Pat Signal: Nate Temple commits to Pitt

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers coaching staff reeled in their first recruit since landing offensive lineman Nick Malone on Aug. 5 on Tuesday evening, as defensive end Nate Temple of Abbeville, South Carolina, announced his commitment to Pitt in a message posted on Twitter. Temple previously committed to Middle Tennessee State on Aug. 1 but reconsidered.

”The decision has been hard,” Temple wrote in the message. “[Middle Tennessee State University] is a great school and program, but I truly believe this is the place best for me and the place God wants me. I am committed to the University of Pittsburgh.”

Temple is the second recruit Narduzzi has flipped in the 2019 cycle, as cornerback A.J. Woods decommitted from James Madison to join Pitt on July 27. That proved to be a savvy move, as Woods earned a four-star rating from ESPN shortly after aligning himself with the Panthers. As for Temple, he holds a three-star rating from 247Sports and a two-star assessment from Rivals.

Middle Tennessee State and Pitt were the only two schools to offer the 6’4”, 230-pound defensive end. But he has enjoyed a successful run at Abbeville High School, which is 11-0 this season and in the midst of a playoff run. Temple has seen action in nine games, amassing 57 tackles in that span, including nine tackles for a loss.

The Abbeville product elaborated on his decision to flip to Pitt in an interview with Skylar Rolstad of the Index-Journal on Tuesday.

”I really like the way they run their defensive ends, and I really enjoy their coaching staff,” Temple said. “I really like Narduzzi and [defensive line coach Charlie] Partridge there. I think it will be a really good fit for me.”