackle has been the priority, I think the staff wants to build out the offensive line any way it can. Hattar would certainly give the coaches more options in what kind of personnel they put together.
Blaine Spires
Spires is a defensive end at Utah State, where he has spent the last two seasons after four years at Bowling Green (2019-22). A native of Youngstown, Spires made three starts in 2023 but was expected to be the Aggies’ top pass-rusher this season. A toe injury took him off the field after four games, though, and he finished 2024 with three tackles for loss and one sack.
Spires has drawn interest from a number of schools since he went into the transfer portal, but the Pitt visit this weekend could be the decider for the 6’3” 230-pound defensive end. For the Panthers, defensive end is a position where a lot is needed - both in quantity and quality - after losing three ends to the transfer portal and one more to graduation.
It seems like Pitt has a good shot of landing Spires.
Rashan Murray
Another Division II All-American, Murray is a local native - he played high school ball in the City League - and he has spent the last three years at Cal (Pa.) after initially committing to Akron as a senior. 2024 was Murray’s breakout year, as he recorded four interceptions and earned DII second-team All-America honors. He has heard from several schools since he entered the portal, but Pitt is the only visit he has scheduled right now.
After the transfer of Ryland Gandy, Pitt could use another corner to fill out the rotation, and Murray seems like he could be a good fit with Rashad Battle, Tamon Lynum and possibly a young player (like Shadarian Harrison).
Other targets to watch
A few other guys to keep an eye on:
Zy Crisler
Crisler is an offensive guard from Mississippi who went to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College after high school and then spent the last three years at Illinois. While playing with the Illini, he started 13 games at right guard in 2022, 11 games total (nine at right guard and two at right tackle) in 2023 and six games at right guard this past season.
That’s 30 starts (and 36 total games played) over the course of three years, with a couple All-Big Ten honorable mentions after the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Crisler is 6’6” and 335 pounds, so size is no issue, and while he seems to have made his two starts at right tackle in a spot-duty role, it’s at least notable to consider as possible option.
Crisler has been talking to Kade Bell and Jeremy Darveau at Pitt, and the coaches have talked to him about visiting next week (possibly Thursday). In the meantime, he also has visits to Colorado, UCLA, Mississippi State, Miami and Nebraska. So he’ll be busy.
Jez Janvier
Janvier is an interesting guy. He’s from Montreal and joined Eastern Michigan in the 2021 recruiting class. He played a bit in his first two years before moving to the defensive line in 2023, where he played a half-dozen games. This past year, he moved back to the offensive line and made five starts at guard.
A 6’5” 300-pound athlete who also played basketball and baseball in high school, Janvier has been in contact with Pitt. He’s another guard, so my guess is that guys like Hattar and Crisler would be a little above him on the priority list, but we’ll see how the coaches approach it.
Like I said, there will probably be more visitors this weekend, but that’s what we have confirmed so far. We’ll post more info as we get it.
