Pitt adds OL Jake Kradel to 2018 class

Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi landed his fourth recruit in the class of 2018 Tuesday afternoon as 6-foot-4 offensive lineman Jake Kradel committed to the program.

Kradel announced his decision on Twitter, saying, “… I am extremely proud and excited to commit to The University of Pittsburgh to further my academic and athletic career.”

247Sports lists Kradel as a 3-star recruit and the 25th best player in the state of Pennsylvania. He attended high school in nearby Butler, but despite his solid play, the Golden Tornado collected only two wins this past season.

Kradel is the second player in the class from the Pittsburgh area, joining Thomas Jefferson defensive end Noah Palmer, who committed May 18. New Jersey quarterback Nick Patti and Massachusetts tight end Jay Symonds round out the current group.

This season, the Panthers will only have one senior on the offensive line — New York native Alex Officer — so the team won’t likely add too any more to the offensive line class. It’s still early in the process though, and recruits have until Feb. 7 to decide where to enroll.